FAQ

Use this page for quick answers and navigation. For implementation details, continue to Integrations, API Reference, or Methodologies.

General

What is the Carrot Network?

The Carrot Network is digital public infrastructure for the resource-efficient, low-carbon circular economy. It encompasses a standard, a public credit registry, digital Measurement, Reporting and Verification (digital MRV) infrastructure for independent, third-party verification, the Circular Economy Protocol, and a governance layer for transparent and traceable decision-making and sharing of network proceeds. Learn more about why Carrot is built as digital public infrastructure.

How is recycling verified on the Carrot Network?

Every batch of waste is tracked as a MassID — a digital twin that records what the material is, where it came from, and who handled it. At each transfer point, validators confirm the material, creating an unbroken chain of custody from waste generation to certified recycling. This is the digital MRV (dMRV) process.

Who can participate?

Anyone involved in the recycling supply chain: Waste Generators, Bin Custodians, Haulers, Processors, and Recyclers, and Network Integrators. Each participant earns rewards for their verified contribution.

Network Governance

Is Carrot a company, foundation, or network?

The network is stewarded by Carrot Fndn, a Swiss foundation. The Foundation provides institutional stewardship for the standard, registry, methodology compliance, and operational continuity of the network.

Who governs the network today?

The Foundation Council governs the network today, with support from advisors and domain contributors. Participation is expected to expand over time through engagement, consultative, and deliberative phases.

Where do credit purchase proceeds go?

Credit purchase proceeds are distributed according to the published Rewards Distribution Policy. The policy defines participant categories and distribution percentages for each supported waste type.

What does the Foundation steward?

The Foundation stewards the governance framework for the network, including the standard, registry, methodology compliance, protocol direction, and operational continuity.

How is Carrot different from a private measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) platform?

Such a private platform usually records and reports data inside one company's product environment. The network is designed as shared market infrastructure: methodology logic, credit traceability, public records, and rewards distribution are organized through a foundation-led model.

Credits

What are C-BIOW and C-CARB.CH4?

A C-BIOW credit is a Tokenized Recycling Credit (TRC) representing 1 metric ton of certified recycled biowaste. A C-CARB.CH4 credit is a Tokenized Carbon Credit (TCC) representing 1 metric ton of CO₂-equivalent emission reductions through waste diversion. Both are fungible digital credits backed by verified certificates; TRC and TCC are the broader categories, while C-BIOW and C-CARB.CH4 are the specific registry symbols.

How are credits purchased?

Credits are purchased only through Carrot interfaces — buyers do not purchase directly through the underlying registry infrastructure. Individuals can buy environmental impact through the Carrot Store (store.carrot.eco), which offers intention-based packages that result in retired credits. Organizations use Carrot-provided interfaces that accept Pix and credit/debit card; settlement on the public registry always occurs in USDC, a traceable digital currency, and Carrot handles the conversion. In the current implementation, purchase and retirement happen in a single registry transaction: every purchased credit is retired at purchase, so buyers receive a Credit Purchase Receipt and a Credit Retirement Receipt as permanent proof of environmental action rather than a transferable credit balance. Both receipts are viewable through the Carrot Registry (registry.carrot.eco) or — independently of Carrot's systems — on the underlying public blockchain. See Credit Purchase for details.

Can credits be used for EPR compliance?

Yes. Because MassIDs record the geographic origin of waste, credits can be traced to specific municipalities. This makes them suitable for demonstrating compliance with location-specific Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mandates.

Buying Credits

Is there a minimum purchase volume?

There is no minimum tonnage or volume commitment. On the Carrot Store you choose an impact package or collection and contribute any amount at or above its price — the entry package sets the smallest purchase — and the credits retired on your behalf scale with your contribution. For enterprise volume agreements or annual minimum commitments (AMC), contact the Carrot sales team.

How are C-CARB.CH4 and C-BIOW priced?

In the paired sale, each C-CARB.CH4 is valued at US$ 120.00 and the C-BIOW value leg adds US$ 33.53 per C-CARB.CH4 sold, for a combined reference value of US$ 153.53.

The US$ 33.53 amount is not multiplied by the physical C-BIOW quantity; the emission coefficient determines the effective value per C-BIOW. See the Credit Calculator for the open calculation and comparison table.

What payment methods are accepted?

Pix and credit/debit card. Settlement on the public registry always occurs in USDC — Carrot handles the conversion, so buyers do not need to hold or send a stablecoin.

Do I need a blockchain wallet to buy credits?

You don't need to set up or manage a wallet yourself. MyCarrot is a portal with an intuitive interface — the platform handles the technical steps for you, whichever payment method you choose. Through MyCarrot you can view your impact dashboard, purchase history with certificate details, and audit trails — all in one place.

How do I use retirement certificates in my ESG report?

Each credit retirement generates a permanent, independently verifiable certificate with a complete audit trail that can support ESG reporting. See Credit Retirement for details.

Integration

How do Network Integrators connect?

Network Integrators are third-party software applications that connect to the Carrot Network through the Carrot API after completing the accreditation process. They submit supply chain data on behalf of their customers and receive a portion of credit purchase rewards. See the integration guide to get started.

What data does the API accept?

Network Integrators submit supply chain event data covering pick-ups, drop-offs, material validations, and other supply chain events. This data creates and updates MassIDs that track waste through the system. See the event specification for details.

Is there a deadline to submit mass data?

Yes, and it depends on when the material was recycled: the methodology framework only accepts a batch whose Recycled event occurred on or after 1 January of the previous calendar year, in UTC, so the last cycle that can analyze a batch is the one in the year after it was recycled, and data has to reach the network by the end of November of that year. Data can be submitted as the operation happens, and should be. The exact cut-off, what happens between the cut-off and the close of the cycle, and how late submissions are handled are described in Submission window.

Methodologies

What is BOLD?

BOLD (Breakthrough in Organics Landfill Diversion) is the family of methodologies on the Carrot Network for verifying organic waste diversion. BOLD Recycling verifies organic waste diversion to aerobic composting; BOLD Carbon (CH₄) verifies methane prevention from composting.

Can anyone create a methodology?

The ecosystem accepts methodology proposals, methodology verification frameworks, and third-party dMRV applications for review and approval under the Carrot dMRV Standard.