About Interzero

GRI 2-1 – Organisational details

Interzero is one of the leading service providers in the field of closing product, material and logistics loops as well as innovation leader in plastics recycling with the largest sorting capacity in Europe. Interzero Holding GmbH & Co. KG. has been the Interzero Group’s parent company since December 2022. In the context of this report, “Interzero” is used for all entities belonging to Interzero Holding GmbH & Co. KG.

Dr Axel Schweitzer and his children are the shareholders of Interzero Holding GmbH & Co. KG. Its general partner Interzero GP GmbH exercises management of Interzero Holding GmbH & Co. KG. As of 31 December 2022, Melanie Freytag, Felix Held and Uwe Küber served as its managing directors.

Interzero Holding GmbH & Co. KG is headquartered in Berlin, Germany. Interzero is represented by a total of 32 locations in eight European countries. These locations are categorised as office premises, sales branches, sorting and processing plants, waste management sites, washing depots and counting centres. Interzero also operates three mobile counting centres in Germany. At 70 percent, Interzero’s largest revenue share is generated in Germany. Other strategically important markets include Austria, Poland, Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. You can find further information on Interzero’s sites at https://www.interzero.de/en/our-company/locations/.

GRI 2-6 – Activities, value chain and other business relationships

Interzero pursues the vision of a world without waste. As one of the leading providers of services for closing product, material and logistics loops and a leading innovator in plastics recycling, the company helps its customers to operate sustainably. In doing so, Interzero is safeguarding the supply of raw materials for future generations. For around 30 years, Interzero has been actively contributing towards climate change mitigation and resource conservation with its services. 

The company develops customised and industry-specific solutions for customers throughout Europe, working with them to unlock environmental and economic potential by recovering key materials and using recycled raw materials. Interzero’s business model is based on two pillars: circular solutions and innovative plastics recycling. Its overarching priorities are digitisation, innovation and a nationwide network of service, waste management and recovery and recycling partners.

Interzero Circular Solutions (ICS)
To prevent waste or use it for new applications, Interzero develops and operates customised recycling and reverse logistics systems based on digital supply chain and IT platforms. These optimise our customers' logistics processes whilst also reducing their costs. The company’s services to extend product life cycles comprise the organisation of global take-back systems for a wide range of packaging, products and materials, along with the development of individual one-stop solutions for companies, and advice on waste prevention and design for recycling.

Interzero Plastic Recycling (IPR)
Once the options for waste prevention and reduction, and material recovery have been exhausted, the focus then turns to recycling. Interzero has wide-ranging expertise in plastics recycling, bringing together all circular processes and technologies - from smart collection systems and high-tech sorting solutions to the creation of climate-friendly recycled materials and product applications. The company views itself as a leader in innovation. Its focus is on developing and operating recycling and production facilities, recovering and marketing high-quality recycled raw materials and operating a centre of competence for the production of high-quality recycled plastics. Interzero works with customers to implement recyclable loops by providing access to high-quality recycled raw materials. Important work carried out in the area of Recycling Solutions includes the recycling of packaging (Dual System Interseroh+ and transport packaging).

Dual System Interseroh+
Dual System Interseroh+ is the connecting element between these two pillars. It helps companies not just to meet their statutory packaging licence obligations but also to take responsibility for closing recycling and raw material loops.

Interzero offers eight core services and is continuously expanding its portfolio in accordance with the objectives of its sustainability strategy (see GRI 2-23). Interzero’s range of services currently includes:

• Circular solutions
• Plastics recycling
• Licensing (including via the Lizenzero online shop)
• Take-back systems
• Logistics system
• Reuse
• Research and development in the field of plastic recyclates and plastic packaging
• Consulting (including via Made for Recycling service)
• Recyclables trading and products

You can find further information on Interzero’s services at https://www.interzero.de/en/services/.

Interzero employs 1,763 people (2022), operates 32 sites and does business in eight countries. In 2022, the company posted revenue of 911 million euros, which represents a year-on-year increase of 11.4 percent.

As an integrated services provider, Interzero coordinates around 1,900 external service providers and suppliers in Germany alone. These providers and suppliers are active primarily in upstream and downstream logistics for collection and transportation and support Interzero in the treatment and processing of materials and waste. Here, Interzero is interested in establishing long-term, trusted partnerships. Interzero pursues the goal of consistently implementing sustainability along the entire value-creation process and is therefore careful to choose suppliers who provide waste management or logistics services that are socially and ecologically responsible (see GRI 308 and GRI 414).

Interzero itself fully meets the transparency requirements expected from suppliers. Since 2020, Interzero has documented its sustainability performance on the EcoVadis and Supplier Assurance platforms for greater transparency along the value chains.

There were no significant changes to our supply chains in the reporting period.
 

Reorganising our group of companies
Significant changes were made to the company’s organisational set-up in 2022. Under the leadership of Dr Axel Schweitzer, Interzero was reformed in mid-2022 as an independent company separate from ALBA Group. Shares in ALBA Facility Solutions GmbH (AFS) and ALBA Property Management GmbH (APM) were divested as part of this process. Operating from Germany under the Interzero name, this new international group of companies will focus even more on its core business as a service provider in the circular economy in the future - with the goal of creating a world without waste. The establishment of Interzero with its headquarters in Berlin entails the reorganisation and restructuring of various internal processes, which are gradually being implemented within the new corporate framework.     

Newly established:

• Interseroh+ GmbH (Cologne, Germany) 2021

Joint venture:

• Interzero Tech Cycle GmbH (Interzero holds 51 percent of the shares) 2023

Acquired:

• Interzero EPR Services GmbH (Cologne, Germany) (acquisition of a supplier of shelf companies for new business activity) 2022
• Walldürn Grundstücks GmbH (Berlin, Germany) (acquisition of a supplier of shelf companies for new business activity) 2022

Sold:

• ITL logistics GmbH 2021
• ALBA Facility Solutions GmbH 2022
• ALBA Property Management GmbH 2022

GRI 201-1 - Direct economic value generated and distributed

In 2022, Interzero posted revenue of 911 million euros. This represents a year-on-year increase of approximately 11.4 percent. However, profit (before purchase price allocation) declined by 6.1 million euros to 27.9 million euros year-on-year.

As expected, the significant increase in revenue was due to gains in market share in the sales packaging licensing business. This included the successful renewal of existing customer contracts, the acquisition of new strategic customers, such as a major trading company, and the doubling of the customer base via the Lizenzero online portal. Especially in the first half of the year, Interzero benefited from trends on raw materials markets, as prices of films and recycled paper for department stores in particular went up, leading to an increase in marketing revenues. The decline in profit can be attributed to lower margins and higher provisions. 

Once again, at 69.6 percent the majority of revenue was earned in Germany in 2022. While the share of international revenue remained stable year-on-year, it increased significantly in recent years from 20.3 percent in 2020 to 30.4 percent in 2022.

Personnel expenses in 2022 fell slightly to 88.7 million euros (2021: 90.9 million euros). The total cost of the company pension scheme in 2022 was around 130,000 euros, up from around 93,000 euros in 2021.