Reusable packaging obligation 2023 – What is YOUR reusable solution?

The enormous consumption of single-used plastic products in recent years has become a major problem also in contract catering. With measurably sustainable and reusable packaging, you can make a positive contribution and protect the environment in the long term. By 01.01.2023, contract caterer, and catering companies are obliged to offer take-away food and drinks also in reusable packaging. The decision of the reusable packaging obligation, made by the german parliament, draws attention to the increasing amount of waste generated by single-used packaging in the to-go-sector in recent years.

Further information on the reusable packaging obligation 2023 as well as indications on various reusable solutions and interfaces from qnips can be found in the following blog article.

From reusable packaging obligation to added value

Even if the switch to reusable packaging seems exhausting and expensive at first. In long-term it has numerous advantages for the company, the environment and the employees. Caterers can package food more ecologically and thus reduce waste by about 90% (according to a study by the Climate Alliance Green Events Tyrol). In addition, reusable tableware can be reused over 100 times, thus providing a long-term benefit and a cost-effective alternative.

Furthermore, a reusable system is advantageous for the remote work model. In this case, the employees are at home for a certain period of their working time. With reusable bowls, it is now possible to take the food home with them. Thus they can also benefit from the canteen food during their home office days. On stressful days, the food can be taken to their workspace, if there is no time for a canteen visit. In both working models, additional advantages of the reusable solution can be seen.

In conclusion, the switch to reusable packaging may involve some initial effort, but it has many advantages for companies. By using reusable systems, your guests are supported in sustainable behaviour and thus have a positive impact on the environment.

Our reusable solution for more sustainability in contract catering

Within our qnips system, you have the possibility of using a sustainable reusable system! We offer various interfaces to our sustainability partners, which can be individually adapted to your needs. Your guest select and order the desired food in the catering portal via app or web. They have the option of selecting the preparation in a reusable bowl during the ordering process. The packaging options are available in different sizes, depending on individual requirements.

The order is received by the canteen via kitchen monitor tablet and can be prepared directly by the kitchen team. As soon as the order is ready for pick-up, the guests receive a push notification on their smartphone. On site, the respective reusable bowl is then scanned via QR-Code and electronically stored in the order. You can simply pick up the food at the counter via QR-Code scan and can enjoy the meal. Within a specific period, the bowl is returned to the company canteen and can be reused for the next guest.

Mastering the reusable packaging obligation with reliable partners

The reusable system also works according to the white label principle. This means that you can personalize your packaging from a certain sales volume and add your logo. With a wide range of different partners and interfaces, you have a variety of sizes, shapes and materials. Thus you can design your own individual reusable packaging solution.

With one of our partners – Crafting Future – we have a reliable manufacturer for measurably sustainable and reusable packaging at our side. The packaging is produced in Germany and has a low carbon footprint. Furthermore, due to their mono-material nature, they are easily recyclable and also LFGB tested. With the interface to the reusable system from – Vytal – qnips offers another solution for implementing reusability. By scanning a QR code, reusable containers can be easily borrowed at the food counter. Another possibility for switching to reusable dishes is the qnips reusable integration in combination with already existing reusable packaging. If you already have reusable tableware, it can easily be digitized and provided with a QR code. In this way, you can also use other packaging from manufacturers such as Mepal.

Various types of reusable solutions

When switching to reusable alternatives, you have the option of choosing from various models, for example a deposit system. Employees must deposit an amount for each reusable bowl they borrow and are repaid in full when they return it. If the reusable bowl is not returned within a defined period, the fee is automatically debited from the employee’s account via the respective payment method. Another model is based on trust with your guests. In the trust model, you assume that your guests will return the reusable bowls without charging a deposit or similar. The third option is the late fee. Guests are given a return period of, for example, 14 days. If this deadline is not met, a late fee is incurred and automatically collected by the respective payment method, as for example Adyen or VR Payment.

If you are not sure which reusable system is right for your business, there is the option to start with a Proof-of-Concept. This means you can choose test locations for your company, test the reusable system via pre-orders and then gather feedback from your employees. If the reusable system meets with approval, you can add more locations with an expanded reusable product portfolio, customize it and also integrate our qnips software.

Vending integrations in the returnable system

Aramark is planning a returnable integration in combination with a vending machine

Within the reusable system, there is also the possibility of integrating vending solutions. This means that the reusable bowls can be used in combination with, for instance, pick-up stations. In this case, employees on large factory sites could pick up their food at the nearest station and thus save the long way to the company canteen. By serving the food in the reusable bowls, transport is made easier and it is ensured that the meal is still warm after transport. If the dish will be eaten later, the bowls are also suitable for the microwave and afterwards also for the dishwasher. In this way, you offer your employees a quick alternative for a hot lunch and promote sustainability in your company in the long term.

Are you interested in reusable solutions? Would you like an individual alternative to disposable packaging combined with a digital platform for your company canteen?
Then feel free to contact us at info@qnips.io or book a personal consultation at the following link: Schedule a personal consultation! – You can book online!

qnips promotes the topic of sustainability in contract catering. The implementation of the project “Use of a digital reusable system in business catering” is supported by funds from the European Regional Development Fund.

“New Work” concepts – chances or risks for contract catering?

Most recently, the Corona Pandemic has ensured that terms such as “New Normal” and “New Work” also play a major role in the catering industry. Due to the associated hygienic measures, there have been some changes and innovations in the catering industry. Many concepts in company canteens have changed to “to-go” or “delivery to the workplace”. The trend towards open restaurant concepts, away from classic canteens with food counters and waiting queues, is therefore clearly visible in order to cope with the effects and changes of the pandemic. This makes it easier to comply with distance regulations and hygienic measures, even after the Corona High-Peak. The role of company restaurants will thus change almost completely in the future. They will nevertheless remain an important part of employees’ everyday working lives.

“New Work” and “New Food” – challenges in a changing catering industry

“New Normal” generally means that a new work culture is being developed around home office and flexibility in the choice of working hours and location. Several companies have been working on new “New Work” concepts for years. But Corona is now operating as an accelerator of these changing processes. As a “place of communication and recovery”, catering spaces are gaining importance in the new world of work in order to successfully shape the new type of collaboration.

Furthermore the trend of digitization is getting a push in the contract catering industry through the Corona Pandemic. For example, the “people counting” has been introduced in many canteens and company restaurants. This system registers how many people are in a company restaurant. Either online, via app or web view, visitors are thus informed about the occupancy rate in the respective area. Another possibility would be to show the number of seats. Through a stele or a traffic light at the entrance to the canteen you can show how many places are still available. In this way, the flow of visitors can be controlled more efficiently. Additionally, hygienic and spacing regulations can be observed more easily.

People Counting Stele in a company canteen

“Mobile Canteen” as a future trend in the “New Work” world

Employees are becoming increasingly mobile. They work from home, in their garden or in their office. Therefore, food must also become mobile to meet the demand for “to-go” options for everyday work. A major challenge will be to make the “to-go” alternatives sustainable as well as in line with hygienic guidelines. “In-house delivery” will be a promising option, following the trend towards decentralized, mobile and smaller catering locations. Classic self-service, on the other hand, will be viewed more and more critically in the future. Alternatives are offered by various new features, such as a pre-order function.

Therefore, kitchen staff has longer lead times and can plan resources more efficiently and sustainably. For the visitors, it offers the advantage of being able to order and pay more quickly and thus benefit more from the actual lunch break. In addition, alternative sales concepts independent of the company restaurant are being further developed. One example would be vending machines or refrigerators for self-service. This solution is particularly practical for employees on night shifts who do not have the opportunity to take advantage of the regular daily offer in company canteens. This gives everyone with different working patterns a chance to benefit from the companies catering offer.

Go with the Flow – chances of “New Work” in the catering industry

Less conferences and a smaller amount of guests, changed working conditions and new hygienic rules – the previous concept of company catering is undergoing a major change. New procedures, such as adjustments to the “New Work” and “New Food”, as well as the calculation of expenses, should urgently be put on the agenda of every company. Moreover, not all employees will continue to come to the office after the Corona years. Home office and remote work concepts will be an integral part of the new working world. This is an opportunity for company catering to change, to remain future-proof and to go with the trend of digitization. An employee restaurant could develop into an all-day, multifunctional communication platform and thus represent a creative gastronomic alternative.

Trends recognized? Then go for it!

Dashboard of the qnips catering portal in a company canteen

There are many ways to adapt to these trends and integrate the “new food” concepts into your company. qnips offers various features to bring your company canteen or staff restaurant up to the latest, technical standard. Using the ordering system, your guests can order their food in advance and pay directly if required. In order to provide the guests with comprehensive service, especially at large locations, there is the option to define different delivery locations and times as well as lead times, among other things. This allows the kitchen staff to plan and use resources and capacities more efficiently and sustainably. In addition, you can place conference orders, giving your staff a relaxed lunch break between long meetings and discussions.

We can support you with our qnips platform in the digitization of your contract catering or you have questions about further features of qnips? Then take a look at our Demo-Portal and click through our catering portal to get to know our ordering system better. Simply book a free demo appointment.

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Fast, clever, innovative… the qnips ordering system

No waiting queues in the canteen? Coordinated ordering processes with simple payment? No problem for our qnips ordering system! Nowadays, it is becoming increasingly important to automatize and digitize processes in company canteens. It is significant that your guests are involved and convinced in the process of digitization. For this purpose, we have developed the qnips platform with an ordering system, with which the latest features and technologies are coordinated and integrated into the company canteens.

 

Manage your menu efficiently? No problem with qnips!

With a clear dashboard, menus, pre-orders, nutritional information, news, product feedback and much more can be structured and all data can be evaluated through order reporting for instance for each cost centre. Moreover you can import all information automatically from your merchandise management system and manage it in qnips’ central CMS (Content Management System) as well as present your own product details such as allergens, additives and nutritional values. Besides the filter for allergens and additives gives your guests the possibility to exclude certain dishes directly. Content only needs to be created once and can be published with one click in the qnips ordering system. Different price levels can also be created for dishes, for instance to distinguish between subsidized and external prices. This implies the setting regarding a different price for trainees or for external guests, for example.

Ordering process in company catering

Using the pre-order function, your guests can order food in advance and pay directly if required. You could read more about qnips as an interface for payment providers in the further payment section of this blog entry. Thus, waiting queues in canteens can be avoided and production planning can be more sustainable. The different ordering modes display your individual process for each location. For instance, in order to supply the guests comprehensively, especially at large locations or canteens, there is the possibility to define different delivery locations and times as well as lead times. If your guests want to eat lunch, they can pick up the order at a specified location and define the pick-up time in advance.

Kitchen Monitor System

The Kitchen Monitor System (KM) systematizes and organizes the production and ordering processes in the canteen. It is connected to our cloud-based system and provides an overview of all orders at a glance. Furthermore, it is usually a tablet, or a large screen, which is used in the kitchen as a collection point for customer orders (via the catering app). So when a user orders his food, that assignment appears directly on the screen to the kitchen staff. The status of the order changes depending on its stage from, for example, “In process” to “Ready for collection”. The KM can also be connected to a printer for the creation of individual labels. The push notification function can be activated and shows when the order is ready for collection. Additionally, live status updates for incoming orders can be displayed to the user on the mobile phone or on the web app.

Simple Payment, Simple Process, Simple Qnips!

Our order system has a variety of mobile payment options that enable fast and secure payments. Mollie, FreedomPay, PayPal, Stripe and VR Payment and many others are available to the user. More details can be found on our partners & interfaces page. A POS (Point of Sale) interface for your cash registers for billing or your own credit cards can also be connected to the qnips platform. By connecting the CV-SB (Computer Vision Self Checkout) cash register, we enable a seamless checkout. Thus the AI-controlled (iPad) checkouts ensure better canteen management, shorter queuing times, faster ROI (Return of Investment) and easier operations. Connected to the qnips platform, all data is collected and is made available in one place. In addition to our seamless checkout, the qnips platform offers you seamless paymentmobile payment or QR-payment. This means that payment is made via cloud credit.

Attention! Extended functions for the qnips ordering system

In the last few months, some new features have been added to our ordering system.

In the menu management, qnips offers the possibility to store main and secondary components. This has an effect on the allergen filter in the apps and in the catering portal, because secondary components can be exchanged or omitted in order to avoid an intolerance. In addition to the effect on the allergen filter, the orderer can select numerous variation options (deselection, exchange of components…) for a dish via optional component groups.

Another new feature offers the possibility to store preparation options for individual dishes. For example, you can define the cooking level or portion size. Furthermore, it is now possible to define a minimum order value and additional delivery costs for orders, which are automatically added to the guests’ order in the shopping basket.

qnips photo feature

With the help of the photo feature, you can fill your menus in the app and now also in the Catering Portal with attractive photos and icons of ingredients or allergens. Product images for daily dishes can be created and uploaded directly after the sample plate has been prepared in the kitchen. These can then be forwarded to the mobile apps, the catering portal or digital signage screens. Photos in the menu are enhancing, offer your guests something for the eye and help with decision-making.

We can support you with the automation and digitization of your company canteen with our catering app. Would you like to learn more about it? Then take a look at our demo portal and click through our catering portal to get to know our ordering system. Simply book yourself a free demo appointment.

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Achieving carbon neutrality as an IT company – #qnipsgoesgreen | PART 3

The topic of sustainability is playing an increasingly important role in the area of contract catering. Efforts to reduce waste, the increasing focus on vegetarian and vegan cuisine, and the reduction of food-related CO₂-emissions and the pursuit of carbon neutrality underscore this movement.

That’s why we at qnips decided to make our contribution to sustainability more than a year ago and embarked on an exciting journey to carbon neutrality. We’ve been busy scoping our CO₂-emissions and coming up with measures and strategies to offset and reduce them. Now we are happy to say – qnips is carbon neutral! (at least for the year 2021)

Supporting projects to achieve carbon neutrality

Together with our partner Cozero, we have chosen a portfolio solution to offset our CO₂ emissions. We will explain in this blog post what exactly this means:

Key facts of the "Proyecto Mirador"

We offset the total of 175t of carbon emitted in 2021 via The Gold Standard Foundation. The Gold Standard manages best practice measures in the areas of climate and sustainable development and promotes projects to offset emissions caused by companies. “Proyecto Mirador” is a project we have chosen that promotes the use of environmentally friendly cooking stoves in Honduras.

The “Proyecto Mirador” project provides families in Honduras with heat-efficient, low-smoke cooking stoves that require 50% less fuel to heat than conventional cooking stoves. As a result, families have to collect less wood – this counteracts deforestation and the time saved can be invested in the children’s education.

And these are our next steps:

Now that we have offset our emissions for last year, we can call ourselves carbon neutral (at least for this period). But we also know that this is not the end of the road when it comes to climate neutrality – on the contrary, it is only just beginning.

We are currently tracking our emissions for 2022 so that we can offset our CO₂-emissions at the end of this year.


We can also support you with the digitization of contract catering or you have questions about further features from qnips? Then get in contact with us today. We take questions and appointments via info@qnips.io or via +49 511 165 899 0. 

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Design & functionality – digital signage for modern canteens

The expectations and requirements of employees with regard to company canteens and the organisation of their lunch breaks are growing continuously. In line with the work-life balance, a lot of attention is paid to a relaxing lunch break and eating together with a sense of togetherness. Digitisation is also becoming more and more important in contract catering. Guests want to quickly and easily find out what’s on the menu and don’t want to waste their precious lunch break standing in line. At the Centre for Applied Aeronautical Research (ZAL) in Hamburg, Aramark Holding Deutschland GmbH therefore operates a modern staff canteen using the qnips platform. Among other things, the digital signage system from qnips provides a central and attractive menu display in addition to the app and web portal.

Modern company canteens – a combination of design and functionality

In a short interview with operations manager Sarah Nerrlich, we talked about the innovative integration of qnips’ digital signage system into the design of ZAL’s company canteen: “We are very proud of the innovative design of our company canteen, which fits in perfectly with the location and ZAL. The technical character and the aircraft theme are picked up in an discreet way,” emphasises Nerrlich. Two large digital signage displays, which are connected to the qnips system, inform the guests about the current daily specials directly above the food counter. Their design is resembling the luggage rack of an aeroplane.

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In addition, the location uses the People Counting feature of qnips, as well as the Mein-Restaurant-App and the Catering Portal. This means that ZAL staff can also view the week’s menu from their workplace or while on the move. In addition, guests are shown the current occupancy rate, as well as the average number of visitors on each day of the week. In this way, a visit to the company canteen can be planned in advance.

The digital signage solution especially for company restaurants!

“The great thing about qnips is how easy it is to use. After a short introduction, you can easily add new content, update menus and create an alternative channel for marketing communication. In addition to menu offers and ingredients, we can also easily advertise in house and inform our customers about news and offers, such as our Christmas boxes,” explains Nerrlich.

With the digital signage solution from qnips, you can automate the menu promotion in your company restaurant. With just a few clicks, you can display menus, news and offers not only for the app and the web, but also reach your guests directly on site. qnips offers you the use of digital menu boards, ePaper displays, touch steles and much more. The system adapts flexibly to the conditions on site. The digital signage system is complemented by the people counting feature. This provides you with data on the current occupancy rate and the average number of visitors on the individual days of the week. You also have the option of controlling the flow of visitors directly on site via a traffic light system.


We can also support you with the digitization of your contract catering and our digital signage feature or you have questions about the features from qnips? Then get in contact with us today. We take questions and appointments via info@qnips.io or via +49 511 165 899 0. 

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January goes vegan! #veganuary

The non-profit campaign #veganuary has been encouraging people around the world to go vegan in January (or longer) since 2014. The organization advertises that the Veganuary is more than just a nutritional program.
A vegan diet helps to protect our environment, counteract climate change, avoid existing animal suffering and improve the health of many people and is now considered one of the most effective methods.1

 

So why is a vegan diet so important for our environment?

According to the agricultural organization of the UN, livestock farming causes more greenhouse gases than global traffic – meaning all cars, trucks, ships and airplanes together!2 The greenhouse gases emitted from livestock farming are composed on the one hand of the considerable amount of feed that the livestock consume and on the other hand of the amount of methane that the animals produce in their stomachs and later release into our air. Methane is 23 times more effective on the climate than CO2; Accordingly, dairy products such as eggs, meat and milk products have a bad climate footprint.6  

In Germany alone, eleven tons of greenhouse gases are released per capita and year.3

However, if you live vegan, you can counteract this and thereby reduce your personal balance by about two tons per year. Figuratively speaking, this corresponds to around eight economy class flights between Berlin and London.3

 

What are the pros and cons of a vegan diet?

In general, not only the advantages, but also possible disadvantages of a vegan diet should be examined and included.

A vegan diet supports animal welfare and protects the climate; however, the risk of nutrient deficiency – especially for vitamin B12 – should not be ignored. A purely vegan diet is therefore not suitable for everyone. This applies in particular to people in extraordinary phases of life, such as pregnancy, breastfeeding or childhood.4 Therefore, the decision to go vegan should be an individual decision and, if necessary, coordinated with a doctor. 

Furthermore, health risks arising from meat consumption, such as cardiovascular diseases, can be minimized with a vegan diet. Similar results could be achieved with a vegetarian diet. After all, it is not just a healthy and balanced diet that plays a role in health but also additional health-promoting lifestyle factors, such as not smoking, physical activities and lower alcohol consumption.5

On the one hand, there is now an extensive range of vegan (alternative) products on the market plus their development is increasing at an ever faster pace. On the other hand, these products have a high proportion of added fat, sugar and salt and should therefore be viewed critically.4, 5

In the end it’s up to you!

Whether omnivore, vegetarian or vegan diet – how you eat is ultimately up to you. The points listed above serve only as information and as a thought-provoking impulse.

 

Product labelling & eaternity

The qnips system already offers the option of obtaining product labels such as “vegan”, “vegetarian” or e.g. “with chicken”. This operates manually in the dashboard or fully automatically via the enterprise resource planning (ERP). Among other things, this feature gives guests the option of using a filter in the (web) app to easily see which dishes correspond to their own dietary preferences. Even on site in the company restaurant, such labeling can make the purchase decision easier for guests as part of a digital advertisement via screen or stele.

In addition, an interface between eaternity and the ERP can provide further relevant data on the sustainability of a dish. In this way, the company restaurant can communicate the climate, water and/or vita score of a dish and much more.

 

Veganism at qnips

There are also some vegetarians or vegans hiding among the qnips employees.

Julia tells us that she has recently become a huge fan of homemade vegan Bolognese. Julia describes herself as a vegetarian, but still likes to use vegan alternative products, such as in the following recipe:

 

This image is reproducing a vegan recipe for Spaghetti Bolognese with all ingredients required

Her insider tip: A good shot of wine is a must!

So that the vegan alternative is in no way inferior to the “real Bolognese”, she uses vegan minced meat. – “You don’t notice any difference to the real minced meat.”


Quellen

1 Veganuary
2 Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change
Working Group III Contribution to the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, pp. 599 – 670
3 Spiegel Wissenschaft
4 AOK Gesundheitsmagazin
5 Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung e.V.
6 Eidgenössisches Departement für Umwelt, Verkehr, Energie und Kommunikation UVEK 


We can also support you with the digitization of your contract catering or you have questions about the features from qnips? Then get in contact with us today. We take questions and appointments via info@qnips.io or via +49 511 165 899 0. 

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Important steps to offset CO2 emissions – #qnipsgoesgreen | PART 2

#qnipsgoesgreen

How does a software development company become carbon neutral? What measures are used for the compensation or reduction of CO2 in the digital sector?

In the middle of this year, we started to focus more intensively on the topic of CO2-neutrality. Before that, we had already implemented smaller projects with our clients regarding sustainability and climate protection (such as the carbon cloud from eaternity). How we as a company could concretely contribute to these topics was still an open question until then. Together with our partner Cozero, we started to measure our carbon emissions of the past years and to identify their causes. We have already talked about the results of our scoping in #qnipsgoesgreen – our journey to CO2 neutrality | PART 1. But where do we go from here?

CO2 compensation or reduction – that is now the question!

We were able to identify the main source of our carbon emissions in Scope 3. More specifically in the use and purchase of digital products and services (such as administrative programs). As a result, there are several possibilities to get one step closer to our goal of CO2-neutrality. Firstly, we can try to reduce the emissions we emit. Reducing means replacing processes and products with climate-friendly alternatives to save emissions. On the other hand, we can try to compensate or offset our emissions. Offsetting means compensating processes and products that cannot be replaced with other measures.

At qnips, our software solutions are primarily used in the catering industry and it was therefore important to us that the projects we support have a positive impact on the catering industry in some way.

Since it is difficult for us to stop using digital tools and services in our daily business as a software development company, the aspect of offsetting comes into focus for us. Our partner Cozero has therefore recommended various providers for offset projects to us:
“The Kyoto Protocol has established climate protection projects that are the basis for most of the carbon offsets available today. Projects – which are supposed to contribute to carbon savings – are evaluated, quantified and the impact is financed via certificates in offsets on the market. As the purchaser of such a certificate/offset, you receive a share of the carbon savings that you can use to offset your own footprint“, says Fabian from Cozero. But before you start offsetting, you should research exactly which standards the projects use to reduce emissions.

How do you find offset projects with the right certification?

When we do something, we do it right. It is very important to us not to support just any project that advertises that it can offset carbon emissions. Unfortunately, greenwashing is becoming more and more of a trend. We want to clearly distance ourselves from it and stand up for a truly sustainable impact. That’s why we have taken a close look at the certification of such projects beforehand.

Climate protection projects that finance themselves by reducing carbon emissions and selling this added value to companies are subject to internationally recognised standards. There are strict regulations for the issuing and registration of such CO2-certificates. The verification is carried out by a third-party provider. There is the Gold Standard, the Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), the Social Carbon and Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards (CCBS) or standards verified by the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change). The Gold Standard, for example, is a standard that sets requirements for designing projects that have the most positive impact on climate and development and for measuring and reporting the results of these projects as credibly and efficiently as possible.

carbon certificates are regulated by different standards

Our tips & learnings for the selection of offset projects

Besides certification, we also had to think about what kind of projects we would like to support. In addition to conventional climate protection projects (such as the reforestation of forest areas) that serve to reduce/avoid CO2 emissions, there is also the option of so-called carbon removal projects. These serve to compensate for emissions and have set themselves the task of removing emissions that have already been emitted from the atmosphere.

When selecting suitable projects to offset one’s own emissions, it is not only relevant to know how they are certified, but also to choose the one’s that suits the company’s purpose. At qnips, our software solutions are primarily used in the contract catering sector and it was therefore important to us, that the projects we support have a positive impact on the catering industry in some way. This selection process involved a lot of time and intensive research. But we can say it was worth it!

Read more about which projects we chose and why in Part 3 of our journey to carbon neutrality!


We can also support you with the digitization of your contract catering or you have questions about the features from qnips? Then get in contact with us today. We take questions and appointments via info@qnips.io or via +49 511 165 899 0. 

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Contactless payment with added value – subsidies in contract catering

The Panorama app from qnips uses an interface to Bluecode

During lunch breaks, fast payment in the company restaurant is essential. Long waiting times can be avoided and break times become more effective. With the new Panorama app from qnips and the interface to the payment service provider Bluecode, guests can pay for their lunch even more easily and quickly using contactless payment.

Since September 2021, Panorama Catering has been offering the Panorama app, which was developed together with qnips. The app is in use in over 25 company restaurants all over Germany. Over 1000 orders have already been processed via the qnips system and paid mobile with the Bluecode integration. Employees use the Panorama app to view the current menu. They get news about current discount promotions, can pre-order meals and pay directly via the App.

Preordering and contactless payment with the Panorama app from qnips

“We have been working with qnips since 2015. It started with interactive 32-inch screens that display our weekly menu plans and give our guests the opportunity to find out about ingredients, allergens, prices, promotions and much more. Later, ePapers were added to highlight the offered items and ingredients at the food counter. On September 6, 2021, our Panorama app went live and has since been available in the Apple Store and Google Play Store”, says Thomas Neumann, authorized signatory at Panorama Catering.

With the help of the qnips whitelabel system, Panorama not only communicates daily updated menus with information on ingredients, nutritional values and allergens via its own app. In addition, news and current offers are also displayed to guests via in-app and push notifications. In a digital cookbook, guests can find their favorite recipes to recreate. By integrating Bluecode into the Panorama app, guests can now easily make contactless payments without downloading another app.

A blue barcode is directly generated in the Panorama app

Easy contactless payment via Bluecode integration

For qnips, Bluecode is a useful addition as an interface in the platform for the digitization of contract catering. In the mobile payment portfolio, Bluecode represents a cost-efficient alternative to the well-known payment providers. Low transaction costs are particularly attractive for customers in contract catering, as they often have to deal with very small payment amounts between €1 and €5.

How it works:

The Bluecode integration generates a blue barcode in the Panorama app, which guests simply present at the cash register. The cashier scans the barcode completely contact-free and the payment is made. There is no need to enter a PIN at a payment terminal. The qnips system recognizes the individual employee prices and subsidies defined via the company ID card. These are thus automatically included in the payment process with Bluecode. The payment data is forwarded anonymously to the customer’s bank via the uniquely generated Bluecode. Bluecode is never in possession of customer data. All other order and transaction data can then be managed in the qnips dashboard.

“Another advantage of Bluecode is that the system can be used with the qnips platform equally for point-of-sale payments as well as enabling online payment transactions in app and web. This is particularly relevant as we are already in the planning stages with Panorama Catering to implement an online ordering system. In addition, we are pleased to finally be able to support a European mobile payment solution. We hope that Bluecode will continue to establish itself so quickly in the European market in the future”, says Christian Brützel, Managing Director qnips GmbH.


We can also support you with a mobile payment solution for the digitization of contract catering or you have questions about further features from qnips? Then get in contact with us today. We take questions and appointments via info@qnips.io or via +49 511 165 899 0. 

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#qnipsgoesgreen – our journey to CO2 neutrality! | PART 1

qnips goes green

Over the last 10 years, we as a team and the qnips platform have constantly evolved. We have followed new trends and technologies and were always on the lookout for the latest innovations. Together with our customers, we have taken on new tasks and challenges and allowed ourselves to be inspired. Our team has now more than doubled in size and with this development we also take our corporate responsibility even more serious. Therefore, we would like to make a positive contribution to climate protection and start our journey to CO2 neutrality!

Sustainability also has an important meaning for us

For our customers in contract catering, the topic of sustainability has long been an important factor for future orientation. Thanks to their input, we have been able to implement several projects together, with which our customers have already been able to take steps towards carbon neutrality. Now, with qnips as a company, we would also like to take concrete responsibility in terms of sustainability. We want to become climate neutral and reduce our carbon footprint, or rather offset it. To this end, we want to achieve this goal as a company in the first step, in order to subsequently also make our products carbon neutral.

How are carbon emissions measured for CO2 neutrality in the first place?

The so-called “GHG Protocol” is used to guide the measurement of greenhouse gas emissions. As early as the 1990s, the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) began working with corporate partners to develop an action plan for climate change and GHG emissions measurement. In 2001, the first version of the GHG Corporate Standard was published and has been supplemented with additional guidelines and calculation tools to this day. The GHG Protocol (GreenHouseGas) establishes comprehensive global and standardized frameworks for measuring and managing GHG emissions in the private and public sectors, from value chains and from mitigation actions. (cf. https://ghgprotocol.org/standards)

How can a company measure its own carbon footprint for CO2 neutrality?

Carbon emission are tracked in three phases: Scope 1, Scope 2, Scope 3

We start our journey by scoping and collecting important data on our current carbon footprint. How do our employees get to work and what fuels do they use? What about supply chains for office supplies and how much carbon is generated by the use of software and computers? With Cozero, we have found a partner that helps us with exactly these questions. We can clearly and transparently track all our emissions and at the same time make an initial assessment. The Cozero dashboard helps to clearly implement the GHG protocol for measuring the company’s own emissions and divides the scoping data into three areas.

Scope 1 includes all carbon emissions that qnips as a company causes directly, i.e. those emitted by our office building and our company cars.Scope 2 includes all additional emissions that we cause, e.g. emissions caused by purchased electricity, district heating and refrigeration technology for our own use.Scope 3 includes all emissions that we cause in addition to our actual business activities, such as business trips, IT, parcel shipping etc.

Our experience with scoping carbon emissions

When we started to take an in-depth look at the emissions we cause as a company, it was not so easy at first to differentiate exactly which data is relevant for us as a company in the first step and is not caused by the use of our products. In addition, our colleagues from the back office in particular were faced with the task of searching through all the receipts and invoices from last year for the corresponding scope. The data in Scope 3 was also a challenge, as it only indirectly relates to us as a company and we had to do research at many points with service providers and partners to determine the corresponding quantities and required data.

How we become carbon neutral!

Additionally, we had to look in depth at how we were going to manage the internal coordination for maintaining the data. Many contracts and billings don’t always have the same billing periods, so the data in the dashboard has to be continuously updated, which can also change the amount of carbon emissions. For items such as electricity consumption or energy, however, scoping was easier than expected because we were able to track the calculated totals from the incidental cost statements. So we are on a constantly changing optimization process and are happy to have reached a first intermediate goal with the completion of the scoping.

qnip’s CO2 emissions last year – where do we go from here?

With the completion of the scoping process, we now have a first certainty about our carbon emissions and thus a basis on which we can now build measures for CO2 neutrality. About 115 tons of carbon dioxide we emitted as a company in the period January 2020 until now. That is as much as two-thirds of the emissions emitted by a fully occupied airplane on a flight from Frankfurt to South Africa. The main sources of this were the fuel use of our leased vehicles and the use of purchased digital services e.g. such as internal management programs. People often underestimate the carbon footprint of digital products and tools such as computers, laptops and internet use. How we now deal with this carbon footprint and develop measures for neutralization and compensation you will learn in PART 2 of our journey to CO2 neutrality!

Mobile payment: data protection and security

data protection in mobile payment

Privacy on the internet has been a highly debated topic for years. Numerous experts regularly comment on it in public. However, really important questions often remain unanswered for users. Is personal data really stored and protected by internet services? Or is it deliberately passed on to third parties for marketing purposes? When it comes to data protection, things get interesting, but also often complicated, when it comes to the security of mobile payment processes.

The most common concerns about mobile payment

Despite the increasing number of possibilities for mobile payments with smartphones, the opinions of many consumers on the use of mobile payment methods still differ greatly. Scepticism about questions of security and the processing of personal data remain.

  • What is behind pages and pages of data protection policies that are almost always simply accepted by users anyway?
  • And how do companies deal with extremely sensitive data such as private bank details?
  • In addition to these data protection fears, there are also security concerns. Many users are afraid that companies will process more than the data necessary for the transaction. They also fear that mobile payment transactions offer a target for cybercrime.

As a result, many users are hesitant to use mobile payments. They stick to the usual methods of cash or credit card payments to maintain their anonymity. Users also say that they have much more control over payments when paying by cash or card.

The possibilities of mobile payment

There has long been no talk of a breakthrough in mobile payment methods in the technology industry, as many payment solutions have been established on the market for a long time. The period of the lockdowns and the Corona pandemic have also boosted this development. Nevertheless, the number of Germans using mobile payment is still quite low.

There are numerous ways to pay with a smartphone. For example, many banks have already developed their own apps. These apps not only enable online banking, but also have a direct payment function via an NFC interface. In addition, there are various interfaces that offer payment services such as Google Pay, Apple Pay and PayPal (Verbraucherzentrale NRW e.V., 2021).

Our qnips platform also offers you the possibility to integrate your preferred payment service provider. In addition, we already offer a pool of payment providers tested by us from which you can choose.

Payment Service Provider with interface to qnips
qnips acts as a marketplace for numerous payment service providers and interface to your preferred payment provider

The most important regulations & guidelines for secure payments via smartphone

Overall, the topic of mobile payment and data protection is quite extensive and complex from the user’s point of view. As a user, you often go through two registrations, as many mobile payment providers work together with other payment services. Customer data on the web is stored everywhere by developers today, but the motives behind are different. Not every provider reserves the right to use collected information for marketing or advertising purposes to make money. There are also significant differences between the types of information collected.

Mostly, however, data collection is the price the customer must pay if they want to enjoy free services. To protect consumers, the EU Commission has issued numerous guidelines for mobile payment providers. From 2022, the uniform catalogue of requirements “Dora” is to ensure even more data security. Currently, among other things, the second payment services directive PSD2 is in force (Springer Fachmedien, 2021).

Security procedures for mobile payment

From now on and in the future, the recommendations on payment security and data protection will be directed at mobile payment providers and will particularly serve the security, rights and information of the consumers.

SCA (Strong Customer Authentication) as part of PSD2 is designed to increase security for mobile payments and reduce opportunities for cyber fraud. This is a two-factor authentication in which users must confirm their identity e.g. by fingerprint or SMS code. 3D Secure as a security method is increasingly used to implement the requirements of the SCA and to automate a second authentication step.

In addition, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) contains further specific regulations when it comes to the rights of individual users regarding the protection of their personal data.

qnips Mobile Marketing solution
With the mobile payment solution from qnips, your customers can easily keep track of transactions and credit balances

Data protection in mobile payment at qnips

The data protection at qnips concerns personal data such as name, email and postal address, telephone number and login data. In principle, customer data is not passed on without the consent of the respective user. There are only a few cases defined by law in which qnips is obliged to do so. These are listed in detail and comprehensibly in our privacy policy. You can also find out which user data is stored when and in which cases. In most cases, however, this only serves to optimise the usability of the app.

qnips does not encounter sensitive information such as credit card data. The data is processed by the respective payment service provider and is subject to PCI-DSS, or is processed with 3D-Secure. The PCI Data Security Standard is a global security standard for the processing, storage and transmission of cardholder information and authentication data.


We can also support you with a mobile payment solution for the digitization of contract catering or you have questions about further features from qnips? Then get in contact with us today. We take questions and appointments via info@qnips.io or via +49 511 165 899 0. 

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