Ollie improved product protection and reduced packaging waste with Tosca reusable containers

ATLANTA, GA: As demand for fresh, human-grade pet food continues to grow, brands are facing new operational challenges. Products must move quickly through cold chains, maintain strict quality standards, and scale efficiently as volumes increase.

For fresh dog food company Ollie, that meant taking a closer look at one of the most overlooked parts of the supply chain: packaging.

Traditional corrugated master cases were widely used across Ollie’s fulfillment operations, but the system began showing its limitations as the company scaled. Moisture exposure weakened boxes during transit, sometimes leading to load instability and operational disruptions on the fulfillment floor.

“Stacks would break down and disintegrate in transit. That affected efficiency and product integrity,” said Ed Brockhoff, Director of Supply Chain and Manufacturing at Ollie.

To address the challenge, Ollie transitioned to Tosca’s reusable plastic containers (RPCs) — durable, vented crates designed to circulate repeatedly through the supply chain.

Unlike corrugated packaging, which can weaken in cold and humid environments, reusable containers maintain structural integrity during handling and transportation. The containers’ built-in ventilation also allows cold air to circulate around product, helping frozen meals reach temperature more quickly.

“The ventilation with reusable crates means product gets frozen as quickly as possible,” Brockhoff said.

Operational improvements across the fulfillment center

The shift produced benefits beyond transportation performance. The operational improvements were quickly visible to the team on the ground.

“It’s a huge time saver. The facility runs smoother, and there’s no going back,” said Eric, General Manager at Ollie.

Supporting growth in a rapidly expanding category

The shift comes as the fresh pet food category continues to expand rapidly.

According to Michael Davis, Customer Success Manager at Tosca, reusable packaging systems can play a critical role in helping food brands scale operations while reducing waste.

“High-growth food brands don’t just need packaging; they need infrastructure that performs consistently at scale,” Davis said. “Our role is to partner closely with operations teams to implement reusable systems that reduce waste, improve product protection, and support long-term resilience.”

Environmental benefits add up over time

Reusable containers also reduce the need for single-use packaging materials.

Tosca’s containers are pooled, sanitized, inspected, and redeployed across multiple supply chain cycles. Each trip replaces corrugated packaging that would otherwise be manufactured, transported, and discarded.

Since adopting reusable containers, Ollie’s operations have saved the equivalent of 9,210 trees previously required to produce corrugated packaging.

“As we grow, our responsibility grows with us,” Brockhoff said. “This partnership allows us to align premium product quality, operational scale, and environmental accountability.”

About Ollie Pets

Founded in 2016, Ollie believes dogs deserve to live the best life possible. That’s why, we’re on a mission to drive the dog wellbeing revolution through food, science, data and fresh thinking. Our recipes are developed by chefs, vets, and food scientists, and backed by vet nutritionists. We use data from hundreds of thousands of dogs to supercharge our innovation to deliver the best possible experience for you and your dog. Follow Ollie on Instagram @ollie or visit ​www.ollie.com.​     ​​ 

About Tosca

Tosca is a global leader in reusable plastic transport packaging and performance pooling solutions. Purpose-built for the food supply chain, Tosca helps customers eliminate food, labor, and transportation waste at every turn. Learn more at toscaltd.com.