{"id":116137,"date":"2026-05-13T05:22:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T05:22:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/packaging-journal.de\/?post_type=vimeo-video&p=116137"},"modified":"2026-05-13T07:41:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T05:41:20","slug":"the-circular-economy-in-retail-alexander-reitz-prezero-interpack-2026","status":"publish","type":"vimeo-video","link":"https:\/\/packaging-journal.de\/en\/vimeo-video\/the-circular-economy-in-retail-alexander-reitz-prezero-interpack-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"The Circular Economy in Retail: Alexander Reitz, PreZero | interpack 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Schwarz Group has forged a distinct path towards an integrated circular economy in retail with PreZero. At interpack 2026, Alexander Reitz, an expert at PreZero, will outline the strategic and operational thinking behind this approach.<\/p>\n

From internal service to market leader<\/h3>\n

The foundation for PreZero was laid years ago with the internal service \u201cGreenCycle\u201d, which collected stretch film and cardboard from the stores. \u201cWe thought that if you focus on areas that are adjacent to the core business of retail, there is a lot of potential there,\u201d Reitz explains. Through strategic acquisitions of T\u00f6nsmeier, parts of Suez in Europe, and Cespa, the company grew into the largest EPR system for packaging in Germany, holding a 25 percent market share.<\/p>\n

What started as a way to keep waste streams in-house has become a fully fledged business model \u2014 and a structural advantage for the retail group itself. Owning the loop, rather than buying it from third parties, is now the basis on which Schwarz develops its packaging strategy across geographies.<\/p>

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High tech instead of waste management<\/h3>\n

Producing high-quality recyclates calls for sophisticated technology. \u201cThis is an area that used to be called waste management, but now it\u2019s a high-tech business,\u201d Reitz emphasises. The process involves colour sorting, hot washing and a flake refresh step to remove odours. These technologies enable 100 percent rPET bottles and HDPE applications in cosmetics.<\/p>\n

A central insight concerns the changing hierarchy in packaging evaluation. \u201cIt's a major shift in awareness that the value, or the hierarchy, of packaging is really changing,\u201d says Reitz. Where the product used to take centre stage with quality, price and marketing \u2014 and packaging was treated as a downstream concern \u2014 packaging sustainability and compliance now have to be considered far earlier in the thinking and in purchasing decisions.<\/p>