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Responsible as a manufacturer, i.e. waiting for a revolution – MyCompany Polska debate

Why is extended producer responsibility an important topic for participants of the deposit system? What role will municipalities play in the system? What will the PPWR directive change? These and other questions were answered by the participants of the MyCompany Polska debate, in which Interzero was represented by Przemysław Kuna, Managing Director at Interzero.

Last week, there was a debate „Responsible as a manufacturer, i.e. waiting for a revolution”, in which Przemysław Kuna, Managing Director at Interzero, Krzysztof Baczyński, President of the Management Board of the Association of Employers of the Packaging and Packaging Products Industry EKO-PAK and Artur Łobocki took part. Member of the Management Board of the Foundation for the Recovery of Aluminum Packaging RECAL.

The participants of the debate focused on issues related to the adoption of a deposit-refund system in Poland from 2025, as well as new levels of packaging collection dictated by the transposition of the PPWR directive. It was noted that new deposit fees pose a high threat to the market in the face of the low level of recovery of secondary raw materials in Poland. Attention was also drawn to the low awareness of waste recycling among Poles. Experts emphasized the important role of municipalities in the system and the validity of penalties and product fees.

We encourage you to read the entire material HERE .

Interzero Polska and the Polish Chamber of Recovery and Recycling of Packaging will create a representative entity for companies in the deposit system – find out more here: https://systemkauacyjny.pioiro.pl/ .

Environmental education and public educational campaigns – Interzero report for 2023

As Interzero Packaging Recovery Organization SA and Interzero Electrical and Electronic Equipment Recovery Organization SA, we carry out educational campaigns for entrepreneurs who have entrusted us with their obligation to recover packaging as part of the statutory obligation. We invite you to read the report of our educational activities in 2023.

In 2023, we were actively involved in the implementation of educational projects and campaigns addressed to both children and youth, as well as adults, including entrepreneurs and consumers.

• As part of the Eco no edges project, we educate Poles in the field of ecology, environmental protection and waste segregation. We have produced 7 podcast episodes (also available on Apple Podcasts , YouTube and Spotify ) and have also managed to gather a wide reach on our social media profiles on Facebook and Instagram .
• EcoPaka , i.e. educational materials for schools, containing lesson plans, coloring books, games and art materials related to raw materials, were sent to 120 kindergartens that were most active in the local government’s Bicycle May campaign.
• We have also prepared our own educational game ’Action-faction!’ , which teaches children and adults about proper waste segregation in an accessible way. The game was available at events supported by Interzero.
• As part of cooperation with the Mama Projekt collective, we became a substantive patron of one of the rooms of the newly opened Punkt Zwrotny educational center at ul. Jagiellońska 88 in Warsaw, where children and teenagers learn the secrets of fast fashion and learn about packaging. We also support the traveling exhibition EkoExperymentarium , which was visited live by over 13,000 people last year alone. visitors and 499 thousand online players.
• Together with the Museum of Photography in Krakow, we implemented it project „Closed circuit. „Waste in photography”, based on journalism and photography workshops, and together with UNEP/GRID-Warszawa – a series of workshops in the Royal Łazienki Park and an exhibition of 10 collages encouraging to reduce the amount of waste. The exhibition can be rented via the Spółdzielnia portal.
• We also organized many attractions during the next edition of the Zero Waste Fair , and we substantively supported three thematic days in the Preschooler’s Calendar program run by the To Proste Foundation and Intersnack in the „Don’t throw away, use” program.
• Once again, together with UNEP/GRID-Warszawa and the Czepczyński Family Foundation, we became a partner of the educational program implemented by the Maspex group , Kubusiowi friends of nature , which has been operating for 16 years and has reached 10 million children.

As part of the educational activities of entrepreneurs, Interzero has prepared 8 online training courses in the field of reporting, changes dictated by the transposition of the SUP directive or waste management, as well as other training courses available on the Interzero Academy platform. The 10th anniversary edition of the Interzero Environmental Conference was also held, for the first time in an open format, where we focused mainly on SUP and the establishment of a deposit system. Our experts have appeared in debates and other publications from such titles as Forbes, MyCompany and Rzeczpospolita, as well as in industry magazines (Teraz Środowisko).

We encourage you to read the details of the report HERE .

Ecological shopping space in the Janki Shopping Center

Taking care of ecological urban space is important for many reasons. First, such places attract huge numbers of people every day, which means that even small changes can have a large impact on the environment. The implementation of modern solutions, e.g. in a shopping center, may contribute to improving the level of waste segregation, increasing the ecological awareness of visitors to a given place, and will result in savings and lower operating costs of the building and its surroundings.

Public education plays a key role in promoting green practices. Shopping malls are a great place to impart knowledge about environmental protection and the benefits of an eco-friendly lifestyle. Through information campaigns, educational events and practical examples, you can effectively raise awareness and encourage visitors to make more informed consumer decisions.

ESG, i.e. Environmental, Social, and Governance, is not only declarations regarding social and ecological responsibility, but finally specific and measurable actions. Increased pro-environmental activities can be noticed in various sectors of the economy, also in larger shopping facilities such as the Janki Shopping Center.

The facility uses a number of solutions and investments that ultimately contribute to reducing the carbon footprint, saving resources and educating the public.

The retail space has been designed in the #zerowaste spirit – the building offers various eco-devices, including: bicycle chargers, or solutions provided by Interzero – a bottle dispenser , a self-sorting bin and a solar bin . The center’s authorities also took care of the green areas around the building – insect houses and composters were used to maintain the biosystem.

As Interzero, we are very happy about initiatives that have a positive impact on our planet. We hope that other facilities of this type in our country will also work on ecological retail space.

You can read more about the sustainable solutions used in the Janki Shopping Center in the article at the link: HERE

Check what eco-devices can be useful in your commercial space!

New Interzero report „Between plus and minus”

On the occasion of Battery Day, as part of the Eco no edges campaign, we are publishing a research report „Between plus and minus – what do Poles know about batteries and how do they deal with their segregation?” . The results are surprising. Despite being aware of the obligation to selectively collect waste, many of us still do not fulfill it. Poles perceive batteries as harmful both during production and storage. They also considered recycling dangerous for the environment. Despite many fears about batteries, we do not think about the power source in our devices.

Never before in history have we produced and consumed so many batteries. According to McKinsey & Company forecasts, their market will grow at a rate of 25% annually, and in the case of lithium-ion cells it may reach 30% annual growth by 2030. This demand is fueled, among others, by: through the development of portable digital technologies, energy banks and electromobility. With this dynamic progress in the battery industry, the question arises about the future of the management of this new waste.

In our latest study entitled ” Between plus and minus” we asked about Poles’ habits regarding selective waste collection, including hazardous waste. We also wanted to know their motivations and beliefs regarding battery recycling. What is positive is the fact that in the declarations a significant part of the respondents know how to properly deal with used batteries. However, serious doubts arise when it comes to more specific questions. What draws attention is the lack of knowledge about the benefits of recycling batteries and concerns about the harmfulness of this process. The fragility of supply chains and limited resources of raw materials in the European Union mean that we should treat used batteries and accumulators as strategic resources. The lithium, nickel, manganese and graphite present in the cells are of critical importance. Obtaining these elements, regardless of the sources, is expensive and risky, and replacing them in technologies at this stage of development seems simply impossible. The importance of recycling in this context is therefore both an action to protect the environment and ensure Europe’s raw material security.

The report „Between plus and minus” also surprises the group of young adults who turned out to be less prone to ecological behavior than older ones. Respondents under 35 years of age not only segregate waste less often, but also more often doubt the sense of processing secondary raw materials. The answers of this group should particularly stimulate reflection on the effectiveness of current educational and legislative activities.

You can find out more in the press release HERE.

How do we perceive… waste? A few words about the „Closed circuit. „Waste in photography”

Waste is substances or objects that people dispose of because they consider them unnecessary, used or dangerous. These may include, for example, food leftovers, packaging, used batteries, chemicals or used electronic equipment. The emotions they arouse in people can be diverse and depend on many factors, such as ecological awareness, level of education or culture.

Today we are talking about the inevitable need for change and the effects of human activity in the areas of energy, agriculture, production, consumption and waste management. Each of these topics is urgent, and our time is becoming increasingly limited.

As environmental educators , we face serious challenges. We must not only convey knowledge, but also influence the emotions of our recipients. This requires reflection, understanding and care for the participants of the educational process. Our work must be effective. Building social awareness is a process in which it is worth experimenting and engaging various groups of people and various topics.

As Interzero, representing the business sector, we decided to implement a project with the Museum of Photography in Krakow „Closed circuit. „Waste in photography”. The project included a series of meetings that would result in the creation of photographs and texts freely referring to the topic of waste.

We would like to thank Maria Masternak and Anna Sidorska from the Museum of Photography in Krakow, the workshop leaders Rafał Siderski and Krzysztof Story, all participants and our Project Manager Monika Krysztofińska.

We are extremely impressed with the results of this project. We are glad that the issue of waste is important not only for us, but also for a wider group of communities who believe that by working together, we can achieve a lot of good.

More information about the project can be found in the publication on Eko Bez Kantów : HERE

Photo Mateusz Woźniak, Magdalena Niezabitowska Krogulec, Tomasz Orłowski, Marta Wróblewska

Take part in the Made4Loop training – cups and boxes that stay in circulation! Interzero’s response to the obligations imposed by the SUP Directive

We cordially invite you to the webinar entitled: “Made4Loop – cups and boxes that stay in circulation! Interzero’s response to the obligations imposed by the SUP Directive, which will take place on February 22, 2024 (Thursday).

The online training will be conducted by: Zbigniew Skowronek , Management Board Representative for New Solutions at Interzero

The scope of the webinar:

1. New obligations for entrepreneurs arising from the SUP Directive,
2. Consumer fee for cups and boxes,
3. Obligation to provide an alternative to disposable packaging from July 1, 2024,
4. What is looping? Definition, target groups,
5. Made4Loop

More details and the registration page can be found at the link HERE

Registration for the webinar lasts until February 22, 2024 at 8:00.

We invite you!

Interzero among the winners of Forbes Diamonds 2024!

We are pleased to announce that in the Forbes Diamonds 2024 ranking: revenues from PLN 5 to 50 million, the company of the Interzero group in Poland – Interzero Advisory sp. z o.o. about. – was ranked 77th in the Masovian Voivodeship and 311th on the nationwide list!

Forbes Monthly Diamonds is one of the leading rankings among private companies operating in Poland, the aim of which is to identify enterprises with the most dynamic growth in a given region and which have achieved the highest average annual increase in value. The list is based on the Swiss company valuation method, which takes into account, among others, financial results or asset values.

Thank you very much for this prestigious distinction; this is proof of continuous development and the result of the hard work of our employees, as well as an important indicator of our strengthening market position.

The full list is available on the official website of the project.

Could lack of waste become a problem? Statement by Anna Grom and Paweł Lesiak for Dziennik Gazeta Prawna

Without effective recycling, we will not meet our obligations related to closing the raw material cycle, which may result in high penalties. However, we can take appropriate action today, instead of idly waiting for changes.

Representatives of the Interzero Management Board: Anna Grom and Paweł Lesiak commented on this topic in Dziennik Gazeta Prawna .

„Suspending or closing processing plants is an increasingly common scenario also in Germany and Italy, i.e. in countries where financial outlays on the collection, sorting, transport and processing systems have been for years and still are much higher than in Poland,” he says. Anna Grom.

“The situation clearly got out of control, because no one probably expected that the EU would massively import recyclate from the other side of the world, the composition and quality of which we know nothing about. It’s high time to limit the import of untested and often falsely marked secondary raw materials. They displace better quality but more expensive raw materials processed on site from the market. Closing the borders like this can be good for everyone.” – says Paweł Lesiak.

„I would suggest conducting a current and thorough environmental audit , which will clearly determine what specific types and weights of packaging we introduce to the market. This year’s experience has shown that even large entities, due to the lack of reliable verification, can overestimate the weight of packaging by up to 40%. – adds Paweł Lesiak.

We encourage you to read the entire material „When lack of waste becomes a problem – will we face millions of fines?” at the link: HERE

On January 26, 2024, Interzero offices are closed.

In connection with the resolution of the Management Boards of the Interzero group companies in Poland, on January 26 this year. all Interzero offices are closed.

We will respond to all messages upon our return.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

The Interzero Group mourns Markus Müller-Drexel

The Interzero Group in Poland regrets the death of Markus Müller-Drexel, CEO of Interzero. We are all deeply saddened by the loss of this outstanding leader who has been with Interzero for almost 30 years.

More information in the press release in English. German: HERE