Measuring the sustainability of consumer packaged goods (CPG) products is a complex task, influenced by various factors across different life cycle stages. Understanding these impacts requires a holistic approach, examining every step from raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal. Leveraging a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to understand the Product Carbon Footprint of a company’s portfolio provides insights to differences in environmental impact across all stages and products. Understanding similarities and differences in impact across products allows companies to create strategies for key areas of improvement.
Life Cycle Stages of Consumer Goods
A CPG product’s life cycle can be broadly divided into several stages:
- Raw Material Extraction and Processing
- Manufacturing
- Packaging
- Distribution
- Use
- End-of-Life Disposal
Each stage contributes differently to the overall environmental impact, and the significance of these contributions can vary greatly depending on the product type, production methods, and other factors.
Raw Material Extraction and Processing
The sustainability of raw materials is a critical factor. Products made from renewable resources or recycled materials generally have a lower environmental impact compared to those relying on non-renewable resources.
Factors to Consider:
Resource Depletion: The extraction of non-renewable resources like minerals and fossil fuels.
Environmental Degradation: Deforestation, habitat destruction, and soil erosion from mining or agricultural activities.
Energy Consumption: The amount of energy required to extract and process raw materials.
Using renewable resources that can be regenerated quickly can be more sustainable by reducing the amount of land required to produce the same amount of product. For example, a resource like bamboo grows quickly and requires little water. A similar example is hemp being a naturally immune crop to pests and insects, reducing the need to use harmful pesticides that contaminate water source and soil.
Manufacturing
The manufacturing process can significantly impact a product’s sustainability. Energy use, waste generation, and emissions during production vary widely across different products and production methods.
Factors to Consider:
Energy Efficiency: The amount of energy consumed in the production process.
Waste Management: The handling of by-products and waste materials.
Emissions: Greenhouse gasses and other pollutants released during manufacturing.
Finding ways to reduce waste can be an impactful strategy. For example, taking advantage of the latest technologies to maximize the amount of products produced from a finite amount of resources can save money and reduce excess waste. Another example is increasing manufacturing at times when the energy grid has more renewable energy on it and reducing energy needs at peak times when the grid contains mostly fossil fuel energy sources.
Packaging
Packaging is a crucial aspect of sustainability for consumer goods, often contributing significantly to the overall environmental impact.
Factors to Consider:
Material Choice: The use of recyclable or biodegradable materials versus non-recyclable plastics.
Packaging Volume: Excessive packaging can lead to more waste.
Recyclability: The ease with which packaging materials can be recycled or reused.
Packaging is the first impression a customer has of a product, making it a crucial component to a product. Ensuring packaging is made of sustainable materials and reducing excess material can reduce environmental impact and attract customers for being a more sustainable option.
Distribution
The transportation of goods from manufacturing sites to consumers can also influence sustainability.
Factors to Consider:
Distance: Products sourced locally usually have a lower carbon footprint than those transported over long distances.
Mode of Transport: Shipping by sea is generally less carbon-intensive than air freight.
Logistics Efficiency: The optimization of distribution networks to reduce emissions.
For example, a product may be manufactured in one country and shipped to many other countries around the world for sale. Using strategies like reducing packaging and product size can increase the shipping efficiency. A more compact product takes up less space, and therefore, more can be shipped at the same time.
Consumer Use
The usage phase can vary widely, impacting the overall sustainability of a product.
Factors to Consider:
Energy Consumption: Products that require electricity or fuel during use.
Lifespan: Durable products that last longer typically have a lower overall impact.
Maintenance: The resources needed to maintain and repair the product.
For instance, energy-efficient appliances reduce the environmental impact during their use phase compared to less efficient alternatives. Another example is that the number of times a consumer can use a product can reduce the environmental impact of a product per use. A pack of disposable makeup wipes that only have one use each can have a lower impact than a reusable makeup towel upfront, however, the more times you use the reusable towel, the lower the impact per use, often making it the more sustainable option.
End-of-Life Disposal
The final stage of a product’s life cycle is its disposal, which can significantly affect sustainability.
Factors to Consider:
Recyclability: The extent to which a product can be recycled.
Biodegradability: The ability of the product to break down naturally without harming the environment.
Hazardous Materials: The presence of toxic substances that require special disposal methods.
Products designed for easy disassembly and recycling tend to have a lower environmental impact at the end of their life cycle compared to those that are not. It’s also important to consider what infrastructure consumers have access to. For example, some customers may have access to commercial composting services while other customers may not even have recycling services available to them. Compostable packaging that is landfilled can even have a higher impact than non compostable packaging.
Differences Across Life Cycle Stages
The impact of each life cycle stage varies between products, even within the same category. For example, consider two different shampoos that contain the same ingredients. However, one bottle is made of plastic while the other is made of aluminum. Despite yielding the same amount of shampoo using the exact same ingredients, factory origin, and target market, the difference in materials chosen changes which life cycle stages have the highest impact. The sustainability of consumer goods is variable even within the same industry or product type.
Shampoo in Aluminum Bottle Compared to Plastic Bottle :
- Ingredients: Same impact in GWP, but lower percentage of GWP for the product
- Packaging: Higher impact in GWP and percentage of GWP for the product
- Manufacturing: Same impact in GWP, but lower Percentage of GWP for the product
- Distribution: Similar impact in GWP, but lower percentage of GWP for the product
- Disposal: Similar impact in GWP and percentage of GWP for the product
When changing the material of a container, it’s crucial to assess both the actual Global Warming Potential (GWP) and the percentage of GWP impact for each life cycle stage individually. Misinterpreting these percentages can occur if the overall impact of the material change isn’t fully understood.
Long-term material impacts are also essential to consider. Plastic, for instance, is environmentally damaging and does not decompose. It has low recycling rates and results in lower-quality recycled products. In contrast, aluminum, while it may have a slightly higher initial environmental impact, eventually breaks down, is a naturally occurring material with high recyclability, and is infinitely recyclable. Recycling aluminum saves 95% of the energy required to produce new aluminum.
Thus, even if aluminum has a marginally higher environmental impact in certain stages, it may be a more sustainable choice in the long run, particularly when using recycled materials or reusing the container.
These examples highlight the importance of evaluating sustainability across the entire life cycle of a product. Focusing solely on one stage can lead to incomplete or misleading conclusions.
Key Takeaways
Measuring the sustainability of consumer goods is a multifaceted endeavor requiring a detailed understanding of each life cycle stage. Differences in impact arise from various factors, including raw material sourcing, manufacturing processes, packaging choices, distribution logistics, usage patterns, and end-of-life disposal. By examining each stage, stakeholders can make informed decisions to reduce environmental impacts and promote more sustainable consumer products.
The case study of packaging materials, such as aluminum versus plastic, exemplifies the need for a holistic evaluation. While one material may show a higher immediate environmental impact in certain stages, its long-term benefits—such as recyclability and lower energy consumption during recycling—can make it the more sustainable option overall. Therefore, it is crucial for businesses to consider the entire life cycle of their products when making sustainability decisions.
Ultimately, a nuanced approach that weighs the contributions of each life cycle stage will enable companies to minimize their ecological footprint effectively. By understanding the complex interplay of factors influencing the sustainability of consumer goods, organizations can innovate responsibly, align with consumer values, and contribute positively to environmental stewardship. This integrated perspective is essential not only for corporate success but also for fostering a more sustainable future.
Next Steps: Measuring Impact
CarbonBright’s AI-powered LCA software helps organizations accurately measure emissions and meet regulatory standards—at a fraction of the time and cost of traditional methods. Contact us to get started!
