IFCO accelerates growth and sustainability, delivering record environmental savings for customers in 2024

• For the eighth year in a row, thousands of customers worldwide will be awarded the IFCO Sustainability Certificate
• 2.4 billion shipments of fresh grocery products delivered in IFCO reusable packaging containers (RPCs) during 2024 across the world

MUNICH, Jan. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- IFCO, a global leader in reusable packaging solutions for fresh food, achieved record environmental savings with customers in 2024, a year marked by targeted expansion and a series of customer-centric packaging innovations. 2.4 billion shipments of fruit and vegetables, meat and poultry, fish and seafood, dairy and eggs, baked goods, bananas and other fresh grocery products were delivered in IFCO reusable packaging containers (RPCs) during 2024 globally.

Record environmental savings in 2024 through the IFCO SmartCycle
In total, by using the IFCO SmartCycle circular pooling system instead of single-use packaging, customers generated the following environmental savings during 2024:

• 674,333 metric tons of CO₂e emissions, equivalent to circling the planet 140,344 times by car
• 54,308 megaliters of water, equivalent to 21,723 Olympic size pools
• 14,854 terajoules of energy, equivalent to the annual energy consumption of 746,668 households
• 1,363,131 metric tons of solid waste, equivalent to the solid waste produced by 2.73 million people in a year
• 66,015 tons of product waste, equivalent to 105 million meals

IFCO uses third-party peer-reviewed life cycle assessment (LCA) studies based on ISO 14040/14044 to scientifically quantify the environmental benefits of the IFCO SmartCycle in reducing CO2e emissions, water consumption, energy use and solid waste, as well as other third-party studies to quantify reductions in food loss and food waste.

For the eighth year in a row, IFCO will award customers with an individual IFCO Sustainability Certificate. These science-backed certificates accurately quantify and recognize each customer's unique contribution to the significant environmental savings achieved through the efficient and food-safe IFCO SmartCycle circular pooling system. Importantly, these certificates allow producers, growers, distributors and retailers to demonstrate their commitment to improving the environmental performance of their supply chains. Customers increasingly use the certificates to showcase their tangible progress toward their own sustainability goals.

This year, IFCO will also celebrate these achievements with customers at Fruit Logistica 2025, the world's leading fresh produce trade show, taking place from 5–7 February in Berlin. Customers will be presented with their IFCO Sustainability Certificates at Booth B-40 in Hall 21.

Further reductions to the carbon footprint of sustainable packaging

In 2024, a new critically reviewed LCA study commissioned by IFCO, conducted by Fraunhofer IBP and reviewed by a panel under the direction of DEKRA, updated the environmental impacts of reusable packaging containers and cardboard boxes over their full life cycle. Since 2018, IFCO has cut the average carbon footprint of its RPCs by an additional 10%.

Comparative LCAs are essential for IFCO's ESG Strategy, Thriving in the circular economy and help define the decarbonization levers, activities and milestones that support IFCO's goals of becoming a net-zero, zero-waste business by 2040. These levers are described in more detail in the IFCO Roadmap to Net Zero. This roadmap underscores IFCO's commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production, including adopting a circular model and closing the material loop. In line with SDG 13: Climate action, the roadmap commits to near-term science-based greenhouse gas-reduction targets for 2031 validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), an independent body. IFCO's ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Report 2024 details the progress the company has made on this path.

About IFCO:

IFCO is a leading global provider of reusable packaging solutions for fresh foods, empowering customers to participate in the circular economy in 50+ countries. IFCO operates a pool of over 395 million reusable packaging containers (RPCs) globally, which are used for over 2.2 billion shipments of fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, bread, and other items from suppliers to grocery retailers every year. IFCO RPCs ensure a better fresh food supply chain by protecting freshness and quality and lowering costs, food waste and environmental impact compared to single-use packaging. More: www.ifco.com | Follow us on LinkedIn @IFCO SYSTEMS

Infographic: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2608669/IFCO_Infographic.jpg
Logo:          https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2531589/5140628/IFCO_Logo.jpg

SOURCE IFCO