A recent study published in Sustainability (MDPI) assessed the environmental and economic impacts of legume-based vegan burgers. By combining life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC), researchers examined various production scenarios, with a focus on ingredient sourcing and packaging materials to enhance both ecological and economic efficiency.
Lowering impact with local ingredients
The study analyzed a base case scenario involving the use of imported ingredients and conventional packaging materials. The carbon footprint for two vegan patties in this scenario was found to be 1.30 kg CO2 equivalent, with a total life cycle cost of EUR 2.43.
Notably, transportation emissions from sourcing ingredients like pea protein, pea flour, and lentil flour played a significant role in the product’s environmental burden, compounded by the use of conventional packaging materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
To reduce this footprint, the research explored alternative scenarios, focusing on the effects of local ingredient sourcing and the adoption of more sustainable packaging materials, including bio-based polyethylene (Bio-PE). The optimized scenario, which used ingredients sourced closer to the production facility and substituted PET with Bio-PE, resulted in a 60% reduction in the carbon footprint (0.51 kg CO2 equivalent per package) and a slight decrease in production costs, dropping to EUR 2.37.
Packaging as a key sustainability lever
Key findings highlight that while reducing transportation distances significantly cuts greenhouse gas emissions, the greatest improvements in sustainability stem from changes in packaging. Bio-PE, derived from renewable biomass, provided notable environmental benefits compared to fossil-based plastics like PET, reducing dependence on petroleum and decreasing the carbon footprint.
In addition to transportation and packaging adjustments, the study also assessed various ingredient transportation scenarios. For example, minimizing transportation distances for key ingredients showed reductions in fine particulate matter and fossil fuel depletion. However, the impact on overall production costs remained minimal, as the smaller quantities of these ingredients did not significantly affect the total cost structure.
Overall, the research suggests that optimizing ingredient sourcing and packaging material offers an effective strategy to improve the sustainability and economic performance of vegan burger production. The transition to more localized ingredient sourcing and sustainable packaging solutions not only lowers environmental impacts but can also yield small cost savings, which could have broader implications for the plant-based food industry.
