Germany’s Schwarz group continues to experience significant growth, and the year-over-year increase was particularly strong for its waste management division Prezero. At the group level, Schwarz reported revenue of €154.1bn in its 2022 business year ended 28 February 2023 across all it units. Consolidated revenue was up by 15.4 per cent compared with 2020/21. The discount retail chains Lidl and Kaufland contributed nearly €115bn and €31.8bn, respectively, to the past financial year's top line figure.
The recycling and waste management subsidiary Prezero saw considerably higher year-on-year growth in revenues. Due in part to acquisitions in the 2021 business year, Prezero’s turnover rose by nearly 85 per cent, from €2.1bn in the previous year to €3.9bn. In 2021, Prezero’s acquisitions included large parts of French group Suez’s waste management activities in Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden as well as Cespa’s activities in Spain and Portugal.
Second-largest firm after Remondis
Prezero is now the second-largest German waste management company, after the Rethmann subsidiary Remondis. In 2022, Remondis generated a turnover of €12.1bn, representing an increase of €600m compared to the previous year. Lünen-based Rethmann group, with its divisions Remondis, Rhenus and Saria, generated total revenues of €24.4bn last year, as compared to €21.2bn in 2021.
