Tampa, FL (USA) – February 8, 2021: IFCO Systems BB #:160386, the world’s largest operator of Reusable Plastic Containers for fresh food packaging, and Walmart BB #:143789, today announced the completion of a multi-year business agreement that will expand the retailer’s use of IFCO RPCs and make IFCO Walmart’s exclusive RPC packaging provider for select fresh fruits and vegetables distributed in the U.S.
“IFCO and Walmart share the goal of an efficient, sustainable fresh food supply chain that helps nourish millions of Americans and billions of consumers worldwide,” said Dan Martin, outgoing President of IFCO North America. “This agreement is a win for IFCO, a win for Walmart, a win for the environment and a win for millions of grocery shoppers across America.”
Under the seven-year agreement, IFCO and Walmart will build upon their longstanding collaboration, which launched in 1998 when the two companies joined forces to introduce reusable packaging in the U.S. Walmart suppliers will deliver their produce to Walmart locations using IFCO RPCs.
Each RPC will be retrieved after each use and cleaned, washed, sanitized and wrapped before being used again. IFCO RPCs are used up to 100 times before being reground into new RPCs.
“Walmart is committed to providing its shoppers with high quality, safe, nutritious and affordable fresh food produced sustainably,” said Martin Mundo, Walmart Senior Vice President, Produce & GPS, “Our new agreement with IFCO helps us deliver on that promise by creating a fresh food supply chain that is more efficient and more sustainable from beginning to end.”
IFCO expects to create U.S.-based manufacturing jobs through the production of new RPCs, as well as the additional staff needed to process millions of new RPCs at expanded IFCO Service Centers.
The RPC program will also help drive improvements across the entirety of the fresh food supply chain. For example, efficiencies will be created via standardization and modularity, as well as significant increases in product shelf life and food waste reduction, which are inherent features of the IFCO RPC program.
