When the retail company CENTERSHOP entered the Austrian market, Interzero – zero waste solutions partner and Orwak distributor – efficiently managed the complex waste streams, provided baling solutions and helped solve the EPR obligations from one source.
EPR – a challenging but manageable task
EPR is increasingly becoming a familiar and important concept in society, and the abbreviation stands for Extended Producer Responsibility, a policy where producers are responsible for the treatment of the products after they are used. This approach shifts the burden of managing end-of-life waste to the producers themselves with the intention to encourage them to design products that are more sustainable, recyclable, and easier to dispose of. The goal is to improve waste management, promote a circular economy, and reduce environmental impact. However, this can be a big challenge for a company to manage properly.
Expands into Austria after 25 years in the German market
CENTERSHOP is a medium-sized, owner-managed retail company that over the past 25 years successfully has established itself in Germany as a local supplier and seasonal goods specialist. Currently, it has more than 90 branches, around 1000 employees and it continues to pursue a consistent growth strategy. Since 2025, this retail company is also present in Austria and the first branch opened in Parndorf, followed by the second in Liezen in November.
Reliable all-in-one service provider
To support the Austrian expansion, CENTERSHOP needed a reliable partner who handled all environmental and circular economy issues and Interzero became its exclusive all-in-one service provider.
With over 30 000 items and a seasonally changing product range, EPR licensing is particularly demanding for CENTERSHOP. Interzero ensures legal compliance and minimal effort by implementing customized weighing solutions, packaging data management systems, and a structured reporting process.
Waste management – a big challenge at launch of a new location
Waste management during the opening phase was particularly challenging due to extensive delivery volumes, ongoing renovations, taking over existing waste management structures, and an extremely wide product range. Thanks to its comprehensive service portfolio, Interzero could be flexible and managed to meet new requirements every day.
Martin Reischl, Managing Director of Centershop Austria: “There’s so much to do around a new store opening – it was a huge relief to, also at short notice, have all our waste disposed of by a partner with just one phone call.”
Orwak baler enables efficient use of space, costs and recyclables
Interzero introduced the high-capacity vertical baler model Orwak Power 3420 and the implementation of the balers immediately yielded visible results: significantly reduced volume, fewer transport, freed-up storage space, and additional revenue from baled cardboard and plastic film. The Orwak balers are now a standard feature in every new branch.
Santino Schreiner, Key Account Manager at Interzero in Austria: “Space is always a critical factor in both retail and wholesale. With the Orwak 3420, we help our customers save space and employee time in their branches.”