<p>What is the most sustainable way to ship fresh produce? IFCO SYSTEMS seeks to answer that question with a new study.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">IFCO SYSTEMS is announcing the expansion of its life cycle assessment research. The study will compare reusable plastic containers (RPCs) and display-ready corrugated boxes, according to a press release. The assessment is expected to be published in May, and its categories will include eco-toxicity impact, solid waste, energy demand, and water usage. The report is being produced by Franklin Associates, a Division of ERG, a consulting firm that specializes in life cycle assessment and solid waste management.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">“We fully expect the life cycle analysis of human and eco-toxicity impacts for RPCs to add a layer of information to the analysis. said Hillary Femal, Vice President of Global Marketing for IFCO. “These two impact categories were not evaluated in the life cycle assessment released in 2013 due to the lack of scientific consensus regarding methodology in early 2012 when the study was scoped. However, we would like to expand the analysis to examine these aspects at a relative level using the most widely accepted methodologies and, of course, a thorough peer review of the results.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">IFCO previously released a study which confirmed that RPCs are a more sustainable packaging option. The results showed that RPCs generate 82% less solid waste, consumes 92% less water, requires 49% lower energy demand, and lowers ozone depletion by 76%. To view these significant findings, click on the link below:<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.ifco.com/res/marketing_studies_sim/Franklin_study_lcarpc_EN_FINAL.pdf" target="_new"> Previous IFCO study on sustainability of RPCs </a><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">“While the comparisons of human- and eco-toxicity impacts are not as certain as comparative measures for solid waste reduction and other key sustainability indicators, there have recently been updates to methods which bring more scientific consensus in these areas. As a result, we are reviewing these categories to assess the relative contributions which the life cycle of RPCs and corrugated containers have to human and ecosystem toxicity,” said Rebe Feraldi, Franklin Associates’ Certified Life Cycle Analysis Practitioner and Primary Analyst for the project.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.ifco.com/" target="_new"> IFCO SYSTEMS </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
