2023-06-08 20:00:35
Munich, Germany (ots /PRNewswire) – IFCO, the world’s leading provider of reusable packaging containers (RPCs), is expanding its support for FareShare and The Felix Project, two of the UK’s leading food redistribution charities. The overarching goal of the triple partnership is to make it easier, faster and cost-neutral for producers, suppliers and retailers to donate their surplus food to the charities. At the same time, it aims to ensure that FareShare and The Felix Project can deliver healthy, fresh food to people in need more safely and efficiently. Both organizations work closely with the food industry to source good surplus food that would otherwise end up in landfill, landfill or biogas plants.
This collaboration agreement underscores IFCO’s commitment to reducing food waste in the fresh produce supply chain. Voted in October 2022 the European Federation of Food Banks (FEBA) IFCO as official partner for reusable packaging containers. Since then, food banks across Europe (including Fareshare and the Felix project) have received donations of sustainable RPCs to support their food distribution to charities.
Although food donation is not a long-term solution to food poverty, IFCO recognizes that the professional redistribution of quality food surpluses plays an important role. That’s why IFCO has now made it even easier for suppliers and retailers to donate fresh produce in IFCO RPCs to the FareShare and The Felix Project networks. Producers and retailers have always been able to transport food donations in IFCO RPCs. However, this partnership ensures a faster flow of fresh produce from even more suppliers to the food banks, as well as a simplified return of RPCs into the IFCO pooling system. One aspect of the partnership taps into IFCO’s digital solutions, as both FareShare and The Felix Project now have the MyIFCO-App to schedule and schedule the pickup of IFCO RPCs, ensuring a much smoother return process.
FareShare is the UK’s largest charity dedicated to fighting hunger and food waste. It works with the food industry to source and distribute over 50,000 tonnes of surplus food each year to 8,500 organizations across the UK, equivalent to around 128 million meals for people in need. By being directly involved in this UK operation, IFCO is providing important support to the charity.
Kris Gibbon-Walsh, Director of Network, Community & Operations at FareShare said: “IFCO has contributed to our mission in a strategic, pragmatic and impactful way. With IFCO on board we have broken down the typical barriers that often prevent suppliers and retailers from donating surplus food is time, effort and cost. This partnership automatically expands our network of potential suppliers across the UK and internationally. Currently, FareShare is experiencing a surge in demand due to the cost of living crisis. This support from IFCO is therefore more needed than ever, so we can get more nutritious food to the people in our local communities who need it most.”
The Felix Project is London’s largest food redistribution charity. In 2022, it distributed the equivalent of over 29 million meals, delivering groceries to every London borough. It’s part of the FareShare network, but also works independently to source more than half of its own high-quality surplus food, which is then delivered to around 1,000 charities and schools in the capital.
Richard Smith, Deputy Head of Food Sourcing at the Felix Project said: “The IFCO partnership has helped us attract new suppliers, including manufacturers. In the past, some of them have been keen to donate surplus food but have been reluctant because of the potential additional costs or workload involved. With the support of IFCO, they are now able and ready to become part of our network.”
IFCO is committed to reducing food waste to make the global fresh food supply chain more sustainable. That’s why IFCO RPCs are designed to protect fresh produce throughout the value chain, so food arrives in better condition and has a longer shelf life, making it less likely to end up in landfill. Independent scientific studies have proven that RPCs help reduce food waste throughout the supply chain by providing better product protection and ventilation. IFCO has partnered with FareShare since 2016 to support their important mission to fight hunger and food waste, and has partnered with The Felix Project since 2020.
Neil Stewart, Asset Control Manager at IFCO, who leads working with UK food banks, said: “We are proud and delighted to support FareShare and The Felix Project, two organizations with an incredible passion for delivering good surplus food to Delivering to those in need We hope our contribution will result in more suppliers joining the network and reaching more communities, especially at a time when such services are so much needed.Many of our UK IFCO staff have been from the So impressed with the work of FareShare and The Felix Project that they will use part of their annual paid leave to help out in the food banks and distribution centers run by the charities, a sign of the UK IFCO team’s full commitment committed to making this partnership work.”
Further information IFCO is the world’s leading provider of returnable packaging solutions for fresh food, serving customers in over 50 countries. IFCO operates a pool of over 370 million Reusable Packaging Containers (RPCs) worldwide that power 2 billion shipments of fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, bread and other items from suppliers to grocery retailers each year become. IFCO RPCs ensure a better fresh food supply chain by protecting freshness and quality while reducing costs, food waste and environmental impact compared to single-use packaging. More: www.ifco.com | Follow us on LinkedIn @IFCO SYSTEMS
About FareShare
FareShare is the UK’s largest charity dedicated to fighting hunger and food waste. We take good use surplus food from across the food industry, sort it in our regional warehouses across the UK and give it away to a network of nearly 8,500 charities and community groups. These include food banks and storage, residential homes, places of refuge, community centers, lunch centers for the elderly, school clubs and hospices. Three quarters of the organizations we provide food support children and families. In the last fiscal year 2022-23, FareShare distributed the equivalent of nearly 128 million meals – that’s 4 meals per second.
About the Felix project
The Felix Project is London’s largest food redistribution charity. Founded in 2016, it rescues good food that cannot be sold and delivers it directly to around 1,000 organizations and schools that support those in need. Our vision is a London where no one goes hungry and good food is not wasted. In 2022, we delivered enough food for more than 29 million meals. For more information, see: www.thefelixproject.org
Questions & contact:
For more information please contact: Inigo Canalejo,
vice president
ESG and strategic marketing,
marketing@ifco.com
1686264299
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