Our 2025 ESG strategy entails achieving a comprehensive set of goals that cover most material topics for IFCO SYSTEMS. Most importantly, these goals require actions that have an impact across our whole value chain, not just within our own four walls. Holistically, the most challenging ESG goals in 2025 were those requiring systemic change beyond company boundaries – notably, Scope 3 emissions. These goals were difficult because they depend on global supply chain collaboration, regulatory alignment, and infrastructure readiness, all of which are complex and uneven across regions. Internally, we have found some challenges in advancing gender diversity at the senior level at the desired pace.

What drove the 37% reduction in carbon intensity per crate since 2021?

First, we shifted a significant portion of our global service center network to renewable electricity. Second, we moved to renewable electricity for the production of new crates and more than doubled the average recycled content to 39%. Lastly, in transport, we improved data quality, increased intermodal shipments, expanded the use of alternative fuels, and reduced the average kilometers per shipment. Overall, we were able to reduce our total Scope 3 emissions while continuing to grow our business.

What advantages of reusable packaging do retailers still underestimate?

Retailers often underestimate the operational benefits of reuse. RPCs improve efficiency throughout the value chain. They cool faster, protect products better, and reduce labor not only at our service and distribution centers but also at the store level due to standardized sizing and easier handling. Many also underestimate the regulatory advantage: adopting reusable packaging early positions them strongly as regulations tighten, especially with the EU PPWR.

How does IFCO support customers in meeting new EU and US reuse regulations?

IFCO helps customers comply with new EU and US reuse regulations by providing a closed-loop RPC pooling system that meets PPWR and EPR requirements. Additionally, imported IFCO crates filled with goods are exempt from the UK Plastic Packaging Tax. We offer regulatory guidance, webinars, and training to explain timelines and targets, plus data for reporting. Our model reduces single-use packaging, supports cost savings under EPR schemes, and delivers evidence of environmental impact, making IFCO a low-risk, ready-to-implement solution for reuse compliance.

Which digital or tracking innovations in RPCs are most promising for the future?

The most promising digital innovations in RPCs are those that combine simple hardware with smart software.

A few developments stand out:

Plug-and-play IoT tracking on the asset itself Tiny, energy-efficient trackers directly on crates and pallets – using technologies like BLE and GPS – are a game changer. They work without additional gateways or fixed infrastructure at the customer site, so they can be rolled out at scale and across different partners in the supply chain. That’s the best way to get real, end-to-end visibility in pooled systems.

Condition and quality monitoring The next step is tracking not just the location of an RPC, but also what happens to the product inside: temperature curves, dwell times, unusual events. This is where digital tracking starts to enhance supply chain traceability, reduce food waste, protect product quality and support better root-cause analysis when something goes wrong.

AI-driven analytics on top of the data When millions of RPC movements are captured every day, humans can’t interpret that manually. The real value comes from AI models that detect anomalies, forecast demand, and optimize pool sizes and flows. This helps reduce losses, avoid stockouts, and right-size asset pools.

Support for circularity and ESG reporting Finally, the future belongs to solutions that make circular logistics measurable: number of trips per crate, avoided single-use packaging, CO₂ savings, reduction of losses. Digital tracking that can translate operational data into ESG-relevant KPIs will be extremely valuable for both retailers and pool owners.

- What challenges remain in scaling closed-loop recycling for new RPC production?

- None. We have already achieved 100% closed-loop recycling at the end of life of our broken RPCs.

- Why is the up-to-98% reduction in food waste such a critical argument for reuse systems?

Food waste is a top priority for all major retailers and growers. It is a large contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the food supply chain, not to mention an important reason why there is still hunger in the world. The food supply chain is looking for ways to reduce food waste. When RPCs help reduce waste by nearly 98% for certain categories, the climate benefit dwarfs any packaging-related impact.

Reuse is therefore not just a packaging conversation but a fundamental solution to food-system inefficiency. By protecting freshness, reducing damage, and stabilizing temperature, RPCs help retailers tackle one of their most urgent ESG priorities.

What are IFCO’s priorities for achieving Net Zero and SBTi validation by 2030?

Scope 3 emissions represent 98% of IFCO’s total emissions. Our focus is therefore to tackle these emissions, mainly those generated when producing new RPCs and when transporting reused RPCs. With regard to production, we are closely working with our partners to switch to 100% renewable energy (we are already above 75% globally) and to reduce the amount of virgin plastics they use. From a transport perspective, our priorities lie in increasing transport efficiency, multimodal transportation, and the use of alternative fuels.

How do you envision the future of circular logistics and IFCO’s role in shaping it?

The future is circular, connected and data-driven. When it comes to packaging, IFCO has already demonstrated how we can transform global supply chains to become more circular by helping them replace single-use packaging. We do this at scale, and we do it well. IFCO is therefore best positioned to further expand our share-reuse-recycle model to new products, supply chains and geographies to make our positive impact even greater. By combining reusable packaging with IoT, analytics, and regulatory expertise, IFCO will continue to provide customers with a low-risk, scalable solution that delivers compliance, cost efficiency, and measurable sustainability outcomes—all aligned with Net Zero and circular economy goals.