IFCO delivers record environmental savings
IFCO achieved record environmental savings with customers in 2024, a year marked by targeted expansion and a series of customer-centric packaging innovations. IFCO reusable packaging containers were used to deliver 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 during 2024.
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
- 1.3 million 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
For the eighth year in a row, IFCO is to 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.
Last year also saw the launch of new customer-led innovations, including Dora and Nestor, two lightweight, durable plastic pallets, and the Marina Fish Crate, which also expanded the use of IFCO’s integrated tracking systems and proven digital technologies.
In addition, IFCO continued to strengthen its market presence in 2024 through strategic acquisitions.
