Kaufland Romania managed to reduce its carbon footprint by 3,418 tons in 2023 by using Euro Pool System (EPS) reusable collapsible crates, a company release shows. The results obtained ensured the company, for the fourth consecutive year, the sustainability certificate from Euro Pool System, the European leader in logistics for reusable packaging intended for fresh products.

In 2023, Kaufland Romania recorded over 10 million rotations of EPS crates, according to the sustainability certificate. This initiative reflects the company’s ongoing efforts to reduce environmental impact and promote green practices in fruit and vegetable transportation by reducing the use of single-use cardboard packaging. EPS boxes keep food fresh and save space through their ability to fold. In case of damage, they are recycled and transformed into new ones.

The calculation tool was developed by the Stiftung Initiative Mehrweg (SIM) foundation in Germany and previously approved by the Fraunhofer IBP institute in Stuttgart. Established in 1996, the foundation aims to raise awareness of waste reduction in the retail industry.

Euro Pool System has developed a system where suppliers rent the right to use standardized and sanitized packaging to deliver goods to Kaufland. After the products are sold, the crates are folded and collected by the logistics department to be returned to the Euro Pool System owner. It sorts and sanitizes them, reintroducing them into the stream.