LAUSR

Abstract Background The environmental performance of food and drink production may be currently assessed by several standard methods. Except the ISO Life Cycle Assessment, Environmental Product Declaration® and Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methods, all the other international standards account for the single impact category of climate change. The PEF method requires the estimation of as many as 14 impact categories and is thus regarded as complex and expensive. Several independent studies have shown that climate change is the impact category with the lowest uncertainty level. Scope and Approach In this viewpoint paper, the mere assessment of the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) using so-called secondary data was recommended as the most direct and economical method to allow SMEs to improve their sustainability via a simple and stepwise virtuous approach. Key Findings and Conclusions By applying a previously developed LCA model, the carbon footprint (PCF) of beer packed in 66-cL glass bottles in a medium-sized brewery was estimated (∼90 kg CO2e hL−1) and the main life cycle hotspots were identified. By resorting to 100%-recycled glass bottles, barley grown locally using organic agriculture methods, rail instead of road transport; etc., it was possible to reduce PCF to as low as 49 kg CO2e hL−1. A cost/benefit analysis might help SMEs to recognize which opportunities effectively reduce their product environmental impact, as well as to decide to invest on the collection of selected primary data to make PCF calculation more accurate, or further progress in the estimation of other selected impact categories.