Study confirms how recycling conserve resources

Securing the future through the circular economy: Recycling is an effective lever for reducing pressure on the planet and achieving Europe’s climate neutrality targets. Interzero's study ‘resources SAVED by recycling 2024’, illustrates the tangible benefits for climate protection and resource conservation: According to calculations by the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT, Europe's leading circular economy service provider recycled around 1.94 million tonnes of materials in 2024, saving 8.09 million tonnes of primary resources. This corresponds to the weight of over four million SUVs.* At the same time, Interzero's recycling activities avoided a total of 1.04 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. This equals the CO2 emissions from around 3.2 million single car journeys between Interzero's locations in Warsaw and Valencia.**

“Every raw material counts – the circular economy combines resource conservation with responsibility for future generations”, says Jan Kroker, CEO of the Interzero Group. “Together with our customers, we are driving sustainable innovations that deliver environmental benefits while enhancing economic competitiveness.”

An example: With its internationally renowned Centre of Competence for recycled plastics, Interzero supports industry and trade in the transition to recyclable plastic packaging and the use of recycled materials. This enables companies to position themselves in the market – while also complying with the legal requirements of the new European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which came into force in February 2025. The results of the Fraunhofer UMSICHT study also highlight the importance of consistent recycling, particularly in the field of plastics and lightweight packaging: This fraction accounts for 49.9 per cent of the total amount of recycled materials – and is also responsible for the lion's share of the environmental impact: In 2024, Interzero achieved 54% of resource savings and as much as 62% of total greenhouse gas emission savings by recycling petroleum-based materials.

“These figures confirm our commitment to modern plastics recycling and motivate us to keep improving the recycling of packaging waste from the Yellow Bag”, says Jan Kroker. 

From waste separation in households to high-tech sorting and processing: many elements must work seamlessly together to ensure that raw materials are recycled efficiently. With its study ‘resources SAVED by recycling’, Interzero has been providing important arguments for circular transformation for over 15 years. The annual calculation by Fraunhofer UMSICHT not only demonstrates the positive environmental effects of Interzero's work, but also supports the company’s customers in transparent sustainability communication.

Interzero is one of the leading service providers in the field of closing product, material and logistics loops as well as an innovation leader in plastics recycling with the largest sorting capacity in Europe. Under the guiding principle of “zero waste solutions”, the company supports over 50,000 customers throughout Europe in the responsible handling of recyclable materials, thus helping them to improve their own sustainability performance and conserve primary resources. With about 2,000 employees, the company achieves a turnover of nearly one billion euros. According to Fraunhofer UMSICHT, Interzero’s recycling activities could save 1.04 million tonnes of greenhouse gases compared to primary production and 8.09 million tonnes of primary raw materials in 2024 alone.

*/** The conversion examples are based on (sources)

* https://www.autoscout24.de/informieren/ratgeber/kfz-technik/gewicht-von-autos-frueher-und-heute/

** Calculation basis: ⌀ CO2 emissions of newly registered passenger cars in Germany in 2024 according to the Federal Motor Transport Authority, www.kba.de