IFCO ESG Report 2024 highlights:
- Customer benefits: The increased environmental savings delivered to customers by 4.1% in fiscal year 2024
- CO2e emissions reduction: Achieved a 7% reduction in total CO2e emissions per reusable packaging container (RPC) trip compared to the previous year
- Circular pooling model improvements: Increased the average recycled content in the production of new RPCs to 42%
- SBTi validation: the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) validated IFCO’s near-term greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions-reduction targets, marking an important step towards becoming a net-zero business by 2040
MUNICH, Nov. 14, 2024 – IFCO, a global leader in reusable packaging solutions for fresh food, has released its ESG Report 2024. This publication provides a comprehensive account of the company’s environmental, social and governance performance throughout IFCO’s fiscal year 2024. The environmental benefits of reusable packaging have been well documented, but the continued generation of science-based data continues to help build further momentum.
The title Advancing through circularity, together, captures IFCO’s overall purpose, which is to make the global fresh grocery supply chain sustainable through reusable packaging solutions and emphasizes the company’s collaborative approach. The report showcases IFCO’s commitment to improving and sharing the efficiency and environmental benefits of the IFCO SmartCycle circular pooling model.
Notably, the IFCO ESG Report 2024 highlights the significant progress in the company’s 2025 ESG Strategy, Thriving in the circular economy, which includes the goal of becoming a net-zero business by 2040. As in previous reports, IFCO’s performance is measured over three core pillars – Thriving Business, Thriving Planet and Thriving Society – against the baseline year of 2020.
Key achievements in FY24 include the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) validation of IFCO’s near-term greenhouse gas emissions-reduction targets, confirming their alignment to a 1.5°C reduction pathway. Another was improving its sustainalytics risk atring to 10.7, reflecting the company’s low-risk status and placing IFCO among the top 500 companies globally. Additionally, IFCO reduced total CO2e emissions by 7% per reusable packaging container (RPC) trip and increased the recycled content in the production of its RPC portfolio to 42%.
Driven by Innovative Partnerships and Products
As the ESG report shows, IFCO empowers customers to eliminate single-use packaging from their supply chains, improve operational efficiencies, cut down drastically on landfill waste and reduce the environmental impact of their operations. One successful partnership in the UK highlighted in the report resulted in a 45% reduction in trips in reverse logistics. More generally, the use of IFCO RPCs in customers’ supply chains generates more savings in CO2e emissions compared with the combined Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions across IFCO’s entire global operations. The same is true of waste generation and water consumption.
Additionally, the IFCO ESG Report 2024 outlines the company’s customer-led innovations and pioneering digital efforts. In addition to receiving the 2024 US Plastics Pact Sustainable Packaging Innovation Award for its Vendor-Managed Inventory service, IFCO expanded its reusable packaging portfolio with the launch of two new plastic pallets and a new reusable smart fish crate.
Mike Pooley, CEO of IFCO, emphasized that the company’s comprehensive ESG Strategy goes beyond environmental benefits.” As pioneers in our industry, we are determined to reshape the ESG performance of our business while inspiring others to follow suit,” he “Guided by our Thriving in the Circular Economy strategy, we are making tangible progress towards our goals that amplify our inherent commitment to sustainability.”
Iñigo Canalejo, Vice President ESG & Strategic Marketing at IFCO, highlights one key milestone on IFCO’s journey to becoming a net-zero business. “The validation of our near-term targets from SBTi is a key milestone in our net zero journey and confirms our commitment to set ambitious climate targets that are aligned with science.” he added.
About the IFCO ESG Report 2024
The IFCO ESG Report 2024 adheres to international sustainability standards, including the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). IFCO is a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact (UN Global Compact) corporate responsibility initiative and its Ten Principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption. IFCO is also dedicated to supporting the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through its ESG strategy. The report ensures transparency and continuity by addressing the same material issues identified in the first-ever IFCO ESG Report published in 2021. A new double materiality assessment has been completed, preparing IFCO for the upcoming Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and ensuring future reporting aligns with evolving regulations.
Further Reading
New Fraunhofer Study Confirms IFCO RPCs Cuts CO2e by Up to 62%
IFCO and Sprouts Enjoy Sprouting RPC Partnership
IFCO Unveils Nestor, Ultralight Reusable Plastic Pallet
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.
