Deliveries

With 65,000 orders placed by EPFL every year, purchasing accounts for a significant proportion of deliveries on campus. The impact in terms of GHG emissions (in tonnes of CO2 equivalent) per order has been estimated on the basis of transport requirements per order (in tonne-kilometres) taken from the EPFL 2021 order database and from DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs) emission factors in the United Kingdom.

• Emissions from EPFL deliveries (evaluated using tonne-kilometres, i.e. transport requirements): 201 tCO2eq.
• Emissions from supplier delivery rounds, including EPFL deliveries (assessed using vehicle-kilometres, i.e. distances travelled): 3,098 tCO2eq.
• Cost of one tonne of average product: 88 kCH

Impacts by sector of activity

9 sectors of activity account for around 90% of order volume, expenditure and impact

• Limitations: “EPFL delivery emissions” refer to the last load break and represent only a fraction of the emissions linked to suppliers’ full rounds (6%). A potential reduction in these emissions could therefore be achieved through active collaboration between suppliers and EPFL.
• Areas for improvement: the carbon footprint estimate could be refined by integrating more precise information on the weight of deliveries, distances travelled (origin of last journey) and delivery method into the order database.

In 2022, EPFL’s catering services recorded 508,503 meals served. The impact of catering deliveries was estimated using DEFRA emission factors, data collected from 4 partners and data from the ECO-SCORE® by Beelong environmental rating system.

The calculation took into account the influence of the type of transport (refrigerated and non-refrigerated lorries) as well as the types of drinks (fruit juices, syrups, teas, coffees, milks and wines), with the exception of soft drinks and bottled water, for which data was unavailable.

• Impact of food deliveries in 2022: 4.3 tCO2eq were emitted for the 508,503 meals and drinks served, representing 2.1% of the total impact of deliveries.
• Distance of suppliers from EPFL: 56% of suppliers are located less than 50 km from the School and 35% less than 20 km. Of the five suppliers with the greatest impact, four also have the greatest distances.

Possible improvement:

• Include the impact of deliveries automatically in the ECO-SCORE® by Beelong assessment, as the last load break is not currently taken into account.
• Reduce delivery frequencies for non-fresh products
• Find more local suppliers or suppliers with branches in French-speaking Switzerland for the most distant suppliers.
• Foster rail freight, the electrification of transport vehicles or deliveries by cargo bike where volumes allow.

• Establish a central delivery hub for the campus
• Implement mini hubs on the outskirts of the campus and define logistical access and interfaces
• Introduce delivery locks or parcel vending machines at building level
• Provide and encourage the use of cargo bikes for various needs (campus deliveries, catering, etc.)
• Install one or more electric recharging points on the EPFL site for use by suppliers.

• Establish a central kitchen for the campus that supplies all the restaurants
• Create mini hubs on the outskirts of the campus and define logistical access and interfaces
• Implement delivery locks or parcel vending machines at building level
• Provide and encourage the use of cargo bikes for various needs (campus deliveries, catering, etc.)
• Install one or more electric recharging points on the EPFL site for use by suppliers.

• Establish other commissaries or warehouses to store the most frequently ordered consumables
• Develop solutions to reduce or optimise order packaging
• Reorganise the EPFL ordering system: deferred delivery, grouping, data on the weight and origin of deliveries, etc.
• Implement synergies between EPFL sites (grouped orders, shared stocks, payment, use of train + cargo bike, etc.).

• Create a “deliveries” network or thematic working group
• Propose subjects for study or research work
• Establish pilot projects on the EPFL site (living lab)
• Develop a logistics and deliveries desk and/or an innovation centre