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For companies, sustainability measures are increasingly becoming a question of verifiable impact. This is precisely where the “resources SAVED” certificates from Interzero.

The certificates make visible the concrete contribution that companies make together with Interzero to the circular economy and to climate and resource protection. The basis for this is the study “resources SAVED by recycling”which Interzero has been carrying out together with the Fraunhofer UMSICHT Institute for 18 years now.

The scientific life cycle assessment makes it clear how many primary resources and greenhouse gas emissions are actually saved through recycling. This is based on real material flow data, recycling volumes, transport distances and energy consumption from practical collaboration with our customers.

The jointly achieved contributions to circular economy, recycling and resource conservation are annually recognized by individual “resources SAVED” certificates scientifically documented.

For many companies today, this evidence is a valuable component of sustainability and ESG communication. This is because it is increasingly no longer enough to simply describe sustainability measures; comprehensible data and concrete impact are required.

The calculations are based on the internationally recognized Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method. The scientists compare all process steps of primary raw material extraction with those of recycling. The results clearly show: Recycling solutions make a measurable contribution to climate and resource protection.

In addition, we support our customers with supplementary communication materials and graphics to make this environmental performance transparent to customers, partners and stakeholders.

More about the “resources SAVED” certificates and the scientific calculation methodology in the latest blog post.

Projects for waste prevention and circular economy have long been on the agenda in many companies. What is usually more difficult is the practical implementation: Which measures are actually eligible for funding? Which projects bring measurable benefits? And where does the effort really pay off economically? This is where the VKS funding programs can create concrete financial leeway.

Measures to reduce packaging waste, optimize logistics processes, introduce reusable packaging or extend product life cycles are among the measures being promoted.cycles. Awareness-raising, repairability and resource conservation projects are also may be relevant.

The VKSfunding call 2026 starts on June 15. Anyone wishing to submit should include the funding logic, target definition, key figures and d Structure documentation at an early stage.

Good set up Projects often not only create access to funding, but also improve processes, material use and resource efficiency.

Holistic project support from the idea to implementation

We support companies from the initial project idea through to submission and implementation with

• Project structure and target definition

• Funding logic and submission documents

• measurable key figures

• Classification of regulatory requirements

• Integration into existing circular economy-strategies

More information on funding criteria, priorities 2026 and submission documents can be found here:

Funding information from VKS in the area of Packaging 2026: Funding information VKS 2026

Submission period: June 15, 2026 – 05.10.2026,

Expected funding approval: December 2026

When preparing the PPWR declaration of conformity, many companies realize just how complex structured packaging data actually is. Irrespective of open questions of detail, it is already clear that without structured Packaging datatraceable documentation and assessment of recyclability recyclability preparing for future requirements becomes much more difficult.

Complexity quickly arises, especially with extensive packaging portfolios. Different materials, suppliers, packaging components and responsibilities have to be brought together and evaluated. Many companies are therefore currently faced with very practical questions:

• Which packaging should be checked first?

• What data is still missing?

• How can the recyclability efficiently?

• And how can the technical basis for subsequent declarations of conformity be established?

With our digital solution Check4Recycling companies create a structured basis for precisely this.

Check4Recycling helps companies to systematically analyze packaging, process relevant data centrally and meet initial requirements relating to PPWR, compliance and future EPR-requirements at an early stage. The focus is on practical applicability in day-to-day business.

This is particularly helpful for decentralized data structures and complex packaging portfolios. Check4Recycling helps to bring this information together in a comprehensible way and to derive specific action steps from it. To demonstrate the application as practically as possible, we offer our own live demos with concrete examples from practice.

Check for Recycling – A digital solution for the challenges of PPWR (live demo)

Our webinar will give you a practical introduction to the digital solution Check4Recycling. In a live demo, we show how companies can use the recyclability of Packaging easily, quickly and efficiently.

What you can expect:

• Introduction to Check4Recycling

• Overview of functions and possible applications

• Live demo of the application

• Assessment of the recyclability of Packaging

• Practical tips for efficient use

Dates:
June 11, 2026 | 10:30-12:00 a.m.
June 18, 2026 | 10:30-12:00 a.m.

The new EU packaging regulation has been keeping companies busy for months at various levels – regulatory, operational and economic. The practical implementation is often still uncertain. Now a concrete deadline is coming into focus: August 12, 2026.

From this point onwards, the first requirements of the PPWR binding. Particularly relevant here is the Declaration of conformity for Packaging. Companies must then be able to document in a comprehensible manner that their packaging meets the applicable requirements. This requires more than just a formal declaration: the decisive factor is clean packaging datatechnical documentation and transparency about the materials used and their recyclability. recyclability.

This is precisely where many questions currently arise in practice. Who is considered a producer or manufacturer? Which packaging must be checked first? What data is already available and what is still missing? And how do you prepare sensibly for new requirements relating to Packaging evaluation, recycling solutions and technical documentation, although some details of implementation are still open?

Our packaging engineer Jonathan Scheck talks about this in an interview with Retail Report ppractical insights. His view from a consulting perspective shows that many companies are no longer faced with the question of whether they need to take action, but rather how to approach the entry in a structured way.

The timetable makes it clear which topics companies should prepare for now.

2026 is the declaration of conformity will be the focus, followed by new labeling requirements from 2028, and from 2030 the requirements for recyclability, conservation of resources and certain types of packaging will become much stricter.

In order to provide companies with targeted support during the initial implementation steps, we are dedicating a separate webinar.

PPWR declaration of conformity – roles, obligations & our solution

The countdown is on: From August 12, 2026, the new declaration of conformity mandatory. In our compact webinar, we will show you what is changing, who is affected and the three steps you need to take to prepare for the Declaration of Conformity are particularly important.

What you can expect:

• What will change in concrete terms from 12.08.2026

• Who is considered a “producer” or “manufacturer”

• What obligations arise from this

• The three most important steps to the declaration of conformity

• What content the technical documentation should include

• Practical orientation for the first implementation steps

Date:
June 2, 2026 | 10:30 to 12:00 a.m.

With the EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR) coming into force in February 2025, it is clear that the requirements for packaging will become much more specific and verifiable. From August 12, 2026, companies will have to provide a PPWR declaration of conformity for all packaging placed on the market.

This provides clear proof that the packaging meets the legal requirements and may be placed on the market in the EU.

In concrete terms, this means that in future, companies will have to deal with the material composition, recyclability of Packaging and the proportion of recycled material in a structured manner. This information must not only be recorded internally, but also prepared in a comprehensible manner as technical documentation for the packaging.

All companies that are considered producers of packaging are obliged to do so, regardless of the industry or type of packaging. The PPWR requirements for companies stipulate that the declaration of conformity must be drawn up before the product is placed on the market and submitted to the authorities if required.

This raises the central question for many companies:

How can the requirements of the PPWR be efficiently integrated into existing processes and make Packaging PPWR compliant?

The challenge lies not so much in the individual document, but in creating a reliable database. After all, the PPWR declaration of conformity is only as good as the underlying information.

If you want to make your Packaging PPWR compliant at an early stage and reliably meet the requirements of the PPWR Declaration of Conformity, we will be happy to support you.

Not many companies can say that they have shaped the way entire industries think for 35 years. For us, this anniversary is therefore not only a milestone, but also an opportunity to put the development of the circular economy and its significance for companies today into context.

From regulation to innovation – how it all began

Our beginnings date back to the early 1990s, when extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging became increasingly important for companies. Even then, it was clear that individual measures were not enough. Functioning systems that sensibly combine collection, sorting and recycling are crucial.

What initially emerged as a reaction to regulatory requirements quickly developed into an independent business model – based on the circular economy.

Today, the vision of a world without waste is not just a claim on paper for us, but the basis of our actions. For many years, we have been demonstrating that resource conservation and economic success can go hand in hand – through closed material cycles, efficient collection systems, modern sorting technologies and high-quality recyclates.

In doing so, we always work closely with the real requirements of the market. We support companies throughout Europe in implementing regulatory requirements, increasing material efficiency and achieving sustainability goals.

Services that have grown with the market

Over the past 35 years, we have continuously developed our service portfolio. In addition to classic recycling solutions, we now offer, among other things:

• Comprehensive waste management solutions for companies
• Strategic and operational consulting in the area of sustainability
• Take-back and reverse logistics solutions
• Digital tools for managing environmental, waste and CO₂ data
• Modern sorting facilities and certified secondary raw materials

This shows: We don’t just react to changes in the market – we actively shape them.

Looking ahead

For us, 35 years of Interzero is not a conclusion, but a starting point. The coming years will bring new challenges – from increasing regulatory requirements to the transformation of entire value chains.

Our approach remains unchanged: Together with our customers, we develop solutions that combine ecological responsibility and economic benefit.

Because our experience shows that the circular economy works – if it is implemented consistently.

Our Interzero LinkedIn company page is evolving and will be managed as a central international platform in the future. All content will be published in English and will increasingly reflect the global perspective of our company.

The background to this is the increasing internationalization of the circular economy. Regulatory developments, market requirements and innovations have long been interlinked across borders. With our new focus, we are creating a platform on which these developments can be bundled and clearly classified.

For you, this means above all a broader view of international trends and best practices. You will gain insights into different markets, regulatory developments and strategic topics that are becoming increasingly important for internationally active companies.

In addition, thematic focuses are bundled more strongly. Dedicated focus pages provide in-depth access to key topics such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) as well as sustainable packaging solutions and material developments.

Important for you: The LinkedIn page of Interzero Austria will of course remain and will continue to offer content with a clear reference to the Austrian market.

When different players along the food value chain come together, real movement is created. This is exactly what has been achieved with the new Alliance against Food Waste and Poverty: Around 40 organizations from business, agriculture, trade, logistics and the social sector are joining forces to reduce food waste and at the same time combat food poverty in a targeted manner.

Initiated by Die Tafel Austria and presented at the Press Club Concordiathe alliance stands for a new, joint approach. Developing solutions together rather than side by side – practical, effective and thought through along the entire value chain.

For us, participation is a clear commitment. The circular economy means taking a holistic view of resources and assuming responsibility where it arises. The alliance creates the right platform for this.

(Cover picture: Alina Zechmeister, Interzero, at the Alliance’s kick-off press conference together with Alexandra Gruber, Managing Director of Die Tafel Österreich)

The new EU packaging regulation (PPWR) is often associated primarily with the target year 2030. associated with this. However, the first requirements will actually come into effect much earlier: a declaration of conformity will be mandatory from 12.8.2026. This confirms that packaging complies with the currently valid directives. Without a declaration of conformity, companies risk having items withdrawn from the market and incurring high penalties. At the same time, many companies are confronted with legal gray areas.

Terms “manufacturer”, “producer” and “distributor” lead to legal gray areas in PPWR

“Above all, there is a lack of a clear definition of terms: Who is a manufacturer, who is a producer, who is a retailer? Each of these terms is associated with certain obligations under the PPWR. Due to the lack of clarity, many questions cannot be answered one hundred percent, especially in complex supply chains “, explains Thomas Glatz, Managing Director Interzero Austria.

In addition, it has not yet been fully clarified what will count as packaging in the future and what will not.
“For example, it is currently still unclear how coffee capsules will be classified and discharged. This makes planning difficult and may delay the necessary changes for companies, but also for providers of collection and recycling systems. Rapid clarification of these points would be helpful for the entire economy “, Glatz continues.

Act early: Stay PPWR compliant in 3 steps

Even if not all legal issues have been fully clarified yet, it is crucial for affected companies to act now in order to be prepared for the redesign of processes, the conversion of systems or the development of compliant Packaging.

Interzero recommends proceeding in three steps:

1. Create transparency and establish a clear database on the Packaging used.
2. Analyze the packaging portfolio for recyclability and identify problematic material combinations.
3. Test new packaging solutions at an early stage in order to combine innovation with brand strategy and cost optimization.

Strategic PPWR consulting for your company by Interzero

As Europe’s leading provider of circular economy solutions, we support companies with a wide range of services to meet the requirements of the PPWR.

These include strategic PPWR consulting as well as specific, customized solutions. “Check for Recycling” is a digital tool that can be used to check the recyclability of existing packaging and create automated declarations of conformity.

With “Made4Circle” we accompany companies through the entire process: from the recyclability of the packaging analyzed in the laboratory to direct recommendations for action regarding design and material selection to the use of the recyclate developed in our in-house competence center for recycled plastics.

Whether in cities, municipalities or commercial areas: Today, waste infrastructure has to do more than just be functional. Durable, low-maintenance solutions that can be flexibly adapted to different requirements are in demand.

As a sales partner, we offer integrated collection systems for indoor and outdoor use – from individual recycling stations to sophisticated overall solutions. We combine design, functionality and cost-effectiveness with the aim of making waste processes more efficient and sustainable for our customers.

Designing waste processes efficiently: With recycling stations for indoor and outdoor

One concrete example of this is the “Edinburgh Click & Build” recycling station from our partner Cervic. The special feature: The system is delivered disassembled and only assembled on site. This significantly reduces the transport volume – a clear advantage for logistics, storage and cost structure.

This difference is particularly noticeable in projects with several units: less space required for transportation, lower emissions and more efficient handling overall.

In use, the station impresses with its robust construction made of powder-coated steel, flexible configuration options for different waste fractions and well thought-out details for daily use. At the same time, the system remains adaptable – for example, thanks to easily replaceable labels if requirements change.

The solution also meets key requirements of the modern circular economy in terms of sustainability: durable materials, high recyclability and a reduced carbon footprint along the entire value chain.