How to Calculate the Carbon Footprint of your Transfers?
Aware of the environmental impact of digital technology and its continuing growth, we are particularly mindful of our footprint, as a file transfer service. Digital technology as a whole (equipment life cycle & usage) accounted for 4.4% of the national carbon footprint in France in 2022 (ADEME study, updated in 2025).
This is why, we took the initiative to measure the carbon footprint of file sending through Smash. And above all, we wanted to share the information with all our users, with full transparency.
How Smash measures your carbon footprint
At each file sending via Smash, we indicate the carbon footprint of your transfer. This is measured in gCO2e and is the result of a study, carried out in collaboration with UTOPIES.
For this calculation, we take in consideration many factors:
- Your transfer size
Number & type of files sent make transfer size and its carbon footprint variate.
- The storage availability
Servers hosting the files consume electricity throughout the availability period, until the files are permanently deleted.
- Size and number of emails sent
Some notification emails are sent during the file transfer process. Their size depends on images and links they contain and sending them consumes electricity (measured in kWh).
- Loading of Smash web page
The electricity consumption of each page loaded is measured in kgCO2e / kWh.
- Your localization
Data (measured in MB) are stored on the closest server to you, which consumes electricity.
What Actions Can You Take to Reduce Your Digital Footprint When Using Smash?
On your scale, you can try to limit the carbon footprint of your transfers by adopting certain habits:
- Disable email notifications in the settings to receive only the emails that are truly useful to you, or turn them off completely.
- Reduce the validity period of your transfers, it ranges from 1 to 7 days in the free version and 1 to 30 days in the paid version.
- Prioritize sending files via the Smash Outlook plugin or using link sharing to reduce notification emails.
The carbon footprint of your transfers is displayed based on the results of a study conducted by UTOPIES. Founded in 1993, UTOPIES is the first independent consulting agency and think tank in France dedicated to supporting businesses and brands that place sustainability at the heart of their strategy. It was also the first company in France to be B Corp certified.
Any questions about carbon footprint of Smash transfers?
Feel free to contact our team, we’ll be happy to answer your questions or concerns.