belgian car recycling

What belgian car recycling does

Belgian Scrap Terminal (BST) is a Belgian family-owned metal recycling company founded in 1923 by the Craenhals family and now led by CEO Caroline Craenhals. The company operates as a single unified business with multiple service lines spanning ferrous and non-ferrous metal recycling, end-of-life vehicle destruction and processing, electrical and electronic equipment recycling (notably as a partner of Recupel), ship and industrial scrap acquisition, and 'Total Scrap Management' full-service waste handling for industrial and demolition clients. BST operates more than eight terminal sites across Belgium (Kallo headquarters, Willebroek, Hoboken, Engis, Arlon), Luxembourg, and France (Givet, Toul), supported by private dock infrastructure that accommodates bulk vessels up to 55,000 tons and processes over one million tons of metal annually.

The core technology stack combines industrial shredding, sorting, and processing systems with environmental monitoring infrastructure including radioactivity meters, rainwater purification, and machine emission controls. BST claims a 95% recycling rate for end-of-life vehicles and up to 90% recycling of electrical and electronic devices collected by Recupel. Revenue is generated through a transaction-based scrap trading model (margin between purchased scrap and sold processed raw materials), professional services fees for Total Scrap Management contracts with industrial clients, and certified vehicle destruction services for garages and auto dealers. Distribution is fully direct through the company's own terminal network, with processed ferrous and non-ferrous raw materials sold to global metallurgical buyers.

In March 2024, CEO Caroline Craenhals publicly advocated for the construction of an Electric-Arc-Furnace for circular steel production from scrap during a site visit by Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, signaling a strategic intent to vertically integrate downstream into finished steelmaking for applications such as automotive body plate. The company celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2023 and continues to invest in capacity expansion, evidenced by active hiring of operational and logistics roles across the network.

Name

belgian car recycling

Legal name

Belgian Scrap Terminal NV

Website

https://bcr-beer.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Belgian Scrap Terminal (BST) is a 100-year-old family-owned Belgian metal recycler that processes over one million tons of ferrous and non-ferrous scrap annually across eight terminals in Belgium, Luxembourg, and France, serving industrial, demolition, automotive, and metallurgical buyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Metal Recycling Services

NAICS

Materials Recovery Facilities (56292), Waste Collection (56211)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Auto Shredding & Metal Fragmentation (Shredder Operations) (EUAIAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scrap Collection, Brokerage & Trading (Dealers, Aggregators, Exporters) (EUAIAJAH), Scrap Metal Collection, Logistics & Aggregation (Yards, Roll-off, Container Programs) (IMAKAMAK), Non-Ferrous Scrap Processing & Brokerage (Aluminum, Copper, Brass/Bronze, Lead, Zinc, Nickel) (IMAKAMAB), E-Waste & Electronics Metal Recovery (ITAD, Circuit Boards, Precious Metal Recovery) (IMAKAMAG), Industrial Scrap Management & On-site Services (Plant Scrap, Roll-off, Managed Programs) (EUAIAJAI)

Keywords

• End-of-life vehicle recycling
• Scrap metal processing
• Ferrous non-ferrous recycling
• Industrial scrap management
• Auto wrecking services

Headquarters

HQ city

Kallo

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal trading: BST purchases ferrous and non-ferrous scrap from industrial producers, demolition firms, and individuals, processes it through sorting and shredding, and resells refined raw materials to metallurgical buyers worldwide. This is a transaction-based model where revenue is earned on the margin between purchase price of scrap and sale price of processed materials.
2. Total Scrap Management services: Full-service waste management for industrial clients and demolition companies, handling the complete chain from collection to final processing ('Total Scrap Management: we take your waste management completely in hand, from A to Z').
3. End-of-life vehicle processing: Certified destruction and recycling services for end-of-life vehicles through an authorized recognition center for garages and auto dealers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Belgian Scrap Terminal purchases and processes ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal from industrial producers, demolition firms, and individuals across Western Europe, recovering raw materials through shredding, sorting, and processing. The company is an authorized center for the destruction and recycling of end-of-life vehicles for garages and auto dealers, processes up to 90% of Recupel-collected electrical and electronic equipment, and offers Total Scrap Management services that handle industrial clients' complete waste chain from collection to final processing.

Product overview

Belgian Scrap Terminal (BST) is a Belgian family-owned recycling company operating as a single unified business with multiple service lines. The core offerings include metal recycling (ferro and non-ferro), auto wrecking/scrap vehicle processing, electrical and electronic equipment recycling, and Total Scrap Management services for industrial clients. BST processes over one million tons of metal annually and claims to recycle 95% of a discarded vehicle. The company operates its own harbor infrastructure capable of accommodating ships up to 55,000 tons, supporting raw material acquisition and distribution across Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Metal Recycling (Ferrous and Non-Ferrous) Core offering that purchases ferrous and non-ferrous scrap from industrial producers, demolition firms, and individuals, processes it through sorting and shredding, and sells refined raw materials to metallurgical buyers worldwide. BST handles over one million tons of metal annually through this service.
• End-of-Life Vehicle Destruction and Recycling Certified destruction and recycling service for end-of-life vehicles taken out of circulation, provided through an authorized recognition center serving garages and auto dealers in Belgium. BST can recycle 95% of an end-of-life vehicle.
• Total Scrap Management Comprehensive waste management service that takes industrial clients' and demolition companies' scrap management fully in hand, handling the complete chain from collection to final processing.
• Electrical and Electronic Equipment Recycling Processing of discarded electrical equipment, printers, and electronic devices. Through its partnership with Recupel, BST recycles up to 90% of all electrical and electronic devices collected by Recupel, giving them new useful applications.
• Ship and Industrial Scrap Processing Acquisition and processing of ship scrap and industrial scrap materials sourced from various suppliers across Western Europe, leveraging BST's dock infrastructure for receiving and shipping bulk volumes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Recycling rate of 95% for end-of-life vehicles
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• RecupelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBST partners with Recupel (Belgian WEEE collection and recycling organization) to process electrical and electronic equipment. BST recycles up to 90% of all electrical and electronic devices collected by Recupel, giving them new useful applications. This is a key strategic partnership in the circular economy chain.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Galloo: Galloo is a European metal-recycling group with operations centered in Belgium and neighboring markets, including ferrous and non-ferrous processing and end-of-life vehicle services. Its regional footprint and material-recovery focus make it a direct operating comparator to BST.
• European Metal Recycling: EMR operates shredders, yards, and downstream processing for ferrous and non-ferrous materials, including end-of-life vehicles. Its collection, processing, and resale model closely overlaps BST’s core operations.
• Sims Limited: Sims Limited is a global metal-recycling company with ferrous and non-ferrous collection, processing, and trading operations. Its scale and transaction-based scrap model make it a broad direct benchmark, even though its footprint is more global.

Regional players

• Renewi: Renewi provides waste and recycling services across the Benelux and the United Kingdom, including industrial waste streams and recovered materials. It is a regional comparator through its direct industrial customer relationships and circular-economy infrastructure.
• Stena Metall: Stena Metall is a Nordic metal-recycling and trading group that handles scrap, industrial residues, and recycled raw materials. It is comparable through the same purchasing, processing, and resale model, although its geographic mix is more Nordic.
• Kuusakoski: Kuusakoski provides metal-recycling and circular-economy services, including end-of-life vehicle and industrial-material processing. It is relevant through its high-volume scrap processing, recovery operations, and B2B materials model.

Broad incumbents

• Befesa: Befesa recycles industrial residues and produces recycled metals through specialized facilities in Europe and North America. It is a broad incumbent comparator because it serves metallurgical and industrial customers with recovery and materials-processing capabilities, though its residue mix is more specialized.
• REMONDIS: REMONDIS is a large European provider of recycling, waste-management, and industrial services. It is comparable through end-of-life material collection, processing, and the supply of secondary materials, but it is broader than BST’s metal-focused model.
• Paprec: Paprec is a major French recycling group spanning metals, end-of-life vehicles, and other material streams. It is a relevant regional broad incumbent because it combines industrial collection and recycling with a multi-stream circular-economy platform.
• Derichebourg: Derichebourg operates environmental services and recycling activities in Europe, including metal recovery and industrial-waste processing. Its scale and regional industrial customer base provide an adjacent benchmark, although it is diversified beyond scrap metals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/belgianscrapterminal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/belgian-car-recycling

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about belgian car recycling