Facts and figures

Resources

Within the resources category, the ZHAW assesses five areas: catering, ICT, paper, water and waste. Together, these produce fewer emissions than business mobility or energy consumption. The largest single contributor is catering in the canteens.

These emissions are continuously generated anew: they arise from procurement, i.e. from the items that the ZHAW purchases. The key factors are procurement volumes and how long the devices are used for. The most effective measures therefore lie in procuring less and using procured items for longer.

Continuous reduction across all areas

When it comes to resources, there is no single major lever. Progress is achieved through continuous reductions across all areas. Apart from the pandemic, developments since 2017 have therefore not been characterised by major leaps, but rather by the cumulative effect of many small changes.

In some areas, no centralised data collection has yet been implemented. These include, for example, laboratory operations with their chemicals and equipment as well as furniture and the embodied emissions of buildings. These areas are not included in the reported figures. Actual emissions within the resources category are therefore correspondingly higher. The ZHAW is working to improve data quality in these areas step by step.

Emissions from resource consumption

Waste data has only been systematically recorded since 2022 and is not included for previous years.

It is not quantity alone that matters

Animal-based products account for the largest share of catering-related emissions, followed by vegetables, fruit and potatoes. The underlying causes differ: meat, dairy and egg products have high emission factors, meaning that significantly more emissions are produced per kilogramme than for average plant-based products. Vegetables have one of the lowest emission factors and account for their share solely from the quantity purchased. The menu offering determines which products are purchased and in what quantities. This is a key starting point for reducing emissions, although it is not under the sole control of the ZHAW: as a cantonal institution, the ZHAW procures catering services for its canteen through public tenders and works with a catering provider that must operate on a financially sustainable basis, while ensuring that meals remain healthy, affordable and attractive for students, employees and external guests. A more climate-friendly offering can therefore only have an impact if it is actually chosen. Change cannot simply be mandated. Instead, it must be tested and introduced gradually through recipe development, greater variety and the placement of options within the menu.

What is already being done in our canteens

At around 583 tonnes of CO₂-eq, catering is the largest single contributor in the resources category of the ZHAW carbon accounting. As part of its Farm to Table Living Lab, the ZHAW has explored how much emissions can be reduced without guests perceiving restrictions and without making operations financially unsustainable. Measures include smaller meat portions, climate-based pricing and regional produce.

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Emissions from catering by product group

Reduction through device choice and longer service life

As digitalisation progresses, the demand for ICT devices is growing. The key factors here are both the type of device selected and its service life: the longer a device remains in use, the lower the emissions per year of use. The ZHAW deliberately extends device lifespans. Retired devices are either reused internally or refurbished through a certified broker.

ICT device inventory

Only centrally procured devices are included. Devices procured on a decentralised basis or private devices used for work purposes are not included in the reported figures.

Note: different data points can be selected from the drop-down menu.

Service life of selected ICT devices

Prevention before disposal

The foremost priority when dealing with operational waste is prevention. Everything that is procured will eventually have to be disposed of or recycled. The most effective levers therefore lie in procurement. Only then come recycling and, for the remaining residual waste, disposal. Since 2022, the ZHAW has been recording its waste by material fraction and collecting it separately at all its sites. Combustible operational waste accounts for the largest share of emissions, as it can neither be recycled nor reused as a raw material.

What is hidden in our waste?

Waste generated around 188 tonnes of CO₂-eq in 2024, with combustible operational waste accounting for by far the largest share. When searching for opportunities to reduce emissions, attention often focuses on better waste separation and increased recycling. However, the real lever lies at the very beginning of the chain: deciding what is procured in the first place.

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