Our path: innovation!
For the past 20 years we have been putting numerous ideas into effect to implement a closed resource cycle with our recycling plastics, returnable pooling system and other innovative solutions. Click your way through our interactive timeline and experience the most important milestones of the Interseroh history since 1991!
- Employees 35
- Turnover 570,000 DM
- Converted secondary raw materials* 0.05 mn. t
World events
1991
- The ICE goes into operation: this marks the start of the high-speed age for the Deutsche Bundesbahn.
- The British physicist Tim Berners-Lee develops the first WorldWideWeb web browser and editor at CERN in Geneva (Switzerland) and presents this as the first program to show web pages in 1991 under the name Nexus.
Interseroh events
1991
- The "INTERSEROH Aktiengesellschaft zur Verwertung von Sekundärrohstoffen" is founded as guarantor for the Dual System Germany and for industrial solutions to return and recycle transport packaging with registered offices in Cologne.
World events
1992
- The end of apartheid - the racial segregation between blacks and whites - is resolved in South Africa. Only 2 years later Nelson Mandela will be elected the first coloured President of South Africa.
- The German Federal Government declares its intention to pass laws banning CFC by 1993 because it has been proven that CFC both destroys the ozone layer and enhances the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere.
Interseroh events
1992
- Interseroh introduces the first industrial solutions for the return and recycling of transport packaging in the HVAC sector as well as in trade, industry and commerce.
World events
1993
- Start of the European Single Market for member states of the European Union (formerly EC) on the basis of the 4 fundamental freedoms: free movement of goods, free movement of persons, free movement of services and free movement of capital.
- The Eurotunnel between England and France is completed: Great Britain is now connected to mainland Europe by a 50 km tunnel beneath the English Channel which is opened to car and rail traffic one year later.
- The German postal service switches from a 4 to a 5-digit postal code: the reunification of Germany necessitates a reorganisation of the postal code system since more than 800 towns and cities in East and West have the same postal code.
Interseroh events
1993
- The operative business is divested to the INTERSEROH Dienstleistungs GmbH.
- The industrial solutions to take-back industrial packaging are extended to the construction industry, the furniture trade and the electrical/electronic industry.
World events
1994
- Sony launches the PlayStation onto the market in Japan. With 102 million units sold throughout the world it becomes the second most successful stationary games console of all time, beaten only by its own successor the PlayStation 2.
- The World Trade Organization (WTO) is founded with is headquarters in Geneva. On 01.01.1995 it assumes the coordination of trade and business relationships and economic policy in the member countries.
Interseroh events
1994
- Interseroh becomes involved in steel and metal recycling and expands this continuously in the following years through acquisitions in both Germany and internationally, for example the Netherlands, Hong-Kong or the USA.
World events
1995
- The 1st UN Conference of the Parties (COP-1) is held in Berlin: the participating states agree on the „Berlin Mandate“ - the establishment of a formal study group to draw up a protocol with fixed reduction goals for climate protection between the annual conventions.
- The first DVD is presented, a new technical specification to store videos on a data carrier.
Interseroh events
1995
- The waste paper recycling market is stabilised in Central Europe through the large volumes of waste paper exports by the Interseroh Group. This ensures the continuous collection of waste paper in German households in the long term and strengthens its position as the most important source of raw materials for the domestic paper industry. As a consequence, numerous ultramodern paper mills are founded with large capacities for the global market on account of the high collection quantities in Germany.
World events
1996
- Germany wins the European Football Championship: the German team wins the final in Wembley by a Golden Goal in extra time.
- In preparation for the deregulation of the former monopolistic telecommunications market, the Deutsche Telekom undertakes the biggest IPO in European economic history. The interest in Telekom is so great that more shares have to be issued shortly after the start.
Interseroh events
1996
- Interseroh manages to reverse the trend in plastic recycling, which up to now had only been possible with subsidies, by concentrating quantities in the field of plastics marketing and intensive cooperation with young, innovative plastic processing plants. The first sustainable revenues are generated - even for dirty plastic qualities - thus proving that the private sector can become an important source of resources with innovative concepts.
World events
1997
- The 3rd Global Summit on Climate Change (COP-3) is held in Kyoto (Japan). Industrialised nations for the first time specify targets for the emission of greenhouse gases, the main cause of global warming, that are binding under international law in a separate protocol - the so-called Kyoto Protocol.
Interseroh events
1997
- Internationalisation of the service business of Interseroh: the subsidiary "EVA Erfassen und Verwerten von Altstoffen GmbH" is founded as a system operator in Austria. The continuous expansion continues over the following years in Slovenia, Poland, Croatia and Bosnia.
World events
1998
- This is the year in which the Deutsche Mark celebrates its 50th birthday - it first appeared on 20 June 1948. Shortly beforehand the Bundestag resolves to introduce the euro, which will serve as a common currency in large parts of Europe as of 2002.
Interseroh events
1998
- INTERSEROH AG goes public: Interseroh issues around 5 million shares on the controlled market of the stock exchanges in Frankfurt and Düsseldorf. The Interseroh share becomes one of the most successful shares of the decade with a 458 % rise between 2000-2010.
- Acquisition of the French group CDI for recycling and trade in recovered paper and renaming it in INTERSEROH France S.A.S.
World events
1999
- The world's population passes the
6 billion mark. - Europe's first public hydrogen filling station is opened in Hamburg. Six vehicles from famous Hamburg companies are initially supplied with "fuel" for their hydrogen cells.
- Grand opening of the Reichstag in Berlin. Berlin is now once again official capital of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Interseroh events
1999
- Interseroh develops closed disposal concepts with correct documentation especially for system catering and trade together with renowned companies. This will be followed over the next few years by further complete solutions for industry and trade as well as the automotive sector.
- On the basis of the amended Packaging Ordinance, Interseroh establishes a nationwide self-disposal system with corresponding collection points.
World events
2000
- The Red-Green federal government and the energy sector in Germany agree on a nuclear phaseout on the so-called "nuclear consensus". According to this, German nuclear power stations will be phased out after they have generated fixed amounts of remaining power.
- A World Fair is held for the first time in Germany, EXPO 2000 in Hanover.
Interseroh events
2000
- Interseroh expands its field of business with the REPASACK take-back and recycling system for Kraft paper bags.
- Interseroh takes over the take-back system „Die Grüne Umweltbox“ to collect empty toner cartridges. Schools and kindergartens in particular can collect valuable bonus points in this innovative system with the figurehead "Meike - the collecting dragon" which can then be exchanged for teaching material, sports equipment etc.
World events
2001
- Apple presents the first iPod - now the world's top-selling portable music player.
- First tourist in space: 44 million US dollars - that's how much a trip into space costs. The US multimillionaire Dennis Tito was able to afford this.
Interseroh events
2001
- Interseroh implements a waste wood strategy by founding its own companies and taking over waste wood offices in the following years.
- Interseroh continues to grow in the steel and metal recycling sector, as by acquisition of the Hansa Recycling Group, and is already amongst the world's top 10.
World events
2002
- The euro becomes the common currency in the 17 countries of the European Economic and Monetary Union. The euro has already been in use as book money since 1999 with an exchange rate of € 1 = DM 1.95583.
Interseroh events
2002
- With a leap from roughly 900 to 1,360 employees in this year, Interseroh for the first time cracks the 1,000 employee barrier.
World events
2003
- The unusually hot summer of 2003 not only breaks all possible highest temperature records since the start of weather records in Europe, it also lasts longer than a normal summer. Average temperatures are 2 to 3 degrees above the highest measured up until then.
- An obligatory deposit on disposable drinks packaging, the so-called can deposit, is introduced in Germany.
Interseroh events
2003
- Interseroh receives the "Goldene Brücke", the highest award for public relations in German-speaking countries, in the category communication design for the school project "Meike - the collecting dragon". Once year later the project also receives the Environmental Award of the Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie (BDI) in the category closed substance cycle waste management, recycling and waste management.
- Interseroh develops disposal concepts for small quantities, allowing the correct and at the same time economic disposal of special fractions such as old batteries, PU foam cans and plastic roofing membranes.
World events
2004
- Mark Zuckerberg starts Facebook, initially as a communication and contact platform for students at the University of Harvard. Today the social network has around 664.6 million registered users around the world.
Interseroh events
2004
- Interseroh's turnover for the first time tops 1 billion euros.
- Interseroh launches the take-back system of household packaging and its Dual System is approved in terms of article 6.3 of the German packaging ordinance in the first German federal states.
- Establishment of INTERSEROH d.o.o in Slovenia and licensing as system operator in terms of its packaging ordinance.
- With a newly founded branch office in Sweden, the Interseroh steel and metal sector further expands its leading position in the Baltic region - from Scandinavia across the Baltic Sea to Russia.
World events
2005
- Joseph Alois Ratzinger is elected the successor to Pope John Paul II at the age of 78 and adopts the name of Pope Benedict XVI.
- Angela Merkel is elected as the first female German Chancellor by the Bundestag.
Interseroh events
2005
- Start of the deposit business: Interseroh founds the INTERSEROH Pfand-System GmbH as a take-back system for non-refillable drinks containers (by acquisition and merging of the companies Westpfand Clearing GmbH and Deutsche Pfand-Konzept GmbH).
World events
2006
- Germany hosts the 18th Football World Cup under the motto "A time to make friends". The fantastic atmosphere electrifies the whole country.
- The Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG) comes into force. Germans are now obliged to no longer dispose of their old electrical equipment with residual waste but to make sure that it is recycled properly through a separate collection system. Manufacturers and importers are obliged to take back the old devices they have brought into circulation. What's more, new devices must bear the crossed-out waste bin symbol to point out the fact that they may not be simply thrown away.
Interseroh events
2006
- Interseroh is the first competitor in Germany to be approved for the Dual System.
- With the introduction of the ElektroG, Interseroh begins its service to collect and recycle old electrical equipment and in the very first year is able to convince hundreds of manufacturers to take part.
- Interseroh set up 11 counting centres, spread across Germany for optimum logistics, and thus reacted to the necessary counting services that were required following the amendments to the packaging ordinance in May.
- Further internationalization by establishment of INTERSEROH Organizacja Odzysku S.A. as packaging take-back system in Poland.
- Acquisition of Erwin Meyer Metallrecycling GmbH.
World events
2007
- The European Union makes a binding pledge to cut emissions of greenhouse gases by one fifth compared to 1990 by the year 2020.
- Climate change is the dominant topic. "Klimakatastrophe" (climate crisis) is voted word of the year in Germany.
- The former US Vice-President Al Gore is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize vicariously for the UN Panel on Climate Change.
Interseroh events
2007
- INTERSEROH Pool-System GmbH is founded. It develops innovative pooling solutions for returnable transport packaging.
- Interseroh saves around 5.2 million tons of CO2 emissions with its recycling activities in 2007 - as much as the annual output of a city with 500,000 inhabitants such as Duisburg. This is confirmed in a study by the Fraunhofer Institute UMSICHT on behalf of Interseroh.
- Interseroh is the first provider with a transport packaging and self-disposal system that has been tested by TÜV-Rheinland.
- Acquisition of a majority stake in the Dutch metals recycler Europe Metals b.v. and in the Hong-Kong based company Europe Metals Asia Ltd. as well as the acquisition of further steel recycling companies in Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia.
World events
2008
- The US spacecraft "Phoenix" lands on Mars after a 711 million kilometre flight. The first traces of water are found on the Red Planet during drilling in ice at the poles on Mars.
- Barack Obama is elected the 44th and first Afro-American president of the USA.
Interseroh events
2008
- Since August Interseroh is operating under the family brand of the ALBA Group.
- Following the registration on 24 September 2008, the Interseroh Aktiengesellschaft zur Vermarktung von Sekundärrohstoffen becomes the INTERSEROH SE.
- Interseroh strengthens its plastic trade business through an involvement in the internationally active old plastic trader and recycler RDB GmbH in Aukrug.
- Expansion of the steel and metal recycling business: acquisition of the Albametall Group and acquisition of a 25 percent interest in the US steel recycling and scrap trading company The ProTrade Group LLC, Hudson/Ohio.
World events
2009
- The EU Commission resolves the ends of the classic light bulb. On account of the high electricity consumption this will be gradually phased out by 2012.
- Within the scope of the 2nd economic stimulus package, the federal cabinet introduces the environmental bonus scheme, the so-called scrapping incentive. Funds are limited to 1.5 billion euros, thus with an individual bonus of 2,500 euros for each person, to a maximum of 600,000 vehicles. This will be paid to citizens who have an old vehicle scrapped and buy a new one.
Interseroh events
2009
- With the recycled-resource process, Interseroh develops innovative, high-quality granulates from recycling plastic (procyclen®). Used packaging and plastic articles are cleaned, processed and refined so that they can be used as raw materials for new plastic products and packaging.
- In a comprehensive certification process, TÜV Rheinland rates INTERSEROH Dienstleistungs GmbH “very good” as an environmental services company for the quality of its works and services.
- Launch of the Interseroh branch solutions for sales packaging that accumulates at so-called comparable collection points such as small trade business, cultural, sport and educational institutions, hotels, canteens and barracks.
World events
2010
- Participants at the 16th World Climate Conference in Cancún (Mexico) resolve to prevent global warming by more than 2 degrees compared to the preindustrial age. The second paper from the Kyoto states refers to the goal set by scientists whereby industrialised nations should cut their emissions of greenhouse gases between 25 and 40 percent by the year 2020.
- The German contestant Lena Meyer-Landrut wins the 55th Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo with her song "Satellite". She will represent Germany again in 2011.
Interseroh events
2010
- TÜV Rheinland rates INTERSEROH Dienstleistungs GmbH as "excellent" within the scope of the „STAR Rating“ as the first company to be tested overall in all 9 sustainability categories.
- The first overall climate protection study for the complete ALBA Group is prepared by the Fraunhofer Institute UMSICHT. The result: Interseroh and ALBA together save around 6.3 million tons of CO2 per year through their recycling activities - as much as a city with around 600,000 inhabitants such as Düsseldorf.
- As one of the first participants in the German market, the Dual System Interseroh has signed the "Certificate to ensure private-sector waste disposal of household packaging through dual systems".
2011
Interseroh turns 20!
* This number contains the fractions of recovered paper, recovered wood, recovered plastic, recovered paper bags, steel and metal scrap, composite material and other secondary raw materials.