Life Cycle Analysis of Beverage Carbon Footprints

Executive Summary:
This project discusses the carbon footprint of Smart Cups (SC), a beverage product that requires no water during production, and compares it with that of a conventional carbonated soft drink (CSD). Comparisons are drawn during each phase of the products’ life cycles to understand their contribution towards the total annual carbon emission alongside other pollutants. The results of the analyses by both phase and case show CSDs have a much higher emission rate than SC in nearly all conditions. The NOx and CO emissions during phase 1 and the NOx emissions during manufacturing are the only occasions wherein SC has higher emissions than CSD. However, in general, the total annual carbon emissions produced during the life cycle of a CSD in this preliminary LCA is far greater than the emissions produced by SC. This preliminary LCA shows that the carbon footprint of a conventional carbonated beverage is almost 100 times greater than that of Smart Cups. However, the exclusions in this study may skew the findings presented in this report. Therefore, to minimize biases, a more comprehensive study must be done accounting for all aspects of the products’ life cycles that still need to be addressed.
Importance:
Packaged beverages, such as soda, juices, and other soft-drinks, is a significant part of a person’s lifestyle today. The environmental impacts of these widely used products are not known to its consumers. This project has not just provided an opportunity to study the impacts of such products, but it also provides us with a good insight on how these detrimental effects may be minimized. This information is essential for empowering consumers to make well-informed, sustainable decisions on the products they choose to purchase/promote.
Impact and Reach:
This project addressed the emissions involved in the raw-material acquisition, manufacturing, and transportation phases of the beverages. CO2e, NOx, and SOx emissions of conventional beverage products and Smart Cups were measured and compared. The project helped the client improve product formulation and decision-making, while reducing the overall environmental impact of beverages.
Collaboration:
This project was undertaken by Bret Weinberger, Nachiket B.P., and Samatha Arun under the guidance of Dr. Deepak Rajagopal for our clients Smart Cups, LLC. Smart Cups is a sustainability-driven technology company with a mission to provide a mindful path forward for the beverage industry and beyond. Having created the world’s first printed beverage, an energy drink, Smart Cups eliminates the need to bottle and ship liquids, which, in turn, significantly reduces our carbon footprint. Our collective efforts were focused at acquiring and analyzing data from different stages in the life-cycle of conventional beverages. With each of our technical backgrounds, we were able to draw up equitable comparisons between Smart Cups and other conventional beverages in order to understand if they are truly the more sustainable alternative.
Your Role Well Defined:
My role in this project was firstly, to create a database of relevant yet preliminary information relating to the production, manufacture, and transport of conventional beverages. A similar database was created for Smart Cups alongside other critical information that was acquired to make the frame of comparison more equitable. Within the scope of our analysis, we subjected our products to the same rigorous analyses to minimize any biases. This involved quantifying impacts of all the products in question at various stages of their life until the point of purchase. The findings of our analyses were then presented to the clients in the form of powerpoint presentation. I visualized our results for the presentation and subsequently compiled it all into a formal report.