3.12 Waste

Emmi defines waste as inorganic substances that are generated as part of its own production processes, and that can be recycled or have to be disposed of safely and properly in incineration plants, landfills or according to special requirements for special waste. Avoiding inorganic waste from its own production processes is relevant for Emmi for economic and environmental reasons: on the one hand, it results in savings in disposal costs, while on the other hand, valuable resources can be conserved, used more efficiently and – if possible – returned to the cycle through recycling. Organic waste is dealt with in the section “Food waste”.

3.12.1 Impact on the environment and society, and opportunities and risks for Emmi

Inorganic waste that is improperly disposed of poses a significant challenge to the environment and society and to human and animal health: open landfills and illegal waste dumping release large quantities of climate-harming methane gas, significantly contributing to global warming (Maasakkers et al., 2022). If waste is landfilled, it can also have a negative impact on groundwater, associated with large land use as well as GHG emissions and air pollution. By reducing materials, reducing waste, switching to reusable solutions or recyclable materials, the amount of waste to be landfilled can be reduced to the greatest possible extent.

Plastic waste pollutes the oceans and other ecosystems. Microplastic made from disintegrating plastic waste ends up in the food chain. Toxic substances entering the soil and groundwater pose further significant health risks, both for humans and animals. The loss of valuable raw materials that – although possible – are not recycled or reused also leads to high costs, both directly (procurement and disposal costs) and indirectly (overuse of natural resources).

Operational inorganic waste can be managed by the company itself and is an important factor for Emmi in terms of improving both resource and cost efficiency. By implementing circular economy principles and the associated promotion of recycling and reuse of materials, Emmi can not only reduce the amount of waste, but at the same time conserve valuable resources needed for production processes. As a result, operating costs can be lowered.

If more stringent regulations on waste disposal and prevention are introduced due to non-compliance, this can lead to significant additional costs for companies. Adjustments to internal processes would also be necessary. Failure to implement sustainable practices can also lead to reputational risk and negatively impact consumer confidence in Emmi and its products.

Emmi therefore relies on strict compliance with legal regulations and environmental constraints as well as on safe and professional waste disposal in accordance with local requirements and options.

3.12.2 Management approach and goals

Reduce avoidable waste

When it comes to dealing with waste, Emmi’s credo is: “avoid, reduce, recycle”. This means that avoidable inorganic waste is reduced as a priority. Solutions are being sought for the residual quantities, which make it possible to reuse or recycle the materials and thus return them to the circular economy. Reusable or recyclable waste is primarily packaging materials made of plastic, glass, sheet metal, wood, paper or cardboard.

Waste that has to be disposed of would ideally be recycled for energy in waste incineration plants, like in Switzerland, or – if not otherwise possible – disposed of in landfills. At Emmi, these are mainly rejects from the packaging process, production aids such as cleaning wipes or adhesive tapes, as well as primary and secondary packaging of raw materials and cleaning agents or heavily contaminated production residues. In Tunisia, sewage sludge is also produced from wastewater treatment.

Inorganic waste that is not recycled, incinerated or landfilled and therefore requires special disposal, such as chemicals, fluorescent lamps, batteries, lubricants and oils, is considered to be hazardous waste and is disposed of appropriately in compliance with the necessary specifications and safety precautions.

It should be noted that not all countries in which Emmi operates production sites offer the same disposal or recycling options.

No Group-wide management approach due to local differences

All Emmi plants have a systematic environmental management system. The environmental management systems at Emmi Switzerland’s production sites and the production facilities Emmi Dessert Italia (Italy), Kaiku (Spain) and Vitalait (Tunisia) are ISO 14001 certified. All operating plants are organised locally. They ensure that the applicable laws regarding waste disposal are complied with. There is no Group-wide management system and no generally applicable control mechanisms. However, the data on waste are compiled centrally, based on a definition specified by the Group, and audited externally by KPMG (see section “KPMG audit report”).

Targets for reducing inorganic waste by 2027

• 50% less inorganic waste (compared with 2017), where target refers to saleable goods produced (in tonnes) (waste intensity)
• 0% waste disposed of in landfills

3.12.3 Developments in the year under review

Increased waste intensity

Inorganic waste sent for incineration increased by 522 tonnes (19%) in absolute terms in the year under review compared with the previous year. Without the acquisition-related integration of Emmi Dessert USA into the group of consolidated companies, inorganic waste would have decreased by 427 tonnes. Waste sent to landfill increased by 2,277 tonnes in absolute terms, corresponding to an increase of 31% over the previous year. This increase can be attributed to a correction in data collection at the plant in Tunisia as well as changes in Brazil, where certain materials are no longer recycled or incinerated due to adjustments in local requirements or options, or unsold products are now returned by retailers to the plant, where they are then disposed of. This increases the waste intensity from 7.6 kg per tonne to 9.6 kg per tonne of saleable goods produced, which corresponds to an increase of 26% within a year. Without the acquisition effect (Emmi Dessert USA), an increase of 18% or a waste intensity of 8.9 kg per tonne of saleable goods produced would have been recorded.

Emmi measures progress by means of the following performance figures:

Methodology for non-financial figures 2024

No more waste sent to landfill in division Europe

Within division Europe (Germany, Italy, France and Austria), the last remaining quantities of waste that had hitherto been disposed of in landfill were diverted to incineration in the year under review, following clarification with the service provider at Pasticceria Quadrifoglio (Italy). As a result, operational inorganic waste from Emmi’s plants no longer goes to landfill within division Europe. Emmi thus achieved its target here and for division Switzerland.

Pilot trials for disposing of sewage sludge in Tunisia

At Emmi’s plant in Tunisia, as at other milk-processing sites, the process wastewater has to be pre-treated. The resulting sewage sludge is sent to landfill. Developing an alternative disposal method for this waste is a top priority for the company. The local team examined various solutions such as drying the sludge and converting it into fertiliser or drying and using it as biomass to generate heat. Another option would be to compost the sludge. Implementing solutions is very challenging because the required technologies are not widely used in Tunisia. The plant carried out pilot tests on drying and composting in 2024 and gained important experience.

Switzerland: evaluation for optimisation in the area of waste reduction

The evaluation of the analyses carried out in autumn 2023 at the Swiss production sites, where, among other things, opportunities were sought for optimisation in waste reduction, was completed in the year under review. Potential was highlighted in the areas of process simplification, reporting and optimisation options with regard to recycling. Four production sites started cooperating with the external partner in the year under review.

3.12.4 Outlook

The insights gained by the plant in Tunisia from the pilot tests carried out in 2024 on the drying and composting of the sewage sludge will be evaluated in 2025 and the next steps defined.