Reusable packaging supplier IFCO has released its 2024 ESG report, giving an account of its environmental, social and governance performance throughout the company’s fiscal year 2024.
The report showcases IFCO’s commitment to improving and sharing the efficiency and environmental benefits of the IFCO SmartCycle circular pooling model, according to a news release.
The IFCO report highlights the progress in the company’s 2025 ESG strategy, Thriving in the Circular Economy, which includes the goal of becoming a net-zero business by 2040.
As in previous reports, IFCO’s performance is measured over three core pillars — Thriving Business, Thriving Planet and Thriving Society — against the baseline year of 2020, according to the release.
Key achievements in FY24 include the Science Based Targets initiative validation of IFCO’s near-term greenhouse gas emissions-reduction targets, confirming its alignment to a 1.5 C reduction pathway, the company said. Another was improving its Sustainalytics Risk Rating to 10.7, reflecting the company’s low-risk status and placing IFCO among the top 500 companies globally.
Additionally, IFCO said it reduced total carbon-dioxide equivalent emissions by 7% per reusable packaging container trip and increased the recycled content in the production of its RPC portfolio to 42%.
As the ESG report shows, IFCO empowers customers to eliminate single-use packaging from their supply chains, improve operational efficiencies, cut down drastically on landfill waste and reduce the environmental impact of their operations, the release said.
One successful partnership in the United Kingdom highlighted in the report resulted in a 45% reduction in trips in reverse logistics. More generally, the use of IFCO RPCs in customers’ supply chains generates more savings in CO2e emissions compared with the combined Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions across IFCO’s entire global operations. The same is true of waste generation and water consumption, the release said.
Furthermore, the IFCO 2024 ESG report provides an overview of the company’s customer-led innovations and pioneering digital approach. As well as receiving the 2024 U.S. Plastics Pact Sustainable Packaging Innovation Award for its Vendor-Managed Inventory service, IFCO said it also expanded its reusable packaging portfolio with the launch of two new plastic pallets and a new reusable smart fish crate.
“As pioneers in our industry, we are determined to reshape the ESG performance of our business while inspiring others to follow suit,” Mike Pooley, CEO of IFCO, said in the release. “Guided by our Thriving in the Circular Economy strategy, we are making tangible progress towards our goals that amplify our inherent commitment to sustainability.”
Iñigo Canalejo, vice president for ESG and strategic marketing at IFCO, said data in the ESG report confirms the company’s commitment to set ambitious climate targets that are aligned with science.
