Recycling and Sustainability in the Construction Industry – From a Niche Topic to a Value Driver, with Insights from the Sale of the Meyer Group to TERRAS, Facilitated by Transfer Partners.
Transfer Partners is observing a clear structural shift in the context of sustainability and the circular economy: recycling capacities are increasingly evolving from a downstream waste disposal process into an integral part of industrial value chains. This development is driven by rising regulatory requirements, limited landfill capacity, volatile raw material prices, and an increasing focus on CO₂ reduction and resource efficiency.
This trend is particularly evident in the construction and infrastructure sectors. The European Commission highlights that mineral waste streams from construction and demolition projects play a central role in resource efficiency and emissions reduction. At the same time, the OECD emphasizes that integrated circular models are increasingly creating economic efficiency benefits, particularly through more stable material availability and lower cost volatility.
Against this backdrop, the focus is shifting to business models that do not view recycling in isolation but rather integrate it operationally into existing value chains. M&A analyses for 2026 show that investors increasingly prefer platforms where recycling and recovery capacities are viewed as strategic infrastructure and contribute to stabilizing costs, margins, and supply chains. Read more on page 4 of the SektorReport.
A recent deal from our consulting practice illustrates this trend perfectly: The sale of the Meyer Group to TERRAS Holding GmbH is primarily a construction and infrastructure deal. At the same time, the recycling facility (Meyer Recycling) belonging to the Meyer Group played a key role in the strategic rationale behind the transaction.
The deal demonstrates that integrated recycling solutions are now perceived as relevant infrastructure within sustainable value creation systems – particularly in densely populated metropolitan regions with high levels of construction activity. Read more on this on page 6 of the SektorReport.
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