Wanicare Foundation

Wanicare's sustainable website

Wanicare focuses on animal welfare in Indonesia, where their work is crucial for the protection and conservation of endangered species. At Kruso, we decided to develop their website pro bono to support their mission.

The goal was to create the most sustainable website in the Netherlands. Every decision, from web hosting and UX design to project management, was made with the environment in mind. The result is a new version that emits 67% less CO2 per page view compared to the old site.

June 2024

View solution

Wanicare Foundation

Wanicare operates within the wildlife conservation sector, primarily supporting the Cikananga Wildlife Center in West Java, Indonesia. The foundation focuses on rescuing and rehabilitating wild animals from illegal trade and habitat destruction, while also promoting conservation education.

Challenge

Wanicare's existing website was outdated, lacked mobile functionality, and had no SEO optimization. Additionally, as a conservation-focused organization, Wanicare was acutely aware of the environmental impact of its digital presence and sought to minimize its carbon footprint.

Concept and solution

The core concept was to create a website that not only served Wanicare's informational needs but also exemplified sustainability. Kruso aimed to develop a highly efficient, low-impact website that would set a benchmark for environmentally friendly web development.

Technical solution: Innovative and green web development

Image optimization
The website uses AVIF and WEBP formats, reducing image file sizes by up to 6 times compared to traditional formats, without compromising quality.
Minimal JavaScript
Leveraging modern HTML and CSS, the site achieved a modern look with minimal JavaScript, enhancing efficiency and reducing resource consumption.
Energy-Efficient design
Using darker colors to reduce energy consumption on screens.
Green hosting
Partnering with Leafcloud, the website is hosted on servers that reuse heat for residential heating, achieving a net-negative CO2 emission footprint.
Green energy
Hosting wanicare.com with Leafcloud, where waste heat from servers warms the buildings they’re hosted in.
Close to the user
Leafcloud’s servers are hosted near the majority of Wanicare’s visitors, minimizing data travel and emissions.
Modern image formats
All images on the site are encoded in modern formats like AVIF and WEBP, which are much smaller than traditional formats.
Embracing loss
WEBP images on the site are at 95% quality, which is indistinguishable to users but up to 6 times smaller.
No video
The site is designed without video content to reduce data load and emissions.
Color choice
Darker colors are used to reduce energy consumption on screens, especially on mobile devices.
Online meetings
All project meetings were conducted online to avoid emissions from physical travel.

Quite honestly the existing Wanicare website was way over its expiration date with limited mobile functionality a sprawling page count and no SEO optimization at all. Still doing a standard overhaul was a bit of a challenge: As a small non-profit we don’t have large budgets and we are acutely aware that our existence in the digital world has an environmental impact as every webpage view processes Co2 carbon emissions. It seems small but for daily consumption the internet is not insignificant and in line with Wanicare’s mission to preserve nature we felt that it made sense to address that. With Anouk Maat setting up the business for Kruso in the Netherlands and as a Cikananga visitor in 2015 we started talking about the possibilities of building a fitting but ambitious plan to build an extremely low-impact website.
- Roel Jansen, PR & Fundraising, Wanicare

Measurable outcomes

67% reduction in CO2 emissions
The new website emits 67% less CO2 per page load compared to the old site.
Efficient energy use
The website requires only 4 watts to run on servers, equating to approximately 2.5kg of CO2 per year, offset by Leafcloud's heating reuse.
Inspiration for others
Demonstrating that significant CO2 savings are possible, with potential savings of 97 million kg of CO2 annually if adopted widely.

Getting the support and know-how from an organization like Kruso is incredibly valuable to us as our existence in the digital world is important to be on the radar of people and organizations that want to support us and want to better understand what we do. It’s important to understand that Wanicare and Cikananga operate on a very modest budget and we have been lucky to have solid partnerships with many other NGOs local authorities private sponsors and so on. For us Kruso is an amazing example of an organization that believes that we can leave behind a better world where for-profit and non-profit organizations can support each other in doing so.
- Roel Jansen, PR & Fundraising, Wanicare

Climate friendliness

Reflections and future prospects

The collaboration between Kruso and Wanicare has resulted in more than just a sustainable website. It has set a benchmark for how digital presence can align with environmental goals. This project has demonstrated that every aspect of web development, from hosting to user interaction, can be optimized to reduce carbon emissions significantly.

The new website not only serves its purpose of spreading Wanicare’s message but also educates visitors on the importance of sustainability in the digital space. By integrating sustainability into its core, Wanicare hopes to inspire other organizations to consider their environmental impact.

Website emission report 2023Knowledge

Wanicare envisions continuing to integrate sustainability and technology in its operations. The new website is just the beginning, setting a foundation for future projects that align with their mission of wildlife conservation and environmental stewardship.

Wanicare plans to use the website as a platform to engage with the community, raising awareness about conservation efforts and encouraging responsible digital behavior. By hosting online events and educational programs, Wanicare aims to foster a global community committed to preserving wildlife and the environment.

The partnership between Kruso and Wanicare demonstrates how innovative web development can significantly reduce environmental impact. By integrating advanced technologies and sustainable practices, Kruso not only supported Wanicare’s mission but also set a new standard for eco-friendly digital solutions. This case study highlights Kruso's expertise in creating impactful, sustainable web solutions for a better future.