Cleaner Engineering and Technology (Aug 2023)
Case study-based scenario analysis comparing GHG emissions of wine packaging types
Abstract
The wine market has faced a serious problem in recent years, as the cost and environmental impact of commonly used wine bottles has become unsustainable for producers. In this paper, we present a case study of one of the largest wineries in Hungary, with the aim of investigating sustainability factors related to packaging materials. The winery has provided us with data on three types of bottles (Burgundy Glass Bottle, Bordeaux Glass Bottle and Bordeaux polyethylene terephthalate (PET) Bottle), for which the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) related to production and the Co2e related to transport are calculated as part of Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). The maximum transport weight per truck is 23 501.70kg for Bordeaux PET bottle, 19 951.14 kg for Burgundy glass bottle and 22 290.18 kg for a Bordeaux glass bottle. In Hungary, a new law on packaging will come into force, whereby bottles will be subject to a deposit scheme. For this reason, eight scenarios were set up to calculate GHG emission. In the study, two types of raw material were investigated, glass and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and calculations were made with recycled and reused materials. As a result of the study, the cases with the lowest Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions are those with the highest amounts of recycled and reused packaging materials. Among the scenarios presented, the one with the lowest emissions in terms of production and transport is the case where 70% Bordeaux Recycled Glass Bottle and 30% rPET are used (247 231.697 kgCO2e). This scenario has 64% less GHG emissions than the scenario where only glass is used. In the present study, we performed a cradle-to-gate analysis of wine packaging, which may be worth expanding in future research with additional input and output factors during the product life cycle. The research carried out in this study also lays the foundation for research on consumer behaviour related to alternative wine packaging.
