Vienna – Recycling instead of resource depletion: Current calculations by the Global Footprint Network (GFN) for Interzero show how strongly the recycling of recyclable materials counteracts the chronic overloading of the earth. Without the recycling activities of Europe’s leading recycling service provider and its customers, the imaginary “Earth Overshoot” limit would be crossed 7:16 minutes earlier worldwide. In purely mathematical terms, humanity will have used up all the natural resources that our planet can provide within one year by August 2, 2023.

“The clock is ticking – we are taking action,” says Sebastiaan Krol, CEO Interzero Circular Solutions. “Together with our customers and partners, we are working for a circular economy that protects the climate, secures raw materials and preserves the natural foundations of life for future generations. The annual calculations of the Global Footprint Network show us where we stand – and spur us on to keep improving our performance for greater sustainability.”

As early as 2022, Interzero, in cooperation with GFN, had focused on the conservation of natural resources and launched the campaign “One World. Zero Waste. Let’s #MoveTheDate” campaign. “This year, the individual material flows were looked at in even more detail, more data was included – and thus an even clearer impact was determined,” explains Steven Tebbe, CEO Global Footprint Network. “The fact is that recycling recyclables not only saves greenhouse gas emissions compared to the primary process, but also conserves the biocapacity of our planet. For example, when waste paper is recycled into new products, no additional forest land needs to be cleared to do so.” Every dollar of added value generated by Interzero’s zero waste solutions reduces the global overshoot by 32.3 square meters, according to current calculations. By comparison, the global average overshoot increases by 2.1 square meters for every dollar of economic output.

“The results show that we are on the right track,” says Dr. Axel Schweitzer, chairman and shareholder of Interzero. “We only have this one earth! In order to preserve the quality of life for future generations, we must rapidly make the transition to a holistic circular economy that protects the climate and conserves resources. Accepting one’s own responsibility and cooperation at all levels of politics, business and society are just as crucial to success. Only through sustainable team play will we succeed in pushing Earth Overshoot Day further and further back.”

With the Let’s #MoveTheDate campaign, Interzero therefore wants to encourage as many companies and private individuals as possible to consistently reduce their ecological footprint – so that the earth once again has the opportunity to regenerate as our natural living environment. “As an innovation driver for the Circular Economy, we develop individual solutions for our customers’ challenges – from disposal concepts to recycling of recyclables – with which we enable a truly functioning circular economy. The fact that we are thus succeeding in actually pushing back the Earth Overshoot is a great confirmation of our work,” says Martin Ulke, managing director of Interzero Circular Solutions Europe.