3.10 Food waste

The Emmi Group defines food waste as the squandering of avoidable, organic waste that was originally intended for human consumption. It includes processed or semi-processed products as well as raw materials and by-products from production processes such as the whey process. Food waste occurs throughout the Emmi Group’s value chain: it occurs upstream in agricultural production and downstream with consumers. At the Emmi Group itself, it is generated during product processing in the plants. All information and data on food waste relates to division Switzerland. More information on inorganic waste can be found in section 3.12 Waste.

3.10.1 Impact on the environment and society, and opportunities and risks

When food is wasted, large amounts of water and energy that are used in production are lost. Agricultural land is not put to productive use. In addition, the production, transportation and disposal of food generate greenhouse gas emissions that damage the environment and contribute negatively to climate change. While in many parts of the world food is wasted, other regions suffer from food shortages and hunger, exacerbating global inequality. One third of all food is wasted (BAFU, 2025), almost half of which occurs in private households. It is therefore important to raise consumer awareness; e.g. with regard to the longer shelf life of products. Active participation in awareness-raising measures can strengthen the reputation of the Emmi Group among end consumers.

Food waste also leads to economic losses along the entire value chain, from farmers to consumers. Costs can be saved by reducing or avoiding food losses in production processes. More efficient use of raw materials and the energy required for production, as well as optimal storage of food, help to avoid resource waste.

3.10.2 Management approach and goals

Continuously optimising core processes

As a basic principle at the Emmi Group, avoidable food waste is processed into food whenever possible. The Emmi Group is driving this forward with its Emmi Operational Excellence (EOE) initiative. Through EOE, Emmi is continuously optimising its core processes (manufacturing and packaging) in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. In the context of food waste in Switzerland, this refers, for example, to avoiding and recovering product losses, as well as optimising production intervals and planning.

Distribution of food with impeccable quality

The top priority is to ensure that no food of impeccable quality is thrown away. Emmi Schweiz AG offers surplus or incorrectly packaged edible products at reduced prices in factory shops, makes them available to employees or donates them to charitable organisations. Emmi also supports awareness-raising campaigns and initiatives to combat food waste in private households. For example, it labels a large number of its branded products with the words “Oft länger gut” in partnership with “Too Good To Go” (currently on 125 Emmi Schweiz AG products). Emmi also checks the best-before dates of various product groups and extends them wherever possible.

Target for reducing food waste by 2027

• 50% less food waste (compared with 2017), measured in dry matter, where the target refers to produced, saleable goods (in tonnes).

This goal is in line with the cross-sectoral agreement of the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC). Emmi Schweiz AG signed it together with other leading companies and associations in the Swiss food industry in 2022, but it is aiming to achieve its target of halving avoidable food losses (compared with 2017) by 2027 rather than by 2030. Every year, Emmi Schweiz AG provides the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) with data on measured food waste and the progress made, and it shares its own experiences with the food industry.

3.10.3 Developments in the year under review

Food donation to the “Tischlein deck dich” association

In the reporting year, the Swiss production sites donated 150 tonnes of surplus edible products to the “Tischlein deck dich” association. The association distributes the food received to people affected by poverty in Switzerland.

Recycling by-products

Emmi is constantly looking for new options and partnerships to further recycle by-products such as whey. For example, as part of an InnoSuisse project, Emmi Schweiz AG is working on research together with Agroscope with the aim of developing a circular system for microalgae cultivation using whey.

More whey due to higher cheese production

The food waste rate at Emmi Schweiz AG increased by 4% year on year in the reporting year (-0.1% against the base year). The main driver of this growth is increasing cheese production and the associated increased quantities of the by-product whey. Whey alone accounts for around 45% of Emmi’s food waste. Altogether, 55% of whey was returned to the food channel in the reporting year (i.e. does not count as food waste), while 32% of whey was used as animal feed and 13% in biogas production.

Total food waste can be broken down as follows by recycling channel:

• Animal feed: 65%
• Biogas: 16%
• Refuse: 1%
• Wastewater: 19%

Methodology for non-financial figures 2025

3.10.4 Outlook

The focus for food waste will continue to be on division Switzerland. Approaches for maximum ecological recycling of by-products such as whey in terms of food upcycling are also being examined.

The goal of halving food waste and losses by 2027 is proving to be a challenge. Emmi Schweiz AG already processes a large number of food processing residues such as cheese slices into other finished products. For other waste and losses, recycling options that make economic, ecological and logistical sense are under constant review. Emmi Schweiz AG remains committed to the DETEC cross-sectoral agreement to halve food losses and is cooperating with various stakeholders to reduce food waste.