Ralf Grothe Ralf Grothe, zeit-licht.de
IFCO, a global leader in reusable packaging solutions for fresh food, marks the second anniversary of its state-of-the-art service centre in Dannstadt-Schauerheim, located in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of south-west Germany near Mannheim and Ludwigshafen.
To celebrate this milestone, IFCO has released a behind-the-scenes video offering a look into daily operations of the facility where half a million reusable packaging containers (RPCs) are cleaned, inspected, and prepared for reuse daily. The video captures the inner workings of IFCO’s SmartCycle™, demonstrating how the company is disrupting traditional packaging models with automation, traceability, and circularity.
A model facility for smart, sustainable supply chains and automation
The Dannstadt centre is part of IFCO’s international network of 139 service centres, all supporting the IFCO SmartCycle™ model. With 400 million reusable packaging containers in circulation, IFCO’s system is helping 300 retailers, and 18,000 producers worldwide transition to more sustainable, circular supply chains – while advancing digital transformation and automation.
Opened in April 2023 and strategically located in a central European transport hub, the Dannstadt service centre is a key pillar of IFCO’s circular business model. At this state-of-the-art facility, reusable packaging containers (RPCs) are cleaned, inspected, and redistributed to food producers and retailers. Equipped with advanced automation, including sorting and crate recognition systems, the centre enables efficient processing of all RPC types and sizes. It exemplifies how IFCO’s SmartCycle™ transforms sustainability principles into action, offering a scalable solution that reduces waste, carbon emissions, and water consumption across the supply chain.
“Our Dannstadt service centre is a blueprint for the future of sustainable food packaging,” says Babak Yazdani, COO of IFCO. “By combining smart automation, rigorous hygiene, and circular design, we’re proving that sustainability and efficiency go hand in hand.”
The facility is also a benchmark in sustainability and energy-efficient infrastructure. The building is powered by a photovoltaic system and features underfloor heating and LED lighting throughout. It has been awarded the prestigious Gold Certification for Green Buildings by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). A four-step hygienic washing system ensures food-grade cleanliness and safety, while water used in the cleaning process is recycled up to 400 times.
Watch the video tour of the IFCO Service Center in Dannstadt here: https://youtu.be/QlQivOD3vJQ