11/5/2008

Carbon footprint estimation

of an UK Christmas meal

Heinz Stichnothe, University of

Manchester

AAB event: “Supplying sustainable and innovative food and drink solutions”
at CSL, Sand Hutton, York (4th November 2008)

Outline
• Life cycle assessment of food products
• Carbon footprint
• Concept of biogenic/fossil carbon
• LCA of an UK Christmas meal
• Micro level
Macro level
• Carbon footprint mitigation options
• Results
• Prospects

AAB event: “Supplying sustainable and innovative food and drink solutions”
at CSL, Sand Hutton, York (4th November 2008)

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 11/5/2008

Life Cycle Assessment

Goal and scope
definition

Interpretation of Results
Life Cycle Inventory Sensitivity Analysis
Normalisation
Weighting

Life Cycle Impact

Assessment

LCA of food products

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Food supply chain: some issues

Carbon Footprint
• Ecological Carbon Footprint
convert human activity into land area [Hectare]
• Carbon Footprint based on CO2
expressed in [kg CO2]
• Carbon Footprint based on all GHG = GWP
GHG: CO2, CH4, N2O, HFC, PFC, SF6
expressed in kg CO2eq.
Time frame 100 years
ELCD, PAS2050

Potency factors: CO2 = 1; CH4 = 25; N2O = 296

Example: 1kg CO2 *1 + 1kg CH4*25 = 26 kg CO2eq.

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Biogenic/fossil carbon
CO2

Processing
● cutting
● transport

CO2 - CO2 + GHG = ± CF (full life cycle)

Biogenic carbon
CO2

CO2 - CO2 + GHG = CF

(human consumption)

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Food life cycle

Resources
Renewable Non-renewable
Transport
Recycling
Waste Management

Production Storage at home

Processing
Supply

Preparation at home
Packaging
Storage/Distribution

Waste at home
Use

National waste management

Disposal

Production Consumption
Carbon footprint

Christmas meal

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Methodology approach
Resources
Fertilisers Pesticides Seeds Water Energy

Recycled
waste
Waste Management

Agricultural activities and processing

Turkey Vegetables Potatoes Other ingred.

Distribution
Packaging
Storage
Refrigeration

Bread
Turkey Vegetables Potatoes Stuffing
sauce

Food storage and preparation at home

Disposal

System boundary
Buildings +infrastructure Agricultural machinery

Growing, harvesting and processing

meal ingredients

Bread sauce Turkey Stuffing Vegetables

Packaging process Packaging material

Secondary packaging
Transport 32 t lorry
Storage + cooling at wholesaler (120d)
Storage +
cooling + Transport 16 t lorry
cooking
equipment Storage + cooling at retailer (3-5 d)

Transport <3.5 t van

Electricity + Storage, cooling,

heat cooking at home
Transport 16 t lorry

Disposal
Collection of waste

Electricity + heat
Incineration (25%) Landfill (75%)
from waste

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Christmas meal
ingredients
Turkey [g] Bread sauce [g] Stuffing [g] Vegetables [g]

Turkey 3600 Bread 225 Oil 20 Carrots 427

Bacon 120 Onions 225 Onion 100 Parsnips 427

Sausages 100 Celery 225 Sausages 150 Brussels 422

sprouts
Butter 33 Parsley 8 Bread 117 Potatoes 933

Water 600 Water 225 Chestnuts 133

Prunes 100 Herbs, 3 Parsley 20

salt,
pepper
Flour 7 Garlic 15 Cranberry 33
considered sauce
as onions
Sum 4500 925 573 2209

CF – biogenic CO2
N2O
100
Contribution to carbon footprint (% CO2 eq.)

CH4 biogenic
CH4
90 CO2

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
All GHG GHG - CO2 biogenic CH4 PF = 24 CH4 PF = 22.25

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Life cycle stages

Agricultural production and processing

Wholesaler

Retailer

Preparation at home

Meal Food waste

Micro to Macro level

Specific LCA Micro-level
data
• Agriculture Carbon equivalent
• Production
and use Full meals
Other env’l
•Waste impacts

Hot spots (individual food items)

-UK Statistics data

Materials Macro-level
Carbon equivalent
• Expenditure data
Energy • Waste management Other env’l
impacts

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Results
• All GHG have to be taken into account
• Meat is the main contributor
• 5.000 t food waste / Christmas
• 5.6 million t waste/yr
• Infrastructure for collecting organic
waste and energy recovery
• >1 million t CO2e saving potential
• Other environmental impact
• More in depth analysis is needed to
identify GHG mitigation options

AAB event: “Supplying sustainable and innovative food and drink solutions”
at CSL, Sand Hutton, York (4th November 2008)

Prospect
• Comparison of ready meals and meals
prepared at home
• Comparison of meals that serve the
same function (nutrient content)
• Farmer’s management practise and soil
carbon
• Better understanding of N2O and CH4
• Economic and social implications

AAB event: “Supplying sustainable and innovative food and drink solutions”
at CSL, Sand Hutton, York (4th November 2008)

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 11/5/2008

Thank you very much for

your patience!

Contact: heinz.stichnothe@manchester.ac.uk

AAB event: “Supplying sustainable and innovative food and drink solutions”
at CSL, Sand Hutton, York (4th November 2008)

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