The company’s new Tracking-as-a-Service (TaaS) offering combines real-time visibility, AI, and analytics to make reusable packaging supply chains smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable.
Pullach/Munich, Germany – November 12, 2025 – IFCO, a global leader in reusable packaging for fresh foods, has announced the launch of IFCO Digital, featuring its new Tracking-as-a-Service (TaaS) solution. The innovation marks a key milestone in the company’s digital transformation and has earned IFCO the Smart Solution Award 2025, which recognizes excellence in connected and sustainable supply chain management.
Since its founding in 1992, IFCO has advanced circular logistics through its SmartCycle™ pooling model, ensuring that reusable packaging containers (RPCs) are collected, cleaned, and redeployed for reuse. With IFCO Digital, the company now adds a new dimension — harnessing data to close the loop between physical assets and digital intelligence.
Tracking-as-a-Service: a plug-and-play platform for visibility and efficiency
The new TaaS solution uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and GPS technology to track the location, temperature, and condition of reusable crates and pallets throughout the supply chain. It addresses common industry pain points such as misplaced assets, inefficient reverse logistics, and limited shipment visibility — all of which can drive up cost and food waste.
Unlike conventional tracking systems, IFCO’s TaaS requires no infrastructure investment by customers. Smart trackers are attached directly to IFCO crates and pallets, providing plug-and-play connectivity without fixed gates or on-site installations. The approach allows for rapid deployment and scalability across multiple facilities and geographies.
With real-time data at hand, customers can:
Reduce asset and product losses through precise tracking.
Improve utilization and reverse-logistics performance.
Strengthen quality assurance by monitoring temperature-sensitive products during transport.
Advance sustainability and ESG goals by minimizing waste and lowering CO₂ emissions.
Pilots are currently underway with growers, retailers, and logistics partners in North America and Europe. These trials will validate the solution at scale and provide insights ahead of a wider rollout in 2026.
Digital transformation at a global scale
IFCO’s move into data-driven logistics builds on several years of digital investment. To date, more than one billion reusable packaging containers have been digitally scanned through IFCO service centers across Europe — a milestone that highlights the company’s operational reach and digital maturity.
“Our digital solutions have already enabled us to track more than one billion trips of reusable packaging containers,” said Dr. Sebastian Grams, Chief Digital Officer at IFCO. “With Tracking-as-a-Service, we’re taking this even further, turning data into actionable insights that make our customers’ supply chains more transparent, efficient, and sustainable.”
The company sees its digital platform as a foundation for new services in predictive analytics, inventory optimization, and carbon-reduction reporting — areas where customers increasingly expect measurable results.
Smart Solution Award 2025
Presented jointly by LOGISTIK HEUTE and PwC Strategy, the Smart Solution Award is among Germany’s most respected recognitions for innovation in logistics and supply chain management. Each year, it highlights solutions that set new benchmarks for efficiency, transparency, and environmental responsibility.
IFCO’s selection for the 2025 award underscores its leadership in applying digital tools to strengthen circular systems for fresh food distribution. The judges cited IFCO Digital as a scalable, data-enabled model that connects sustainability with day-to-day operational performance.
Bridging circularity and connectivity
By integrating digital technology into its established reuse network, IFCO is positioning itself at the intersection of circular packaging and connected logistics. The company operates more than 400 million RPCs globally, supporting over 2.5 billion shipments each year across more than 50 countries. Its containers are used to transport fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood, eggs, bakery items, and other perishables.
Through IFCO Digital, the company aims to bring every asset in that network online — ensuring that each reusable container contributes not only to reduced waste but also to a richer stream of data for optimization.
Find out more about the range of reusable packaging solutions at our retail reusable packaging hub.
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 RPCs protect freshness and quality while lowering costs, food waste, and environmental impact compared with single-use packaging. More: www.ifco.com
Related Articles
IFCO Wins FPC Fresh Award 2025 for Business Service Partner
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.
