IFCO has announced it has for the first time shipped one billion reusable plastic containers (RPC) across Europe between producers and grocery retailers within a 12-month period. 

In a release, the company said this record number represented more than 20 years of steady growth for its RPCs and confirmed the benefits retailers and producers continued to gain from its solutions.

“We are excited to share this momentous achievement with our customers, partners and employees across Europe and around the world,” said IFCO CEO Wolfgang Orgeldinger.

"Our continued growth is a testament to the value IFCO RPCs offer fresh food supply chains across Europe and around the world."

IFCO RPCs are used to ship fresh foods in 52 countries across North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

The company highlighted how RPCs reduced costs, protected product quality and reduced environmental impact and food waste in fresh food supply chains.

IFCO estimates the annual environmental impact of shipping one billion cases of fresh produce in RPCs 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

The group estimates that over the course of one billion shipments annually, IFCO RPCs eliminate over 42.6 million kg of food waste caused by product damage (93.9 million pounds), which enough to provide more than 600,000 people with the five servings of fruit and vegetables recommended daily for a full year.

With more than 260 million RPCs in circulation, IFCO is the leading provider of reusable containers to the fresh food sector worldwide.

www.freshfruitportal.com