INTERSEROH Dienstleistungs GmbH

What INTERSEROH Dienstleistungs GmbH does

INTERSEROH Dienstleistungs GmbH, operating commercially as Interzero, is a German circular economy services provider headquartered in Köln. Founded around 1990–1991 and rebranded from INTERSEROH to Interzero in 2012, the company operates across eight European countries (Germany, Austria, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Spain), serving over 80,000 customers with approximately 2,000 employees and nearly €1 billion in annual revenue. The business closes product, material, and logistics loops for manufacturers, brand owners, industrial and commercial enterprises, IT/electronics firms, battery producers, retailers, and SMBs.

The core technology stack is a regulated physical recycling and compliance infrastructure rather than a software product. It includes what Interzero describes as the largest plastics sorting capacity in Europe, a PET recycling plant in Liebenau producing food-grade recyclates, food-grade PP-Regranulat production from post-consumer packaging, the REPASACK closed-loop system for kraft paper sacks, lithium-ion battery take-back with enhanced fire-safety protocols, and mobile counting centers for on-site material verification. On the compliance side, the Interzero Recycling Alliance is one of Germany's regulated dual systems for packaging EPR, and Interzero provides EPR licensing for packaging, WEEE, batteries, and textiles across its eight-country footprint. The proprietary 'resources SAVED' methodology, independently verified by Fraunhofer UMSICHT, converts recycling activity into third-party-audited ESG impact data.

Revenue is generated through six streams: (1) EPR licensing fees (quote-based on weight and material type, multi-year contracts); (2) recyclate and secondary raw material sales (transaction-based); (3) managed waste disposal services including reverse logistics; (4) take-back system service fees (packaging, electronics, batteries, deposit items); (5) professional consulting on PPWR compliance and packaging optimization; and (6) reuse/refurbishment hardware revenue via encory (automotive parts), gebrauchte-technik.de (IT), and printer cartridge programs. Distribution combines direct enterprise field sales, inside sales for mid-market accounts, and self-service online portals (Lizenzero, WEEE Portal, Ecoservice24, Abfallexpress, Sammeldrache) targeting SMBs and individual compliance buyers. Marketing emphasizes sustainability thought leadership through the Game Changers magazine, sports partnership with ALBA BERLIN, active EU/German public affairs engagement, and GRI-standard sustainability reporting.

Name

INTERSEROH Dienstleistungs GmbH

Legal name

INTERSEROH Dienstleistungs GmbH

Website

https://interseroh.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

INTERSEROH Dienstleistungs GmbH (Interzero) is a German circular economy services provider delivering EPR licensing, plastic recycling, take-back systems, and waste management to over 80,000 customers across 8 European countries, generating nearly €1 billion annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Waste Management & Recycling Services

NAICS

Hazardous Waste Collection (562112)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Papers & Allied Products (2600)

akta.pro primary industry

Packaging Recovery & Closed-Loop Programs (Take-Back, Deposit-Return, EPR Support) (IMALAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Packaging Waste Services (Pallets, Cardboard, Film, IBCs/Drums—Non-hazardous) (EUAIAGAD), Reuse & Resale / Recommerce Operations (EUAIANAC), Certified Compliance & Reporting Services (R2/e-Stewards, Audit, ESG) (BPALAIAL), Circular Economy & Waste/Materials Reporting (Zero waste, packaging) (EUAHAJAL)

Keywords

• Packaging licensing services
• Plastic recycling services
• Waste management solutions
• EPR compliance services
• Circular economy consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Köln

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Recycling and Material Recovery Services: Revenue generated from collecting, sorting, processing, and selling recycled materials (plastics, metals, paper, textiles). Includes sale of recyclates (regranulates, sorted plastics) and secondary raw materials to manufacturers.
2. Licensing and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Compliance: Revenue from licensing commercial packaging (transport packaging, sales packaging) under the dual system (Interzero Recycling Alliance), as well as WEEE, battery, and textile EPR compliance services. Clients pay license fees based on weight and material type.
3. Waste Management and Disposal Services: Comprehensive waste disposal and management services for businesses, including individualized disposal concepts, container services, baler/compactor provision, reverse logistics, and waste consulting.
4. Take-Back and Return Systems: Operation of take-back systems for single-use deposit items (Einwegpfand), packaging containers (Emballagen), IT/communication devices, smartphones, printer cartridges, e-cigarettes, light bulbs, and lithium-ion batteries. Revenue model involves service fees for organizing collection and responsible recycling.
5. Circular Economy Consulting: Paid advisory services covering packaging optimization, packaging analysis, packaging development, laboratory services, and EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) compliance guidance.
6. Reuse Operations: Revenue from reuse of IT equipment, server/networking hardware, printer cartridges, and automotive parts through the encory brand. Items are refurbished and resold or redeployed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

INTERSEROH Dienstleistungs GmbH, operating as Interzero, provides circular economy services for businesses, including packaging licensing under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regimes, take-back systems for packaging, electrical equipment, and batteries, plastics recycling into food-grade and industrial recyclates, and consulting on waste avoidance and resource efficiency. The company operates licensed dual systems in Germany, supports customers in eight European countries, and brokers secondary raw materials from its own recycling operations.

Product overview

Interzero (operating under INTERSEROH Dienstleistungs GmbH) operates as a comprehensive zero waste solutions platform offering circular economy services across Europe. The portfolio is organized as a multi-module service ecosystem built around core offerings: Kreislauflösungen (circular solutions) for closing product and material cycles, Kunststoffrecycling (plastic recycling) for sorting and producing regranulates, Lizenzierung und EPR for Extended Producer Responsibility compliance with branded platforms like Lizenzero and Interzero Recycling Alliance, Entsorgungs- und Abfallmanagement for holistic waste management, Rücknahmesysteme for take-back of packaging/electronics/batteries, Wiederverwendung for reuse including encory automotive parts, and Wertstoffhandel und Produkte for secondary raw material trading. Supporting infrastructure includes PET recycling plants, light packaging recycling facilities, and the PP-Regranulat product line for food-grade recycled plastics. Digital platforms including Lizenzero (packaging licensing), WEEE Portal (electronics compliance), Ecoservice24, Abfallexpress, Sammeldrache, and gebrauchte-technik.de complement the service offering. The company serves over 80,000 customers across Europe with approximately 2,000 employees and nearly one billion euros in revenue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lizenzero packaging licensing portal Online self-service portal that enables companies placing packaged goods on the German market to license packaging volumes with a registered dual system in compliance with the Verpackungsgesetz. Targets SMB and first-time licensors needing digital onboarding.
• WEEE Portal (Electrical Equipment Take-Back) Online portal for registering and arranging compliant take-back of waste electrical and electronic equipment under the German Elektrogesetz, for producers, retailers, and distributors.
• REPASACK collection system Closed-loop sack collection system combining deposit and collection logistics to capture and recirculate reusable transport packaging in industrial supply chains.
• Ecoservice24 take-back system Online service for arranging licensed take-back of transport packaging, commercial packaging, and related waste streams in Germany for commercial customers.
• Zero+ recyclates Brand under which Interzero markets secondary raw materials produced from its own plastics recycling, including food-grade PET recyclates from a proprietary PET-to-PET process and industrial-grade recyclates for downstream manufacturers.
• Abfallexpress hazardous waste service Digital service for ordering compliant collection of hazardous commercial waste streams, including paints, oils, and chemicals, from business customers.
• Sammeldrache small-quantity take-back Service for the collection of small quantities of hazardous waste from households, small businesses, and similar sources, used to meet German small-quantity waste disposal rules.
• gebrauchte-technik.de used equipment marketplace Online marketplace operated by Interzero for buying and selling used technical equipment, providing a secondary-market channel for decommissioned industrial assets.
• Circular economy consulting services Advisory and consulting services covering waste avoidance, packaging design, recyclability assessment, and resource efficiency, delivered to business customers alongside operational services.
• Battery take-back and recycling services Compliant take-back, sorting, and recycling of industrial and EV batteries at Interzero's Halle (Saale) facility, addressing the Batteriegesetz and emerging EV battery regulation.
• Smart Waste (IoT waste bin monitoring) IoT-connected waste bins with fill-level sensors and route optimization, marketed to commercial customers to improve collection efficiency and reduce empty-pickup trips.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.2 million tonnes of greenhouse gases avoided in 2023 (compared to primary production)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• ALBA BERLINflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term strategic partnership between Interzero and ALBA BERLIN basketball club for joint climate protection. The partnership involves co-branded sustainability campaigns, game-night visibility, and community engagement to promote circular economy awareness. Interzero is referred to as 'Starkes Team für den Klimaschutz' (Strong Team for Climate Protection) in reference to this partnership.
• Fraunhofer UMSICHTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFraunhofer UMSICHT independently verifies Interzero's 'resources SAVED' methodology and impact data, including greenhouse gas avoidance (1.2 million tonnes) and primary raw material conservation (11.1 million tonnes) for 2023. This third-party scientific validation supports the credibility of Interzero's sustainability claims.
• Redwood MaterialsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferenced in homepage slider as producing 'food-compatible recyclates from the yellow bag' (Lebensmitteltaugliche Rezyklate aus dem gelben Sack) with Redwood logo shown. Nature of partnership appears to be related to advanced recycling and secondary raw material supply.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• ALBA Group: ALBA Group is a major German recycling and environmental services group historically affiliated with Interseroh/Interzero. Comparable as a broad-based German circular economy platform offering waste management, recycling, and consulting services to enterprise customers across Europe.
• Remondis: Remondis is one of the largest privately-held recycling and environmental services companies in the world, headquartered in Germany. Directly comparable as a broad-line provider of waste collection, sorting, recycling, and EPR services with similar European geographic reach and industrial customer base.
• Veolia Environmental Services: Veolia is a global environmental services major with operations in waste management, recycling, and resource recovery across Europe. Comparable as a much larger incumbent offering competing EPR, sorting, and recycling services with broader geographic and service portfolio reach.
• SUEZ Recycling and Recovery: SUEZ operates waste collection, recycling, and recovery infrastructure across Europe with comparable services in packaging compliance, plastics recycling, and industrial waste management. Competes with Interzero across EPR licensing and materials recovery in overlapping European geographies.

Direct peers

• Prezero: Prezero is the recycling and environmental services arm of the Schwarz Group (REWE/Kaufland parent), offering packaging recycling, EPR services, and circular economy solutions. Directly comparable as a German-headquartered, vertically-integrated circular economy platform serving similar retail and industrial customers with overlapping dual-system-adjacent services.
• Duales System Deutschland (Grüner Punkt): Duales System Deutschland operates the Grüner Punkt (Green Dot) licensed dual system in Germany, the historical market leader for packaging EPR licensing. Directly comparable as the principal competitor dual system, offering overlapping sales packaging, transport packaging, and EPR services to the same German producer base.
• Stena Recycling: Stena Recycling is a major Scandinavian-based recycling and environmental services group with operations across Europe. Comparable as a peer offering metals, plastics, and electronics recycling, take-back systems, and circular economy services to industrial customers.
• FCC Environment CEE: FCC Environment CEE is a Central and Eastern European environmental services group offering waste management and recycling services. Comparable as a regional peer with overlapping service lines (waste collection, sorting, recycling) and competition for EPR authorizations in CEE markets where Interzero also operates (Poland, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCU5IFwmnI0JsROIojK-ci5g/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/interzero.official
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/interzero
• Instagraminstagram.com/interzero
• Xx.com/interseroh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about INTERSEROH Dienstleistungs GmbH