+++ Study by Fraunhofer UMSICHT highlights positive environmental effects of recycling
+++ The closed-loop service provider is one of the finalists for the German Sustainability Award

Vienna, October 17, 2023 -Theconsequences of global warming become clearer every week. Politicians, scientists and business leaders discuss suitable measures for climate protection. What can and must be done to achieve the climate targets that have been set? How can we simultaneously make Austria and Europe fit for the future as a place to live and do business? One answer to this is the consistent recycling of recyclable materials. The contributions to climate protection through circular economy are already considerable today.

This is clearly demonstrated by the work of Europe’s leading recycling service provider Interzero: as the “resources SAVED by recycling” study published today shows, a total of 2.1 million metric tons of recyclable materials were recycled in 2022 as a result of collaboration with customers. As a result, around one million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions were avoided. This is equivalent to the annual_{CO2 emissions of} over 100,000 four-person households for heating and electricity. At the same time, around 8.7 million tons of primary resources were saved that did not have to be taken from nature.

“In the current discussion about climate protection measures, the recycling of raw materials often gets short shrift,” says Martin Ulke, managing director of Interzero Circular Solutions Europe “With our study, we want to show that recycling is an equally effective and necessary factor for reducing climate-damaging emissions, securing valuable raw materials and thus counteracting the overexploitation of nature. We need the transformation to a true circular economy in order to preserve the quality of life on our planet. Today, this is the overriding shared task that everyone has.”

Based on the study data, Interzero also reports the environmental performance of its customers each year in an individual certificate. This shows, for example, how many primary resources and greenhouse gases the companies save by working with Interzero.

With the scientific study “resources SAVED by recycling”, Interzero has been providing information about the overall positive environmental effects of recycling since 2008. The basis for the comprehensive life cycle assessment, which is prepared by the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT, is a detailed comparison of primary production and recycling – including all the necessary process steps. The standardized methodology makes it possible to precisely quantify the savings in resources and greenhouse gas emissions.

“Now in its fifteenth year, the study succeeds in quantifying the environmental benefits of recycling and making them tangible. This is particularly important in the future in order to promote climate protection and a sustainable development for both industry players and consumers.

sustainable handling of our raw materials,” says Dr. Markus Hiebel, Head of Department Sustainability and Participation, Fraunhofer UMSICHT.

The Fraunhofer UMSICHT data also provide the basis for the resource conservation campaign “One World. Zero Waste. Let’s #MoveTheDate”, which Interzero launched together with the Global Footprint Network (GFN). Current calculations by GFN show that without the recycling activities of Interzero and its customers, the “Earth Overshoot” limit would have been exceeded 7:16 minutes earlier worldwide in 2023.

Interzero was nominated for the German Sustainability Award 2024 for its consistent commitment and successful implementation of specific projects in the area of waste avoidance and recycling. The company is one of the finalists in the waste management and recycling category