PULLACH, GERMANY, 24th January 2018: Since the beginning of its initiative for the support of food banks in 2009, IFCO SYSTEMS, the leading global provider of reusable packaging solutions, has donated more than 260,000 RPCs (Reusable Packaging Containers) to food banks. In addition, the company supports the food banks with the voluntary work of IFCO employees and by co-financing refrigerated vans.
Wolfgang Orgeldinger, CEO of IFCO SYSTEMS, said: "The food banks can optimally use our products in their daily processes and thus for the benefit of those in need. They help the food banks to optimize their daily work. This is the main reason for IFCO to focus worldwide on supporting the food banks when it comes to social activities. IFCO is pleased to contribute to a better supply of much-needed food for many people in this way."
The following overview shows activities in which IFCO supported local food banks in 2017:
IFCO Germany provided in-kind RPCs to 32 food banks in 2017, bringing their cumulative support to 128 food banks by the end of 2017. The free provision of around 23,000 RPCs during the year contributes to process optimization at the food banks and significantly reduces waste volumes. Disposal costs for one-way cardboard boxes are also saved. Thanks to the contractual cooperation with Tafel Deutschland e.V. (formerly Bundesverband Deutsche Tafel e.V. / Federal Association of German Food Banks) as well as a one-time donation of 25,000 euros on the occasion of Fruit Logistica 2017, five food banks could be supported in the financing of refrigerated vehicles; four more are to follow in the first months of 2018. The donation was part of the activities of IFCO Systems in the framework of the celebrations for the company’s 25th anniversary.
IFCO UK donated 6,000 RPCs to Trussell Trust for UK food banks and another 290 RPCs to the Tower Hamlets Foodbank. In the month of July, 4 IFCO staff members participated in the
10,000 m run in favor of the Tower Hamlets Foodbank, where 815 pounds of donations were raised. Furthermore, IFCO UK also covered the costs of sponsoring the running shirts worth 1,000 pounds. In addition, IFCO assumed the costs of 10 places for homeless people at the "Crisis" charity organization, so that those people could receive a Christmas dinner and, if desired, free life counseling.
IFCO Italy made a financial contribution to Banco Alimentare (www.bancoalimentare.it), and IFCO Spain supported the food banks especially during the pre-Christmas season by the free rental of RPCs for the collection of foodstuffs for persons in need.
IFCO Greece on two occasions 5 volunteer staff members each helped 4 hours with the following organizations: MAZI gia TO PAIDI and Oloi mazi mporoume.
IFCO France donated, as every year, 4,000 euros to the Banque Alimentaire de la Loire. In addition, 11 of the 80 food banks in France were supported by the free rental of RPCs, totaling almost 64,000 boxes in 2017. Once a year, on the last weekend of November, a national campaign is organized by the Banque Alimentaire in big supermarkets with the aim of collecting donated food items that are subsequently distributed to people in need via humanitarian organizations or charities. As already in the previous years, the whole team of IFCO France helped collecting food donations in an Intermarché supermarket. Within 2 days, the team collected 2.4 tons of foodstuffs, the equivalent of about 4,800 meals. In addition, team members of IFCO France did voluntary work for the food banks on 29 days. These 203 volunteer hours include the 2 days of the collection campaign in November.
Staff members of IFCO North America participated in 2017 in several voluntary events to collect food donations for people in need. They served a total of 288 hours of voluntary work during the events of Feeding Tampa Bay and Habitat for Humanity, amongst others.
In South America, IFCO Brazil and IFCO Argentina continued their regular support for the local food banks by donating RPCs.
"In view of the widening gap between rich and poor, we are more convinced than ever that the work of the food banks is a very important contribution to support people in need all over the world. In 2018 we will therefore continue our successful cooperation with the food banks", said Wolfgang Orgeldinger.
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