It's obvious that by rescuing food, we save important resources and reduce CO2 emissions that were previously released along the product's value chain. However, determining the exact amount is complicated. There's no simple, straightforward way to calculate this precisely. Nevertheless, we'd like to make a first attempt! While we don't claim 100% accuracy, as we're working with averages in many areas, we believe that the calculated figures will provide greater transparency regarding the positive environmental impact of rescued food.
How and where CO2 is produced around food
First of all: It's often simplified to talk about CO₂ emissions , even though all other greenhouse gases are included. CO₂e is the abbreviation for CO₂ equivalents. It describes all greenhouse gases and therefore also includes nitrous oxide, methane , and others . To have a uniform reference point, these gases are often expressed in CO₂e – as are our values.
CO2e is generated along the entire food value chain. The individual CO2e footprint of each food product is influenced by many factors and is therefore difficult to determine.
Here is an overview of some reasons:
- Different cultivation methods
- Differences in production processes regarding processing, storage, or cooling
- Different transport routes
- Different ingredients in processed foods
It's also possible to distinguish between direct and indirect emissions. You can find more information about this and the climate impact of our food here . Food production involves a significant use of various resources. If we waste or dispose of this food, these resources are also lost.
An insight into our CO2e calculations
There are many studies on the impacts of food production and waste. Our calculation is based on the Thünen Institute's CO₂e factor . At SIRPLUS, we use an average product weight of 0.39 kg . Using this average weight and the number of products sold, we can determine how many kilograms of food we save. To find out how much CO₂e is generated by one kilogram of food, we use a CO₂e factor of 4.48. 
The CO₂e factor was calculated by the Thünen Institute and represents a cross-section of the 12 product groups with which the institute works. The factor is based on the average shopping basket of Germans, specifically which product groups are consumed most frequently.
One kilogram of food – excluding beverages – emits an average of 4.57 kg CO₂e equivalents . Including beverage consumption, this figure drops to only 1.85 kg CO₂e per kilogram of food . For our calculations, the two factors were weighted proportionally to beverage sales: 6.82% of sales are beverages, so the calculation looks like this:
(0.0682*1.85) + (0.9318*4.57) = 4.48 kg CO2e per kg of food.
We know that these calculations are not perfect, and we want to communicate this transparently.
- Number of products sold: We can track this number precisely.
- Average weight per product 0.39 kg: Of course, every purchase is different, and this figure needs to be constantly updated as the product range changes. A weight per product group would also make sense here.
- Average CO₂e factor 4.48 kg per kg of food: This factor also needs to be updated regularly because our product range is constantly changing. Furthermore, a factor for each product group (or ideally, for each individual product ) would provide a more accurate result. We also know that some products or product groups have a higher CO₂e footprint than others.
An example of our Veggie and Organic+Vegan boxes: The food in our boxes weighs an average of 4.68 kg. With our CO₂e factor of 4.48, one box corresponds to a saving of 20.98 kg CO₂e . Accordingly, a subscription L with 12 boxes saves approximately 252 kg CO₂e emissions – as much as 24 trees absorb in a year.
Global food waste generates approximately 4.4 gigatons annually, equivalent to 4,400,000,000 tons of CO2 . Every piece of food saved conserves valuable resources and protects the environment. If you have any new research findings, we would be delighted if you would share them with us. We will continue to refine our calculations to achieve the most accurate results possible.