Innovative Waste Management Strategies: A Conversation with Interzero
In this interview, we have the privilege of talking to Robert Sedlar, the forward-thinking Head of Sales at Interzero. At Interzero, they're pioneering a critical facet of the hospitality industry: sustainable waste management solutions. Robert's insights bring to the forefront the undeniable significance of effective waste management in the tourism and hospitality sector. Join us as we unravel the innovative strategies employed by Interzero, recognizing that their work is pivotal in elevating sustainability within the heart of the hospitality industry.
Interzero has a rich history of over 30 years in the recycling and environmental services sector. Could you provide an overview of your company's mission and how you've evolved as a pioneer in recycling?
Interzero d.o.o. has been providing comprehensive waste management services and other related solutions since 2005. We are recognized as one of the leading service providers in the market, specializing in optimizing product flows, materials, and logistics solutions. Our work embodies the principles of the circular economy, waste prevention, natural resource preservation, and sustainable development.
As an international company, we collaborate with clients across Europe to design intelligent, full-service solutions and products that promote sustainable business practices. Our services encompass waste disposal, packaging procurement, goods write-off, waste management consulting, as well as raw material procurement and sorting.
Interzero's product range includes a variety of waste storage and processing machines, such as OKLIN electric composters, ORWAK vertical and horizontal balers, PEL indoor and outdoor smart bins, and compactors. These solutions find wide applications in shops, hotels, restaurants, halls, airports, seaports, factories, and warehouses.
Interzero - Working towards a future without waste.
Waste management is a critical aspect of sustainability. Could you explain the concept of waste management and how Interzero's services contribute to a more sustainable approach to waste?
At Interzero, environmentally friendly waste management and tailored services are synonymous with our brand. That's why we collaborate closely with our customers to develop industry-specific disposal solutions.
To implement our solutions, we rely on a network of over 600 certified companies in the waste management and recycling sector. This enables us to handle any category of waste nationwide throughout Croatia while maintaining the high-quality standards expected by customers across industries.
We provide a six-step waste management solution:
Detailed site survey
Analysis of your disposal-relevant data and operational procedures
Documentation of product and waste flows
Solution design based on individually agreed best practices
Handling and optimization of all waste management processes
Specialized on-site support throughout our collaboration.
As a result of our efforts, in 2021, Interzero globally conserved 12.5 million tons of primary resources by recycling 1.8 million tons of raw materials. Our recycling activities reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 1 million tons in the past year. The recycling of electrical appliances alone saved more than 2 million tons of primary resources.
The hospitality industry generates a substantial amount of waste. Does Interzero offer specific waste management services tailored to the hospitality sector? If so, how do these services address the unique challenges faced by hotels and resorts?
Unfortunately, tourism is one of the biggest polluters, and perhaps we are not even fully aware of its environmental impact. Every project and every hotel is unique, but it's not just limited to hotels. This issue extends to bars, restaurants, clubs, and events – essentially everything associated with the hospitality industry. However, I must emphasize that the most significant challenge within the entire HoReCa sector is food waste.
At Interzero, we are renowned in the hospitality segment for primarily addressing food waste issues (although we can tackle all challenges 😉). We offer solutions that prevent the generation of bio-waste at its source, transforming it into soil improvers, thus completing the circular process – that's what we mean by 'cradle to cradle.' I take great pride in this because, after a successful career in tourism during which I gained insights into all aspects of the industry, I found an opportunity at Interzero to give something back to tourism.
Lately, everyone has been talking and writing about sustainable tourism, but at Interzero, we are actively working, living, and creating it. We do this in collaboration with numerous partners and through various projects. I couldn't be in a better company than Interzero to professionally pursue my passion and contribute to making our tourism industry better, greener, and more environmentally friendly.
Robert, could you share a recent success story or example of how Interzero's services have made a positive impact on waste management in a Croatian hotel or within the hospitality industry in general?
In the hospitality industry, we have numerous successful examples of implementing our smart waste management devices. To illustrate this, let's take one example that stands out.
We all felt a sense of pride when we learned that Marriott would establish a presence in Croatia, with the opening of the first AC hotel in Split.
Hotel AC in Split is the city's newest addition. Interzero offered the hotel an on-site waste management service, which involves our dedicated employees handling all waste fractions within the hotel. This approach allows the hotel to minimize waste handling and disposal costs.
To ensure efficiency in this process, we installed three of our devices to assist our employees:
PEL Waste Reduction Equipment model 1100 Big Foot: Compacting municipal waste.
Orwak AB model 3120 vertical baler: Baling foil, plastic, and cardboard fractions.
OKLIN model GG30 electric composter: Composting bio waste.
Just as Hotel AC immediately raised the standards of quality in Split upon its opening, it also set a new benchmark in the realm of #zerowastesolutions, wholeheartedly committing to a #greenerfuture. We have successfully completed over 30 similar projects across Croatia, and we take pride in each one of them.
In addition to waste management, are there any other services that Interzero offers to hotels and businesses in the hospitality sector? Could you provide some insights into how your comprehensive environmental services benefit hotels and what the service process typically looks like for your clients?
We offer a wide range of products and services that other companies cannot match. We are the only company in the market capable of providing on-site employees dedicated solely to waste management, a service commonly referred to as outsourcing. In this capacity, we assume full responsibility for waste separation, waste removal, baling, compacting, and composting.
Additionally, we provide our unique InterGo application, the only one on the market exclusively designed for scheduling pickups and ordering pickups using ONTO forms, greatly simplifying ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting. We also offer consultancy services, such as Zero Waste office and Zero Waste hotel solutions, as well as assistance or full support in creating ESG reports.
In conclusion, this interview with Robert Sedlar has shed light on the crucial role of sustainable waste management in the hospitality and tourism industry. To explore these innovative solutions further and engage in discussions on the future of hospitality, we invite you to join us at the Best Stay Event in Zonar Zagreb this November.