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From packaging to electrical appliances and batteries: companies are facing increasingly complex requirements due to national and EU-wide regulations. Our Interzero Circular Consulting packages are the perfect solution to master these challenges safely and efficiently. We show how consulting for EPR compliance works. Our packages at a glance:

• Smart Package : For small business owners who want to keep themselves informed. You will receive all the important information to manage your obligations independently – including access to the customer portal and reminders of important deadlines.
• Advanced Package : For companies that want support with product group assignment, recyclability and waste management. This not only saves you time, but also costs.
• Expert Package : Our all-round, worry-free package for companies with complex requirements. It offers you personal support on all compliance issues as well as discounts on other Interzero services.
• Start-up package: For start-ups that want to better understand the legal requirements of packaging and waste management issues and want to do everything right from the start. The first year is free.

Why Interzero? With over 30 years of experience in the field of licensing and compliance, we are your reliable partner not only to meet legal requirements, but also to make processes sustainable and efficient. Convince yourself of the expertise of the European market leader for EPR compliance.

How to get your right consulting package

Find the right package for your needs now and start 2025 worry-free!

Saving resources instead of burning them – that is the potential of chemical recycling . For mixed plastic waste that cannot be mechanically recycled, it offers a solution to keep raw materials in the cycle and conserve primary resources and is much more than a supplement. Dr. Richard von Goetze , a doctor of chemistry and Head of Strategy at Interzero, is an expert in this field. In an exclusive interview with Business Circle ( read here) , he talks about the importance of chemical recycling, regulatory challenges and the vision of a world without waste. ” Chemical recycling is an ideal complement to the mechanical process and saves raw materials from being burned ,” says von Goetze.

Invitation to the Circular Economy Exchange 3.0 on December 3rd

Experience Dr. von Goetze live at the Circular Economy Exchange 3.0 in Vienna at “The Social Hub” and register. Together with experts from the industry, he will share insights into innovative solutions and show how the circular economy combines climate protection and economic potential.

Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is increasingly being used in Europe as a tool to promote sustainability and reduce waste. Slovenia has also implemented clear rules that require manufacturers and distributors of products to pay for the take-back and disposal of their products. Foreign companies not based in Slovenia in particular must ensure that they comply with these requirements in order to avoid severe penalties. Find the important information about EPR obligations in Slovenia:

General information about the EPR

EPR obligations in Slovenia include, among others, registration in a national system , reporting on quantities placed on the market and paying fees to finance the take-back systems. This applies to packaging, electronic devices and batteries. Foreign companies that sell products in Slovenia to end consumers via mail order also bear full responsibility and must appoint a local authorised representative to comply with their obligations. Violation of these regulations can have significant financial and legal consequences.

Penalties for non-compliance with EPR obligations

Companies that fail to comply with their EPR obligations in Slovenia face severe penalties. In addition to fines of up to €4,000, authorities can also impose sales bans , which have a serious impact on business activities. In addition, reputational damage can occur, which has a negative impact on market position.

How to ensure EPR compliance

In order to meet the EPR requirements in Slovenia, we ensure that everything is handled correctly with our team of experts at our branch in Slovenia. What you as a company need to take into account depends on whether you are based in Slovenia.

Your company has a branch in Slovenia?

• Registration with an authorized system: Companies can register directly with Interzero Slovenia, one of the state-recognized take-back systems, in order to fulfill their reporting and payment obligations.

Your company has NO branch in Slovenia?

• Appointment of an authorized representative: Foreign mail order companies without a branch in Slovenia and shipping focus B2C must appoint an authorized representative who will take over their duties on site and ensure that they comply with all legal requirements. We not only ensure the reporting of quantities, but also direct communication with national authorities in the local language.

Ensure correct compliance with your EPR obligations in Slovenia – we can help!

Don’t miss any deadlines and ensure your legal compliance. Visit our local webshop for more details or to place a contract order directly. If you have any questions, we are happy to help – contact us and get individual advice! With timely preparation and the right support, you can avoid unnecessary risks and concentrate on your core business.

Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is also gaining importance in Croatia. Croatian legislation obliges manufacturers and distributors of products to ensure that their goods are taken back and disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner. Foreign companies without a registered office in Croatia in particular must be aware of their obligations and implement them in order to avoid legal and financial consequences.

General information about the EPR

In Croatia, the EPR rules apply to packaging, electronic equipment and batteries . Companies are obliged to register with one of the recognised take-back systems, submit regular reports on quantities placed on the market and pay recycling fees. These obligations also apply to companies without a local establishment that supply goods to private end-users in Croatia directly or via online sales channels. In addition, these companies must appoint a local authorised representative.

Penalties for non-compliance with EPR obligations

Failure to comply with EPR regulations can be expensive for companies in Croatia. Fines are a common sanction and can run into the thousands of euros. In addition, other measures such as sales bans or criminal consequences can be taken. This not only represents a financial risk, but can also permanently damage a company’s reputation.

How to ensure EPR compliance

For companies that want to comply with their EPR obligations in Croatia, we at Interzero offer the necessary local expertise. What you as a company need to consider depends on whether you are based in Croatia.

Your company has a branch in Croatia?

• Direct registration: Registration with a government-approved take-back system is the first step to meeting legal requirements.

Your company has NO branch in Croatia?

• Appointment of an authorized representative: Foreign companies not based in Croatia that sell to end consumers must appoint an authorized local representative who will assume their legal obligations. We not only take care of reporting your quantities, but also direct communication with national authorities in the local language.

Act now!

Visit our webshop for further details or secure yourself directly by ordering a contract. Do you have any further questions? Contact us and let our experts advise you. Legal compliance in Croatia is essential to secure your business and enable sustainable growth.

At Interzero, we are constantly working to make our services even better for you and we are constantly developing our customer portal . Our goal is to offer our customers a central platform for everything related to EPR . A central portal that makes their processes related to license management, such as quantity reports, document management and ordering packaging, waste electrical equipment and battery license contracts, as simple as possible. With a view to the coming 2025 financial year, you can make your licensing process simpler, faster and more transparent . From mid-December 2024, you can submit your annual financial statement report for 2024 and we will ensure that you continue to meet all legal requirements. Our portal helps you keep track of everything and make the process stress-free, including meeting your reporting deadlines.

Your advantages with our EPR portal for central license management at a glance:

• Simplicity: Save your product groups as favorites and save valuable time on future notifications.
• Flexibility: Report your packaging quantities in tons or kilograms and download reports directly as PDF or Excel.
• Efficiency: Copy previous messages with just one click and reduce manual effort.

With this solution, we are specifically targeting Austrian companies that want to license their packaging, waste electrical equipment and batteries in a legally correct manner. Our portal offers you not only efficiency, but also transparency by allowing you to view your data at any time and in one place. In this way, we are laying the foundation for a legally compliant and sustainable EPR solution in Austria.

Your opinion counts!

We would like to continue to optimize our portal and look forward to your feedback. Your experiences will help us to tailor the platform even better to your needs. Please let us know your suggestions for improvement. Click here to tell us your opinion!

EPR expertise: Are you already legally compliant?

Use our new online portal and simplify your licensing in Austria. Get started now and start 2025 with legal certainty.

Since the standardization of the collection of lightweight and metal packaging, the amount collected in Austria has been increasing continuously. In the first half of 2024, Interzero recorded a nationwide increase of 4% compared to the previous year , with the strongest increases in Vienna and Carinthia. At the beginning of 2023, the collection of lightweight packaging was standardized in Austria: Now, in addition to plastic bottles, cups, bowls and other plastic and metal packaging are collected in the yellow bag or yellow bin. The current figures from Interzero show an increase of 4% for the first half of 2024 compared to 2023. Vienna recorded the largest increase with 10% , followed by Carinthia with 8% .

“Urban areas are usually below the national average when it comes to collection. Thanks to standardization, cities are now catching up significantly ,” explains Thomas Glatz , Managing Director of Interzero Austria.

New EU directives as the next step

In the future, the collection and recycling of packaging will also be promoted by the new EU directive Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) . The regulation aims to make packaging more sustainable and recyclable by 2030. With the Made4Circle service, Interzero supports companies in the implementation of recyclable packaging.

Read more about the collection increase in Austria here: Carinthians collected more in the yellow bag – kaernten.ORF.at

You can find more detailed information in our press release: Yellow bag: 4% collection increase

Recycling plays a central role in conserving resources and protecting the climate. Every year, Interzero conducts a comprehensive life cycle assessment together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT . This clearly shows how recycling reduces the consumption of raw materials and greenhouse gas emissions. In this way, we are making an important contribution to promoting the circular economy and achieving global climate goals . “resources SAVED by recycling” serves as the key to resource and climate protection. In 2023, Interzero saved more than 11.1 million tons of primary raw materials by recycling around 2.5 million tons of recyclable materials in Germany, Austria, Poland, Italy and Slovenia . This amount corresponds to the raw materials that around 28.6 million EU citizens consume in one year through their textile consumption. In addition, these measures avoided around 1.2 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions . This corresponds to the annual CO2 emissions that 4.5 million EU citizens would cause through textile consumption. Our partnership with the renowned Fraunhofer UMSICHT makes it possible to underpin the ecological benefits of recycling with valid data. These figures prove that recycling not only conserves resources, but also represents significant added value for climate protection . The results of the study help to further advance the transformation to a circular economy and support companies in achieving their sustainability goals.

Would you like to know more about the results of the “resources SAVED by recycling” study?

Similar article on this topic: Interzero publishes study resources SAVED by recycling 2023

The standardization of lightweight packaging collection has ensured a steady increase in the amount of lightweight and metal packaging collected in Austria since its introduction. After a nationwide collection increase of 6% in the previous year, the circular economy service provider Interzero recorded an increase of around 4% in the first half of 2024. The largest increase was in Vienna with 10%, followed by Carinthia with 8%.

Vienna, October 28, 2024. Since the beginning of 2023, in addition to plastic bottles and beverage cartons, cups, bowls, foils and other plastic packaging as well as metal packaging have been collected in the yellow bag or yellow bin throughout Austria. Current figures from the circular economy service provider Interzero show an Austria-wide increase of 4% for the first half of 2024 compared to the first half of 2023. The largest increase in Vienna with 10%, followed by Carinthia with 8%.
The largest increase in collections was achieved in Vienna with an increase of 10%. Behind this is Carinthia with an increase of 8%, and the largest increase there was recorded in Klagenfurt with also 10%. ”

In cities in particular, the amount of lightweight and metal packaging collected is slightly below the national average, even if they have been catching up since the standardization of collection. But that explains why Vienna and Klagenfurt are at the forefront of the current growth rates.” , says Thomas Glatz, Managing Director at Interzero Austria. Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) as the next milestone
In the future, the recycling of packaging will also be driven forward by the European Union’s new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). This aims to improve the sustainability of packaging, reduce packaging waste and harmonize regulations in the member states. “The PPWR is an important milestone in significantly reducing the proportion of packaging that is thermally recycled. For companies, it means that by 2030 all packaging must be either reusable or recyclable. With our ‘Made4Circle’ service, we support companies in the development of recyclable packaging and cover the entire process – from analysis to implementation,” explains Thomas Glatz.

At our international management meeting, which took place this year in picturesque Bled, Slovenia, we had every reason to celebrate: The Interzero Leadership Award 2024 was presented and six of our Austrian colleagues received nominations for their outstanding work. The award was given in three categories:

• Getting the right things done
• Leadership
• Values first

Our nominees are among the quiet heroes of everyday life who lead with passion and commitment and make a significant contribution to Interzero’s success. We are proud that the following colleagues from Austria have been nominated for their extraordinary achievements:

• Vivienne Kovacs (Country Digital Manager) and Alberto Aglietti (Business Controller) in the “Getting the right things done” category
• Julian Hafner (Head of Recycling WEEE & BAT) in the category “Leadership”
• Anna Stifter (Finance Director), Nathalie Kirchner (Strategy & Organization) and Thomas Glatz (Managing Director) in the category “Values first”

These nominations are an expression of appreciation for the tireless commitment and excellent work of our team. Their achievements go far beyond the everyday and are an important sign of the trust that our customers can place in us. In addition to our nominees, we would also like to congratulate the international winners who won the Interzero Leadership Award 2024 in their categories:

• Piotr Kiryluk (Finance Director Interzero Poland) in the category “Getting the right things done”
• Agata Ryś (Board Member Interzero Poland) in the category “Leadership”
• Sergio Patacchini (Senior Sales Manager Interzero Italy) in the category “Values first”

Their success shows that top performance and dedication pay off. Together, we come one step closer to our goal of a world without waste every day.

Congratulations to all nominees and winners! Your work is not only proof of your exceptional skills, but also a motivation for the entire team. We are proud to have you in our company and thank you for your daily commitment.

On October 10, 2024, the Austrian Packaging Day took place at FH Campus Wien, focusing on the future of the packaging industry under the motto “Sustainable, Circular and Safe Packaging: Global Trends and Local Implementation” . The event brought together representatives from all areas of the industry – from manufacturing companies, from the packaging development sector, to suppliers and research institutions. Interzero was represented with a groundbreaking contribution that underlined our role as an innovation leader in the field of plastics recycling. A highlight was the lecture by Dr.

. Manica Ulcnik-Krump, Geschäftsführerin von Interzero Plastics Innovations, in which it presented “New developments in HDPE recycling” . HDPE stands for high-density polyethylene , a plastic that is often used in products such as plastic bottles. With the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) adopted in November 2023, companies now face the challenge of incorporating a certain percentage of recycled plastic, so-called post-consumer recyclate (PCR) , into their packaging. However, the use of PCR materials is proving challenging as their complex properties often obscure performance compared to virgin materials. Interzero has responded to these challenges by developing a patented mechanical recycling process that incorporates chemical modifications to improve material properties and ensure higher quality. The process, which specifically focuses on blow molded products made from 100% recycled material from lightweight packaging (LVP) , sets a new standard. Until now, HDPE recycling was only suitable for simple applications such as extrusion. Now, however, thanks to a chemically controlled rheology modification, the material can be modified to have the same flow properties as new plastic. This opens up new possibilities for applications such as blow molding, which is crucial in the production of plastic bottles. A major advantage of this process is that it no longer requires the addition of new plastic, so-called primary plastic. This not only saves resources such as petroleum , but also significantly reduces _CO2 emissions _. In addition, avoiding energy-intensive sorting processes ensures additional CO2 savings. The process is continuously developed and perfected at the Interzero Competence Center for Plastics Recycling in Maribor. In addition to reducing _CO2 emissions, this innovative recycling process offers the packaging industry an economically viable way to source high-quality raw materials from recycled plastic without compromising on material quality. These sustainable solutions help meet the European Union’s ambitious climate targets and the PPWR requirements.

More on the topic of HDPE for bottle production and innovative developments?

Read more about this topic in our article: HDPE for bottle production made from 100% LVP for the first time – Interzero receives patent for more sustainable process for plastic recycling – Interzero – Your strong environmental service provider

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