A strong team for protecting the planet: Interzero and its customers push back Earth Overshoot by 7 minutes and 16 seconds

Berlin/Cologne. Recycling instead of resource ravaging: the power of the closed-cycle management of recyclables to counter this chronic burden on the planet is shown by recent calculations made for Interzero by the Global Footprint Network (GFN). Thanks to the recycling activities of the leading European circular economy service provider and its customers, the imaginary boundary of “Earth Overshoot” will be surpassed 7 minutes and 16 seconds later, worldwide.

This year, calculations show that humanity had exhausted all the natural resources that our planet can theoretically supply within the space of one year on 2 August 2023. “The clock is ticking – and we are taking action,” says Sebastiaan Krol, CEO Interzero Circular Solutions. “Together with our customers and partners, we are working to achieve a circular economy that protects the climate, secures raw materials and preserves our natural resources for future generations. The annual calculations by the Global Footprint Network show us where we stand and inspire us to continually improve our efforts towards greater sustainability.”

Back in 2022, Interzero joined forces with the GFN to focus on conserving natural resources by launching the ‘One World. Zero Waste. Let’s #MoveTheDate’ campaign. “This year, we took an even more detailed look at the individual material flows and included more data – so the impact achieved was found to be even higher,” explains Steven Tebbe, CEO Global Footprint Network. “Compared with primary processes, there is no doubt that recycling materials not only cuts greenhouse gas emissions but also protects our planet’s biocapacities. If recycled paper is used to make new products, for example, then no additional forested areas need to be cleared.” According to recent calculations, every dollar that Interzero generates in added value with its ‘zero waste solutions’ reduces the global overshoot by 32.3 square metres. By way of comparison, this same overshoot increases by 2.1 square metres with each dollar of economic output, as a global average.

Dr Axel Schweitzer, Chairman and Owner Interzero: “The results prove that we are on the right track. “We only have one Earth. To maintain quality of life for future generations as well, we need a rapid transition towards an integrated circular economy that works to protect our climate and resources. This transition will succeed only if we accept our individual responsibilities and work together at all levels – policymaking, the economy and civil society. Only if we act in a sustainable team spirit will we manage to keep pushing Earth Overshoot Day further and further back.”

Interzero therefore aims to use the Let’s #MovetheDate campaign to encourage as many companies and private citizens as possible to make a conscious effort to reduce their ecological footprint, to give the Earth the opportunity to regenerate itself as our natural environment. One such group is the ALBA BERLIN basketball team, for whom Interzero is the main sponsor and environmental partner. “From the circular economy to the court: we need to be conscious of the available resources to achieve sustainable success,” says Igor Ryabinin, Head of Sustainability and Community at ALBA BERLIN. “Interzero is giving us valuable input to become one of the most sustainable basketball clubs in Europe.”

Quelle: Global Footprint Network

About Global Footprint Network:

Global Footprint Network is an international sustainability organization that is helping to create a world where all people can thrive within the Earth’s means. This is crucial in the face of climate change, the decline of biodiversity, and the challenging living conditions of many people. Since 2003 GFN has engaged with more than 60 countries, 40 cities, and 70 global partners to deliver scientific insights that have driven high-impact policy and investment decisions. Further information can be found at www.footprintnetwork.org.

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