Prezero has enjoyed strong growth in recent years, primarily on the back of takeovers. However, the Schwarz group’s waste management subsidiary has now reported its first annual decrease in revenues in a while for the 2023 financial year. The number of municipalities using Prezero as a service provider had risen significantly in a year-on-year comparison, Schwarz reported. "However, falling prices in some of the markets for recyclable materials caused revenue to decline by 5.9 per cent in a year-on-year comparison to €3.7bn." This turnover figure was still large enought to make Prezero one of the world’s ten largest waste management companies.
Schwarz did not provide additional information about its waste management operations. On a group-wide scale, the group – which also includes the retailers Lidl and Kaufland – raised its revenues by 8.5 per cent to €167.2bn in 2023. The number of employees was virtually unchanged at 575,000. The Schwarz group invested about €8bn in the 2023 financial year. The date listed on the earnings report statement is 29 February 2024.
"This stable fiscal year 2023 reflects first and foremost our operational excellence across all fields of business and the impressive commitment of our employees,” said Gerd Chrzanowski, general partner of Schwarz group. "We solidified our position in difficult economic times and continued on our growth trajectory. That was achieved because we are a unique ecosystem that covers the entire value chain."
