Reintroducing materials back into the cycle begins with well-coordinated waste collection management. From separate collections to transportation, sorting, and processing – when we take care of waste recovery, waste takes care of us.
PreZero gets municipal, commercial, and industrial waste where it needs to be from start to finish.
Ensuring materials are optimally sorted from the moment they are thrown away, collected in an environmentally friendly manner that avoids harm to local ecosystems, and treated with future-orientated processes that allow materials to prove their value again and again.
Why are waste sorting, logistics and treatment so important?
Globally, around 80% of waste never gets recycled. Our planet becomes home to over 2 billion tons of new waste every year and that number is set to increase by 70% over the next 30 years. With an estimated three-quarters of all waste produced suitable for recycling, we can do more.
PreZero does more:
Our local experts analyze the generation and flow of materials to ensure a container sorting system is always exactly where it is needed.
An ever-growing and innovative fleet of logistics and specialized vehicles guarantees waste always reaches the right destination via the optimal route.
Waste sorting and treatment processes prepare materials to be introduced back into production, with maximum yield and minimal environmental impact.
Over 30 sorting and treatment plants make PreZero a world leader in advanced recycling through specialized waste collection, sorting, and management with the capacity to manage almost any type of material stream.
Not only do we offer consulting support for municipal and industrial customers, but we continue by providing the waste collection solutions, dependable logistics, and treatment facilities needed to build a sustainable future — one where material supply chains are assured, regulatory compliance is exceeded, and environmental damage is stamped out.
PreZero: The only waste logistics partner you need
PreZero operates across the entire value chain. From waste collection management and logistics to waste sorting and treatment processes, then onto recycling at one of our specialized plants.
Collection
There is no excuse for improperly sorted waste: The foundation of a smart production loop and resource preservation is effective and responsible waste collection management.
Our experts analyze each material flow to identify which recyclables are produced and in what quantities, as well as the distinct opportunities presented by each location.
This analysis informs our data-driven waste collection strategy including optimal placement of container systems, recyclables separation, and the most efficient waste transport logistics.
While fixed collection schedules might be the best solution for municipalities, industrial and commercial waste collection often require a more flexible approach.
A combination of digital integration and on-hand support allows us to meet the varying waste demands of our clients. Dependent on the material stream and region, waste production can be monitored using IoT-enabled technology, and additional collections can be arranged via our customer portals.
The huge amounts of properly sorted and collected waste ensure our supply of feedstock materials for high-quality recyclates. This in turn secures the future supply chains of customers who work holistically with us across the production cycle.
Logistics & Transport
We take waste seriously. Our large and varied fleet represents our investment in a higher standard of waste collection management.
Over 10 different vehicle types allow us to handle the broadest range of material streams in the most efficient way possible. Our modern waste management solutions cover the breadth of municipal, commercial, and industrial requirements from solid waste and bulk pickup to specialty waste handling.
Vehicles are outfitted with baling machines and automatic weighing to make optimum use of loading space and reduce transit costs – both economically and environmentally.
Different vehicle types and capacity sizes allow for the best-fit solution for residential, commercial, and industrial waste collection logistics.
The latest driver-support systems – such as backup and turning assistance – ensure other road users are protected and efficient logistics proceed without interruption.
Modern telematics systems provide the digital insight needed to inform more efficient commercial and residential waste collection.
Optimized route planning is a continual area of focus for PreZero. With all collection, sorting, and recycling logistics located within Europe, we can minimize emissions as much as possible.
For example, our pilot project in Lemgo, Germany, has already yielded significant improvements with a close analysis of how we utilize our vehicle fleet and personnel throughout the operational tour, as well as the route itself. PreZero is currently in the process of integrating these solutions across our other regions.
Additionally, in 2023, PreZero and Renewi celebrated the five-year anniversary of our Green Collective partnership. The Green Collective unites two of Europe’s leading waste collection and sorting companies in a common goal: fewer kilometers, fewer emissions, and less traffic through mutual collaboration. In just five years of partnership, we saved over 1,324,502 kg of C02 throughout the Netherlands alone
Sorting
Materials sorted are materials saved. We find the true value proposition in what is thrown away with innovative waste sorting processes and technology that exceeds current expectations and regulatory requirements.
Over 30 globally distributed sorting facilities that specialize in plastics, aluminum, compost, and non-standard waste sorting methods.
Investment in emergent technology – including AI-based object recognition and full-plant digitization – is creating a new definition for effective waste sorting.
Development of industry-first systems such as Black Scan for the detection and proper sorting of black plastics, which was previously a challenge to automate.
In-house sorting innovation laboratories are bringing advanced technology and human ingenuity together to facilitate further groundbreaking waste-sorting processes.
With the introduction of another German facility, we now have a sorting capacity of over 770,00 metric tons of LWP (lightweight packaging) per year in Europe alone. Further plants specializing in organic, hazardous waste/materials/substances, glass and metal recycling allow us to work toward closing material loops wherever we find them.
All this is allowing us to change the face of material production. One such instance is manufacturer COMPO who, using PreZero Polymers, was awarded the ‘Plastic Packaging Product Award 2023’ for achieving 100% packaging waste recycling with materials sourced exclusively from our European waste streams.
Treatment
We treat waste with the care it deserves, ensuring that the utilization of collected materials is maximized. Our plastic, metal, and organic waste treatment processes lay the successful foundation for the production of new raw materials. Pioneering technology allows us to maximize the yield and quality of our recycled materials while minimizing the environmental impact of material recovery.
Material treatment streams include:
- Aluminum
- Glass
- Plastics
- Organic waste
- Hazardous waste
- Substitute fuel
Any material flows not directly handled by PreZero are entrusted to a network of long-standing municipal and industrial waste collection and treatment partners.
Water
In some regions, PreZero also offers water and wastewater services across the entire treatment cycle.
This includes the reintroduction of treated wastewater back into the production cycle and the removal of pollutants and residues, ready for environmentally friendly discharge.
PreZero ensures the sustainable and safe reuse of water in accordance with local legal requirements. Tap into a new value chain with a waste management provider that treats water as the valuable resource it is.
Find services in your region
Secure supply chains, conservation of resources, and ecological recovery: It all starts with how we approach our waste. When waste collection management is considered part of the production loop – and not the end of a material’s life – we can end resource scarcity for good.
PreZero is building a circular economy that is not only good for business, but for our society and our planet.