COVER STORY
39recyclinginternational.com | March/April | 2023
volatile metals prices will impact our
results in 2023 – how could they not?’
the entrepreneur asks. ‘I’m confident,
though, we can withstand a little tur-
bulence. We’re well positioned to stay
on top of our game.’
As always, commodity prices are the
main factor. ‘There was a huge
upwards trend in the last few years,
this is now normalising. We don’t
know how far down prices will go;
there are highs and lows and every-
thing in-between. Now we’re on a rel-
ative downward spiral but we’ll see
where it ends. The good thing is,
there is more than enough business in
the precious metals segment. We’re
not worried in the short-term.’
Hensel recalls that, even during the
height of the pandemic, the economy
was actually pretty good for European
waste managers. ‘Recyclers kept
going. The same is true for us.’
BRACING THE ‘PERFECT STORM’
Hensel Recycling is therefore keeping
its eyes on the horizon, anticipating
long-term changes in the market.
‘Naturally, what’s happening in the
automotive sector also has a direct
impact on our operations. This
includes whether producers are buy-
ing more or less material, shifting to
different materials or launching new
vehicle types,’ Hensel adds.
Let’s not forget that consumers are
keeping their cars for longer and that
has been a trend for the last two years
or so. ‘Down the line, it will reach
recyclers. Fewer new cars on the road
mean fewer scrapped cars. Maybe not
today or tomorrow but we’ll notice
the difference.’
All these factors combined to create a
perfect storm. ‘Everybody is hoping it
will get better. It’s another reason for
us to explore new recycling opportu-
nities.’ Not least because catalytic
converters won’t be produced forever
and some brands are already phasing
them out. ‘The world’s existing fleet
Fotobijschrift
KADERKOP
??
Hensel Recycling recovers 11 000 tonnes of precious metals from catalytic
converters per year.
Many big bags are filled with e-scrap. Hensel Recycling is also eager to
expand into fuel cell recycling.
FACTS & FIGURES
Founded: 1998
Headquarters: Aschaffenburg, Germany
Employees: Around 160 in Germany and 220 worldwide
Located in: Australia, France, Great Britain, Malaysia, Austria, South
Korea, USA
Sales offices in: South Africa, Czech Republic
Services: Precious metal scrap management, purchasing, toll refining, fast
settlement, analysis, logistics
Materials: automotive/industrial catalytic converters, diesel particulate fil-
ters, oxygen sensors, e-scrap, cable harnesses, fuel cells, aluminium rims,
etc.
R&D projects: Best4Hy (Fuel Cells), ReSi-Norm (Photovoltaic)
Certifications: § 56 of the German Closed Substance Cycle and Waste
Management Act (KrWG), German law on emission protection, (BImSchG),
DIN EN ISO 9001:2008, DIN EN ISO 14001:2009; DIN ISO 45001:2018
Member of: BIR, BVMW, BVSE, FVEM, IPMI, VRA, Unternehmensnetzwerk
Klimaschutz, Umweltcluster Bayern, Umweltpakt Bayern
www.hensel-recycling.com
38-39-40-41_henselrecycling.indd 39 15-03-2023 11:43
