From scrap to sustainable circular solutions
The 23-year-old Sten Allan Olsson started the Sten A. Olsson Metallprodukter trading company in November 1939. From a small, unassuming office, he traded ferrous and non-ferrous scrap, rags and raw rubber. Where others saw old junk, he saw new business opportunities.
Over the years Stena has grown into a major international business active in a wide range of areas, such as shipping, real estate and recycling. Much is the same as it was in 1939. We are still owned by the Olsson family and still have our head office in Göteborg. The spirit of Sten Allan Olsson still permeates our work, which is to create economic and environmentally sustainable solutions for the intelligent management of resources.
For decades, Stena has been a leading vehicle recycler. Since the ELV-directive was implemented in 2007, Stena Recycling collaborates with the automotive industry and certified car dismantlers to ensure the highest possible recycling rate of end–of–life vehicles. Today, this also covers the batteries of electric vehicles.
In 2017 BatteryLoop was started as a part of Stena Recycling to explore new possibilities of reusing car batteries for energy strorage purposes. The first system was delivered in December 2019. Today business covers both reused and new batteries.
As of September 2021 BatteryLoop is its own company and a subsidiary of Stena Metall AB.
Milestones
1939 Sten A Olsson Metallprodukter founded
1946 The first ship purchased
1952 First branch for material collection and processing opens
1962 Ferry service begin between Gothenburg and Skagen
1972 Stena Metall AB and Stena AB are divided into separate groups
1973 First car shredding machine purchased
1985 First automated metal sorting plant built
2007 Four recycling companies merged into Stena Recycling
2007 ELV Directive implemented
2016 Stena Nordic Recycling Center inaugurated
2017 BatteryLoop started as part of Stena Recycling
2019 First BatteryLoop system delivered
2021 BatteryLoop founded as a company part of Stena Metall AB Group