IFCO’s reusable plastic containers will be used by Walmart suppliers to deliver their produce to the retail chain’s locations

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IFCO RPCs at Walmart. (Credit: Business Wire)

Multinational retail chain Walmart has selected IFCO Systems as an exclusive provider of reusable plastic containers (RPCs) for fresh fruit and vegetables in the US.

Under the seven-year agreement, Walmart will expand the use of RPCs supplied by IFCO. In 1998, both companies first collaborated to launch reusable packaging in the US.

Walmart produce and GPS senior vice president Martin Mundo said: “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.”

As part of the deal, IFCO RPCs will be used by Walmart suppliers to deliver their produce to the retail chain’s locations

Each RPC will be recovered after use and cleaned, washed, sanitised and wrapped before being used again.

According to the company, IFCO RPCs are used up to 100 times before being reground into new RPCs.

IFCO North America outgoing president Dan Martin said: “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.

“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.”

IFCO aims to create US-based manufacturing jobs via the production of new RPCs. It will also recruit the additional staff required to process millions of new RPCs at expanded IFCO Service Centres.

In December last year, Mexican company Agros Produce selected IFCO’s RPC’s for packaging and shipping its tomatoes to retailers in the US and Canada.