Niatsu

Quantifying 66 Tons of Food Waste with Circunis

Niatsu
Circunis

Circunis has introduced a data-driven solution together with Niatsu to make the climate impact of rescued food measurable, comparable, and transparent.

Key Facts

  • Analysis of 41,720 kg of food redistributed
  • 66,806 kg CO2e avoided
  • Product-level assessment across multiple food categories
  • Use of a standardised CO2e methodology for all products
  • Collaboration within an Innosuisse research project with the FHNW
  • Scalable calculations with no manual effort required from Circunis

Approach

Circunis chose a holistic solution to systematically quantify the climate impact of the platform for the first time.

Together with Niatsu, the CO2 footprint of all products redistributed via Circunis was calculated. The assessments followed a cradle-to-gate approach, including transport from the country of origin to Switzerland.

Niatsu integrated product- and raw-material-specific emissions data and provided a uniform comparison basis per kilogram of product. This made it possible to compare very different foods – from fresh produce and frozen products to highly processed goods.

Key Features of the Solution

  • A single standard across all products and categories
  • Comparability between fresh, frozen, and processed foods
  • Transparent methodology suitable for external communication
  • Scalable for growing volumes and new product categories

Results

The introduction of the solution delivered measurable and robust results for the first time:

  • 41,720 kg of food saved from disposal
  • 66,806 kg CO2e avoided
  • Equivalent to more than 83,000 meals
  • Comparable to a petrol-powered small car driving six times around the world

In addition, emissions hotspots were identified:

  • High CO2e impact from processed products such as sweets, fish, and meat
  • Low CO2e per kilogram for frozen vegetables, but significant impact due to large volumes

Value for Circunis

Circunis can now communicate its contribution to climate protection in a data-driven and transparent way. The CO2e figures create clarity and credibility for partners, funding bodies, and other stakeholders.

Focus on the Biggest Impact Drivers

Thanks to Niatsu’s product-level data, Circunis can identify which product groups deliver the highest CO2e savings when kept in the value chain. This allows the platform to maximise its impact where the climate effect is greatest.

The CO2e data now provides a solid foundation for the continued development of the platform. Together with Niatsu and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), Circunis is working to assess its impact more holistically beyond the CO2 footprint in the future.