French recycling firm Derichebourg has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of the share capital of Germany’s Scholz Recycling Group, Kallanish notes.
This strategic acquisition continues Derichebourg’s international growth and strategy to secure its leading position in the global metal waste recycling industry, it says.
According to the French company, this will also expand operational scale by integrating a network of over 100 recycling centres – 180 including joint ventures – located in countries where the group has little or no business.
The acquisition will also “support the decarbonisation of the steel industry in Europe to meet the growing demand from European steelmakers who are replacing their traditional blast furnaces with electric arc furnaces which consume large quantities of high-quality scrap metal,” it adds. It will “optimise operational efficiency through complementary logistical and commercial operations across Europe.”
The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2026. It would be financed entirely from Derichebourg’s existing cash resources and credit facilities, with the bridge loan provided by BNP Paribas.
“This project would mark a pivotal step in our international expansion strategy,” says Derichebourg chief executive Abderaman El Aoufir. “We have been able to nimbly seize a complex market opportunity thanks to the strength of our balance sheet and our industrial vision.”
Derichebourg Group is a major international operator in waste recycling, mainly metal and public sector services. The group currently operates in 13 countries and has 5,393 employees worldwide. In 2025, Derichebourg generated revenue of €3.3 billion ($3.85 billion).
Founded in 1872, Scholz is one of Europe’s leading metal recycling companies. With a turnover of €1.6 billion in 2025, the group has a long-standing industrial presence in Germany, as well as in the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia, and through joint ventures in Austria and Romania. In 2025, Scholz sold over 3 million tonnes of recycled ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals, paper, cardboard and plastics.
