About Recycling Magazin

Recycling Magazin

Recycling Magazin is a German trade journal for the recycling and waste management industry, published by the DETAIL Architecture GmbH in Munich. With a publication history stretching back to 1947, the magazine counts among the oldest trade titles of the European secondary raw materials economy and reports on the economic, political and technical developments of the industry with nearly eight decades of expertise. The magazine appears in a German edition as RECYCLING magazin and in an English edition as RECYCLING magazine, addressing the international recycling business alongside the German market. The editorial programme combines daily industry news with in-depth background reporting on all material groups, from metals and plastics to paper and textiles, making the magazine a central information source for the circular economy's professionals.

Overview

Recycling Magazin addresses market participants and decision makers from the entire recycling and waste management industry, together with lawyers, politicians, civil servants, scientists and technicians. Its readers are the professionals who shape the circular economy: recyclers and waste management companies, producers and traders of secondary raw materials, plant and machinery manufacturers, legal and consulting firms, and the public and academic institutions concerned with resource policy. The magazine's editorial approach is that of an independent trade journal, reporting well-rounded and deeply investigated information about all aspects of the secondary raw materials economy.

The German edition RECYCLING magazin and the English edition RECYCLING magazine share the editorial core while addressing their respective markets. The magazine's reporting is organised around the material groups of the recycling industry, from ferrous and non-ferrous metals to recovered paper, plastics, glass and textiles, with the editorial team analysing the events in business, politics and technology in equal measure. The magazine provides its readers with orientation, classification and explanation, positioning itself as an indispensable medium for the recycling and waste management industry. This editorial positioning has remained constant over the decades, even as the industry itself has transformed from the scrap trade of the post-war period to the high-technology circular economy of the present. Alongside the print editions, the magazine operates the websites recyclingmagazin.de and recycling-magazine.com, a monthly newsletter, and the RECYCLING Almanach, a yearbook of the industry. The magazine's authority rests on its longevity: few trade titles can draw on nearly eight decades of continuous reporting on their industry, and the editorial team has used this institutional memory to analyse the structural changes of the recycling business.

History

The magazine's history began in 1947, with the 2024 volume marking the 78th year of publication and the media kit for 2025 documenting 79 years of reporting. This makes Recycling Magazin one of the oldest continuously published trade journals of the German recycling industry, having accompanied the sector from the post-war reconstruction period through the environmental legislation of the 1970s and 1980s to the modern circular economy. The magazine's long track record is based on far-reaching economic expertise and a close relationship with the industry's associations and companies.

The title has developed continuously over the decades. The 2016 media kit documented a fortnightly publication with 24 issues a year and the RECYCLING Almanach as a yearbook included in the subscription, with an editorial team led by Michael Brunn and a publishing house operating under the name ATEC Business Information GmbH. The yearbook tradition continues to provide the industry with an annual reference work alongside the magazine's regular reporting. In the following years the title was integrated into the DETAIL publishing group, with the DETAIL Architecture GmbH becoming the publishing house and the Munich address at Messerschmittstrasse 4 becoming the seat of the magazine. The 2025 media kit documents a monthly publication frequency, with Michael Brunn continuing as editor-in-chief and publishing director. The magazine's English edition recycling-magazine.com extends the brand's reach to the international recycling business.

Content and Sections

The editorial content of Recycling Magazin covers the full spectrum of the recycling and waste management industry, organised by material groups and thematic areas. The magazine reports on the economic developments of the secondary raw materials markets, from price trends and trade flows to company news and consolidation, and on the political developments that shape the industry, from European waste legislation to national recycling targets and extended producer responsibility. Technical reporting covers plant and machinery, sorting and processing technology, and the innovations that drive the circular economy, from digital waste tracking to advanced sorting systems. The magazine also reports on the regulatory framework that shapes the industry, from the European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation to the German Circular Economy Act and the take-back systems of the dual systems. Company news covers the consolidation of the industry, the investments of international groups and the development of municipal and private waste management companies.

The magazine's signature formats include in-depth background reporting that provides orientation, classification and explanation of complex industry developments, from the market situation of individual material groups to the regulatory changes that affect recyclers. The editorial analysis covers all material groups and examines business, politics and technology in equal measure. The websites recyclingmagazin.de and recycling-magazine.com extend the print content with current news, event calendars and the media kit for advertisers. The monthly newsletter keeps subscribers informed about the latest developments, while the RECYCLING Almanach provides an annual overview of the industry. The English edition serves the international recycling business with selected content in English, from top news to the media kit.

Publisher and Organization

Recycling Magazin is published by the DETAIL Architecture GmbH, based at Messerschmittstrasse 4 in 80992 Munich. The managing directors are Christof Wahl, Markus Wolf and Lena Engel. The editorial team is led by Michael Brunn, editor-in-chief and publishing director, with Sabine Hatzfeld and Marius Schaub as editors. The advertising business is led by Michael Oberste-Schemmann, head of marketing, with Anke Thaler as advertising coordination and display manager. The magazine appears monthly, with the 2024 volume marking the 78th year of publication. The publishing house maintains the German website recyclingmagazin.de and the English website recycling-magazine.com, with a monthly newsletter and the media kit documenting the title's profile for advertisers. The DETAIL publishing group, known for its architecture and design titles, provides the magazine with a publishing infrastructure that supports both print and digital distribution and the organisation of industry events.

Digital Presence

The digital home of the magazine comprises the German website recyclingmagazin.de and the English website recycling-magazine.com, which present the current issues, news, events and the media kit for advertisers. The English site publishes selected top news and the media kit, serving the international recycling business with content in English. The magazine's newsletter is published monthly, keeping subscribers informed about the latest developments in the recycling and waste management industry. The websites carry the advertising formats of the magazine's cross-media offers, from display advertising to digital packages and sponsoring. The magazine's long history is documented in the media kits and in the industry's reference works, with the 2025 media kit presenting the title's 79 years of reporting as the basis of its editorial authority. The digital platforms extend the print magazine's reach to the international recycling community. The magazine's event calendar and industry directory functions complement the editorial content, positioning the websites as service platforms for the recycling business alongside their news function.