IFCO Now Shipping One Billion Reusable Containers Annually

RPC growth continues as industry leader achieves milestone.

File photo: Wolfgang Orgeldinger. IFCO RPCs are green in Europe and other parts of the world. 

IFCO has reached a significant milestone this fiscal year with the shipment of one billion  reusable plastic containers (RPCs) annually from producers to retail locations throughout the world. The record number represents more than 20 years of growth for IFCO RPCs and confirms the benefits retailers and grower-shippers continue to see from IFCO solutions.

“We are excited to share this momentous achievement with our customers, partners and employees,” said Wolfgang Orgeldinger, CEO of IFCO, “Our growth is a testament to the value IFCO RPCs offer the fresh supply chain in each of IFCO’s 31 countries of operation.” IFCO owns and operates its RPC business in North America, South America, Europe, and Africa, and operates via joint venture in Asia.

RPCs reduce environmental impact, food waste, and supply chain costs for producers and retailers throughout the world. The annual environmental impact of shipping one billion cases of fresh produce in RPCs instead of cardboard boxes is equal to the elimination of:

• CO2 emissions of nearly 75,000 vehicles
•  Solid waste generated by over 400,000 people
• Water consumed by nearly 600,000 people

In addition to lower environmental impact, the IFCO RPC system lowers supply chain costs and product damage. Over the course of one billion shipments annually, IFCO RPCs eliminate over 4,000 metric tonnes of food waste caused by product damage, enough to provide over 2.7 million people with the five servings of fruit and vegetables recommended daily – for a full year.

With more than 180 million RPCs in circulation, IFCO is the leading provider of reusable containers to the fresh food sector worldwide. IFCO handles all RPC logistics, from distributions to cleaning to re-entry into the supply chain. After retail use, IFCO RPCs are folded, collected and shipped back to one of IFCO’s service facilities, where they are sanitized and prepared for re-use.