+++ Study by Fraunhofer UMSICHT proves positive environmental effects of recycling
+++ Interzero will save around 1.2 million tonnes of greenhouse gases and 11.1 million tonnes of primary resources in 2023
+++ Europe’s leading circular economy service provider is driving textile recycling forward: Enormous potential for climate and resource protection

Vienna, October 8, 2024. More recycling, less wasted resources: The recycling of raw materials is an effective lever to counteract the exploitation of our planet and prevent a further escalation of the climate crisis. The study “resources SAVED by recycling” published today proves this with clear facts: In 2023, Europe’s leading circular economy service provider Interzero avoided a total of 1.2 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions by recycling around 2.5 million tons of recyclable materials. This corresponds to the annual _CO2 emissions caused by 4.5 million EU citizens through their textile consumption alone. At the same time, Interzero and its customers were able to save over 11.1 million tons of primary resources . This amount is comparable to the raw material consumption caused by around 28.6 million people in the EU in one year through their textile consumption.* “ Looking at textiles as a recyclable material, it becomes clear what enormous ecological potential there is in recycling – and why it is urgently necessary to drive forward the circular transformation of the economy at all levels ,” says Dr. Axel Schweitzer, Chairman and shareholder of Interzero. “ This is particularly true for recyclable materials that are not yet consistently recycled today .” Unlike packaging recycling, for example, textile recycling is still in its infancy: around 92 million tonnes of textiles are thrown away every year worldwide. So far, however, only one percent of the huge material flow goes into fibre-to-fibre recycling and thus back into the production cycle. “ Together with the industry, we want to close the textile cycle and use our experience as an established system service provider to develop a holistic concept for take-back, sorting and recycling,” says Dr. Axel Schweitzer . “ In this way, we are easing the burden on the environment and supporting companies in becoming circular, i.e. future-proof and competitive .” Time is of the essence, as new EU regulations such as the separate collection requirement from 2025 or the planned producer responsibility for textiles (EPR), as well as the Austrian federal government’s circular economy strategy , are increasing the pressure to act .

“With our comprehensive services, we already enable companies to keep a wide variety of recyclable materials in the cycle and thus meet the requirements of regulations – such as the PPWR. In the future, we will also make this possible for textiles “, says Thomas Glatz , Managing Director at Interzero in Austria . Inform, educate and provide solid arguments for the circular transformation of the economy : With this goal in mind, Interzero has been having the environmental impacts of recycling independently scientifically reviewed for over 15 years. The annual life cycle assessment by the Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology Fraunhofer UMSICHT demonstrates the sustainable impact of Interzero’s work – and supports the circular economy service provider’s customers in transparent sustainability communication. For its holistic commitment, Interzero was awarded the German Sustainability Award 2024 in the “Waste Disposal and Recycling Industry” category and also the special prize in the resources transformation field.

*The conversion examples are based on figures from the European Parliament.

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