IFCO, a global leader in reusable food and drink packaging solutions, has formed a strategic partnership with Gastrofresh, a rapidly expanding supplier specializing in high-quality fresh products for the hospitality and gastronomy sectors in South Tyrol, northern Italy. As the exclusive provider of reusable packaging containers (RPCs) for Gastrofresh, IFCO plays an essential role in helping the premium supplier meet critical sustainability and efficiency objectives, such as reducing the carbon footprint of its supply chain, ensuring timely deliveries, and adopting zero-waste business practices.
Gastrofresh has established a reputation for delivering premium products on tight daily schedules, making efficient logistics paramount. By utilizing the IFCO SmartCycle circular business model for RPCs, Gastrofresh gains a smart, efficient, and sustainable alternative to single-use packaging for transporting fresh products. This collaboration enables Gastrofresh to achieve timely deliveries while maintaining maximum product freshness and minimizing carbon emissions throughout the supply chain.
IFCO Enhances the Hospitality Sector with Sustainable Packaging Solutions
The transition to IFCO RPCs was effortless for Gastrofresh. The advantages of replacing single-use packaging were quickly acknowledged by producers, hotels, and restaurants. Lukas Huber, Head of Purchase at Gastrofresh GmbH, explains, “With IFCO’s support, our customers quickly adapted to the reusable packaging model. This project sparked a lot of curiosity internally and a lot of interest from our customers. We immediately saw great savings in packaging volumes and waste. This is an exciting project for us because it makes us even more sustainable.”
Stefano Zagato, Business Development Manager at IFCO Italy, expresses pride in this innovative partnership. “We are very happy with the collaboration with Gastrofresh and the harmonious relationship between the partners right from the start. This agreement allows IFCO to expand into the hospitality, restaurant, and catering sectors with a serious and reliable partner. As a partnership, it represents another significant step forward in IFCO’s diversification process, increasing our reach into new markets beyond large retail distribution.”
Supported by results from third-party, peer-reviewed Life Cycle Assessment studies, IFCO is capable of reliably calculating the environmental benefits of using IFCO RPCs. Each year, IFCO awards trustworthy Sustainability Certificates to its customers. For Gastrofresh, utilizing IFCO RPCs is projected to annually avoid:
- 174,000 kg of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to taking more than 126 cars off the road.
- 97,800 kg of solid waste, equivalent to the waste generated by 70,687 individuals.
- 12,159 gigajoule of energy consumption, enough to power 6,400 light bulbs.
- 3,400 cubic meters of water use, equivalent to what is required for over 85,000 individual showers.
- 15,900 kg of product waste, comparable to the food necessary for more than 26,500 individual meals each year.
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