In fresh-cut food logistics, there is little room for error. Products are highly perishable, delivery windows are tight, and retailer expectations leave no margin for inconsistency. Against that backdrop, most companies evolve toward reusable packaging over time. Almeda, an Italian producer of fresh-cut, ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables supplying retail and foodservice markets, took a different approach in partnership with Tosca.
From its earliest days, the company built its supply chain around reusable transport packaging, partnering with Tosca to establish a system designed for reliability, efficiency, and circularity from the outset.
A Strategic Decision Rooted in Service Quality
Almeda’s decision to adopt reusable packaging was not driven by regulation or short-term cost pressures. Instead, it was based on the need for consistent service performance in a demanding retail environment.
“The quality of service makes the difference. Tosca’s reliability and close customer support allow us to focus fully on our core business, with the confidence that our logistics packaging is managed efficiently and sustainably,” said Edoardo Leone, owner and CEO of Almeda.
In practical terms, that meant eliminating packaging as a point of risk. In fresh-cut operations, a failure in packaging can quickly cascade into product spoilage, missed deliveries, or rejected loads at distribution centres. By outsourcing packaging management to a pooling partner, Almeda removed that variability from its system.
Integrating Reusable Packaging Across Operations
Today, Almeda uses Tosca’s 6419 reusable plastic crates across its full logistics system, from production and storage through to retail delivery. The crates are part of a managed pooling system in which asset availability, retrieval, washing, and redistribution are handled by Tosca.
This approach shifts packaging from a procurement function to an operational service. Crates are consistently available, cleaned to standardized specifications, and reintroduced into circulation without requiring internal handling of waste or disposal streams.
As Marco Mangano, Sales Manager – Retail, Tosca, explained, “By integrating reusable packaging into a managed pooling system, we remove friction from our customers’ operations. The result is greater efficiency, consistent product flow, and a more reliable supply chain that supports both performance and growth.”
For Almeda, the impact is straightforward. Packaging is no longer a variable that needs to be managed around. It becomes a predictable, controlled input into the broader logistics system.
For related context, see our reusable transport packaging systems page.
Efficiency and Sustainability in the Same System
The operational benefits of the model extend beyond reliability. By designing its system around reuse from the beginning, Almeda avoids many of the inefficiencies associated with single-use packaging, including inconsistent supply, storage requirements, and disposal costs.
In a sector where timing is critical, that consistency supports smoother throughput and fewer disruptions.
Sustainability, in this case, is not a separate initiative layered onto operations. It is embedded in the structure of the system itself. Each crate cycle reduces material consumption and packaging waste as a direct function of how the supply chain operates.
This approach is also increasingly relevant in light of evolving regulatory requirements such as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which is expected to place stricter demands on packaging systems across Europe.
“Almeda’s approach offers a compelling model for the sector. By committing to reusable packaging from the outset, they have embedded both efficiency and sustainability into a single operating model. This is the value of a true partnership with Tosca, not just supplying packaging, but actively supporting customers to optimise performance, reduce complexity, and scale with confidence over the long term,” said Gianpaolo Mezzanotte, Managing Director – Italy, France, Spain, Tosca.
Positioning for a More Demanding Future
The fresh-cut category continues to expand, driven by consumer demand for convenience and freshness. At the same time, supply chains are becoming more complex, with increased SKU counts, faster replenishment cycles, and rising expectations around sustainability and compliance.
Almeda’s model positions it well for that environment. Its partnership with Tosca is not simply a packaging arrangement but an operational framework built on reliability and shared accountability.
For companies still evaluating reusable packaging, the case highlights a key point. Early adoption can simplify operations rather than complicate them, particularly when systems are designed around reuse from the beginning rather than retrofitted later.
As the industry evolves, that distinction may become increasingly important.
Rick LeBlanc, EMBA, is the founder and editor of Reusable Packaging News (subscribe to the free newsletter) and editor of Western Pallet Magazine. A supply chain journalist with more than 30 years of experience, he specializes in pallets, reusable packaging, material handling and related operations. Rick is co-author of Pallets: A North American Perspective and Pallets & Progress: A Collected History of Pallets and Palletized Handling 1922–1945. He is also an advisory board member of the Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. Read Rick’s full bio.
