Recycling and circular economy solutions: sorting of lightweight packaging and processing into high-quality recycled plastics and regranulates
Interzero Holding GmbH & Co. KG
Berlin · Braunschweig · Leipzig · Marl · Walldürn · Eisenhüttenstadt · Liebenau · Oberhausen · Dessau · Maribor (SI)New on Amplifa
About Interzero
Interzero is an internationally active full-service environmental and circular economy service provider headquartered in Berlin, founded in 1991 as Interseroh. The company operates five of Germany's largest sorting plants for lightweight packaging (LVP) with a total capacity of around 810,000 tonnes per year and sorts approximately one third of Germany's LVP volume. In its own recycling plants, high-quality recycled raw materials are produced from sorted recyclables: food-grade rPET granulates in Liebenau (12,000 t/year, EFSA-approved), plastics processing using the Recycled-Resource process in Eisenhüttenstadt, kraft paper sack recycling (REPASACK) in Oberhausen, as well as food-grade PP regranulate (production start in Dessau planned from 2027). The accredited competence centre for plastics recycling in Maribor (SIST EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017) develops customer-specific formulations and compounds. Customers include companies from the packaging industry, retail, the beverage industry and automotive manufacturing.
- Site
- Berlin
- Processes
- Extrusion (compounding/regranulate production), Injection moulding, Agglomeration, Elutriation, NIR sorting of plastics (sorting simulation, NIR separator), Material testing under SIST EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017 (mechanical, physical, thermal, chemical, Sorting of lightweight packaging (LVP) using NIR technology and air-stream separation, purity ≥, PET recycling (bottle-to-bottle): washing, shredding, homogenising, NIR post-sorting, extrusion
- Materials
- Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), Polystyrene (PS/EPS), High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Paper, Board and Cardboard (PPK), Non-ferrous metals
- Certificates
- SIST EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017, SIST EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017 (laboratory, L-116), EFSA approval PET recycling plant, ISO 9001, ISO 14001
- Founded
- 1991
- Employees
- ~2000
- Industries
- Packaging industry, Beverage industry / food retail, Paper industry, Metal industry, Plastics processing industry, Automotive manufacturing
- 01
Collection and purchase of recyclable materials
- 02
LVP sorting (NIR technology)
- 03
Mechanical processing (washing, shredding, homogenising)
- 04
Extrusion and compounding (COREMA®, Recycled-Resource)
- 05
Quality control in the accredited laboratory
- 06
Marketing of regranulates and recycled raw materials
Materials and Processes
Polyethylene (PE)
Most widely used polyolefin; offered as roll goods, bales and regranulate
Polypropylene (PP)
For containers, closures and pipes; available as bales, big bags, film rolls and regranulates
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
Mainly used for bottles; circular economy solutions also for films and strapping bands
rPET granulate (food-grade)
Bottle-to-bottle recycling in Liebenau, EFSA-approved
mrPP regranulate (food-grade)
Mechanically recycled PP from the Yellow Bin, production in Dessau from 2027
Polystyrene (PS/EPS)
Processed into EPS regranulate for consumer goods and insulation materials
High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
Patented process: blow-moulded products made 100% from LVP with an HDPE content of ≥80%
Paper, Board and Cardboard (PPK)
Fraction from LVP, marketed to partners in the paper industry
Kraft paper
REPASACK process in Oberhausen, more than 95% of residual adhesions removed
Non-ferrous metals
From LVP sorting, marketed to partners in the metal industry
Tinplate
From LVP sorting, marketed to partners in the metal industry
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extrusion (compounding/regranulate production)Plastics | – | – | 90 kg/h (pilot plant throughput) | – | PE, PP, PET, PS, EPS, HDPE, LDPE, Recycled plastics (PCR, PCC, PIR) |
| Injection mouldingPlastics | – | – | – | – | Recycled plastics (PCR, PCC, PIR) |
| AgglomerationPlastics | – | – | – | – | Recycled plastics |
| ElutriationPlastics | – | – | – | – | Recycled plastics |
| NIR sorting of plastics (sorting simulation, NIR separator)Testing | – | – | – | – | Plastics (PP, PE, PET), Lightweight packaging |
| Material testing under SIST EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017 (mechanical, physical, thermal, chemicalTesting | – | – | – | – | Recycled plastics, Virgin plastics, Compounds |
| Sorting of lightweight packaging (LVP) using NIR technology and air-stream separation, purity ≥Plastics | – | – | – | – | Plastics (PP, PE), PPK, Non-ferrous metals, Tinplate |
| PET recycling (bottle-to-bottle): washing, shredding, homogenising, NIR post-sorting, extrusionPlastics | – | – | 12,000 t/year capacity | – | PET |
| Mechanical recycling of PP into food-grade/near-food-grade mrPP regranulate (shredding, washing,Plastics | – | – | – | – | PP |
| Plastics processing using the Recycled-Resource process (melting, densification,Plastics | – | – | – | – | Recycled plastics |
| Kraft paper sack recycling (REPASACK): dry-mechanical shredding and cleaning (more than 95%Plastics | – | – | – | – | Kraft paper, PPK |
| Mechanical recycling process for HDPE from lightweight packaging (at least 80% HDPE content,Plastics | – | – | – | – | HDPE |
| Counting, invalidating and sorting of one-way deposit containers (more than 100 containers/minute)Testing | – | – | – | – | PET, Aluminium, Glass |
| Cleaning of reusable transport packaging (high-pressure rinsing, drying, repair service)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Plastic (crates) |
| Development of customised recycled plastics and compounds (formulation development,Engineering | – | – | – | – | PCR, PCC, PIR, Compounds with new polymer matrix |
| Milling, slurrying, washing, flotation, drying of plastics (pilot plant)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Thermoplastics |
9 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twin-screw extruder (cascade extrusion system COREMA®) | COREMA® | – | 3 main gravity feeders, 2 side feeders, vacuum degassing, pelletiser, max. temperature 400 | – | Pilot plant competence centre Maribor |
| PET recycling plant (bottle-to-bottle, EFSA-approved) | – | 1 | Capacity 12,000 tonnes/year, extrusion under vacuum/nitrogen at approx. 280-300 °C | – | Liebenau |
| LVP sorting plant with NIR technology | – | 5 | Total sorting capacity 810,000 tonnes/year, purity ≥ 90% | – | Berlin, Braunschweig, Leipzig, Marl, Walldürn |
| Plastics processing plant (Recycled-Resource process) | – | 1 | – | – | Eisenhüttenstadt |
| Cleaning plant for paper sacks (dry-mechanical) | – | 1 | – | – | Oberhausen |
| NIR separator (packaging sorting simulation) | – | – | – | – | Competence centre Maribor |
| Mobile counting centre (truck with trailer, DPG-compliant) | – | – | more than 100 deposit containers/minute | 2016 (erst | mobile |
| Washing plant for reusable transport packaging (high-pressure rinsing) | – | 2 | – | – | Service and cleaning depots |
| PP regranulate plant (food-grade, mechanical recycling) | – | 1 | – | ab 2027 | Dessau |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality and Accreditation
The Interzero Plastics Innovations competence centre in Maribor has been accredited under SIST EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017 since 2020 (number L-116) and performs mechanical, thermal, rheological and chemical material analyses. Material assessment is carried out in compliance with the EU chemicals regulation REACH.
| Evidence | Maribor |
|---|---|
| SIST EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017 (laboratory, L-116) | |
| EFSA approval PET recycling plant | |
| ISO 9001 | |
| ISO 14001 |
Company History
- 1991
Founding of the company (as Interseroh)
- 2016
Interseroh celebrates its 25th anniversary; opening of the plastics recycling competence centre in Maribor; founding of the joint venture Encory with the BMW Group; first mobile counting centre truck in operation
- 2018
Launch of the Lizenzero online shop for packaging licensing; introduction of the Made for Recycling method; founding of the joint venture SIMPLi RETURN GmbH with Saubermacher AG for lithium-ion batteries
- 2019
Launch of the dual system Interseroh+ upon entry into force of the Packaging Act
- 2020
Accreditation of the competence centre under SIST EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017 (March)
- 2022
Founding of the Interzero brand through the reorganisation of the ALBA Group owners; Dr. Axel Schweitzer takes over the Asia business and plastics recycling
- 2023
European patent EP 2 770 016 B1 for a recycling process (HDPE from lightweight packaging)
- 2025
Memo Box (reusable packaging) wins the German Sustainability Award
- 2027
Planned production start of food-grade PP regranulate in Dessau