LlorensGMR: waste experts

The grandparents of the current owners of LlorensGMR began washing rags and collecting cava bottles and cartons from individuals in 1950. Their parents went a step further by implementing a scrap metal and cardboard collection system for the industry in Granollers, the city where the company is headquartered. Their children and current managers, brothers Sebastià and Oriol Llorens, saw their opportunity in recycling plastic, which is the most important material in contemporary society.

LlorensGMR celebrates 75 years of being able to offer the industry a comprehensive management service for any type of waste, prioritizing reduction and recycling. To this end, they have six waste treatment plants and a workforce of 230. The first facility was launched six years ago, and the sixth, a year ago. The latter is located in Lliçà de Vall (Vallès Oriental) and required an investment of nearly €7 million. “It is the first plant in Europe specialized in the destruction and management of pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, converting them into new raw materials,” says Sebastià Llorens, CEO. Due to high demand, the company is already building what will be its seventh plant.

With 230 employees, "whenever possible, we give waste a second life."

LlorensGMR's clients are major international brands with production centers in Catalonia and other parts of Spain. "We help our clients with their waste management. We explain how to properly segregate it within their production centers. We advise them on how to ensure the segregation is the most appropriate, efficient, and practical for their employees. We process all the necessary documentation. We handle collection and transportation. And finally, we optimize and maximize recoverable fractions to give them a new life in our treatment plants," explains the entrepreneur. In 2024, the company had a turnover of €56 million.

“Whenever possible, we give a second life to the waste we collect. When that's not possible, it's sent to incinerators to obtain fuel, and only as a last resort do we go to landfills,” explains Llorens. The only exception is waste considered special. The main new raw materials emerging from the company's treatment plants are paper, cardboard, and various types of plastic, which are sold to companies around the world in the automotive, construction, and packaging sectors, among others.

In its 75th anniversary year, LlorensGMR expects to reach €60 million in revenue.