Carbon Footprint: The total amount of CO2 emissions that are either directly or indirectly brought on by an activity or that accumulate across a product’s life phases is known as the Carbon Footprint (CF) (Wiedmann and Minx, 2007). The carbon footprint is the result of numerous activities that release greenhouse gases (GHGs). As a result, it measures GHGs and is expressed in CO2 equivalents.
The Diary business and its carbon footprint:
The dairy industry’s primary sources of greenhouse gas emissions are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and certain refrigerants including HFCs and CFCs. Animal enteric fermentation is the main cause of CH4 emissions. Manure storage and fertilizer manufacture and use of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions.
The carbon footprint is calculated using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) created life cycle assessment (LCA) methods, which determine various environmental impacts, including climate change, over every phase of a product’s life, from raw material extraction or development to product manufacture, use, and disposal.
Ways to reduce the carbon foot print in diary industry:
To lessen its influence on the environment, the dairy industry is using more and more compostable and biodegradable materials. These materials provide environmentally friendly substitutes for conventional plastics, which are frequently made from non-renewable resources and cause pollution. Dairy packaging uses the following important biodegradable and compostable materials:
- Plastics Made from Plants:
- PLA or polylactic acid: PLA is a typical biodegradable plastic made from renewable resources like sugarcane and maize starch. It is an environmentally favorable substitute for common plastics since it breaks down spontaneously in industrial composting settings.
- PHA or polyhydroxyalkanoates:Another biodegradable plastic that has qualities comparable to conventional polymers but a smaller environmental impact is PHA, which is made by microbial fermentation of carbohydrates.
- Biodegradable packaging:
- Mushroom Mycelium: This novel substance is cultivated from the roots of mushrooms. It is used for producing sturdy, light, and biodegradable compostable packaging.
- Biodegradable Films:
- Algae and seaweed- based films: These films are produced using natural materials such as algae and seaweed. They provide a sustainable substitute for plastic wraps and breakdown organically without producing toxic byproducts.
- Films made of cellulose: Cellulose films, which are made from plant fibers, can be composted and biodegraded. They are used to wrap dairy goods like butter and cheese and have high barrier qualities.
- High biodegradability: Natural polymers like cellulose and starch break down readily in the environment, lowering pollution and plastic waste.
- Films Sensitive to pH:According to Kumar et al. (2024), adding natural pigments that are sensitive to pH, like anthocyanins, to biopolymers based on starch and cellulose enables the production of films that alter color in response to pH changes linked to food deterioration.
- Integration of Bio-Based Materials and Smart Packaging:
- Biodegradable films, which can be the basis for incorporating intelligent sensors, are being produced using bio-based materials like cellulose and starch more and more. Because of their excellent biodegradability and compatibility with cutting-edge technology, these materials are especially well-suited for food packaging.
- Ecolean Lightweight Packaging: Ecolean’s lightweight packaging is an innovative approach created to reduce the environmental effect of liquid food packing. Compared to conventional packaging options, this technique drastically lowers the carbon footprint by producing ultra-thin plastic packaging with fewer raw resources.
- Material Efficiency: The packaging from Ecolean is composed of polymers and calcium carbonate, or chalk, making it strong and lightweight. Because less plastic is used when calcium carbonate is used, the packaging is more environmentally friendly. For example, compared to traditional liquid food cartons or bottles, a 1-liter Ecolean package weighs only 14 grams, which is 50–60% less.
- Functionality and Design:Ecolean packages are made with the ease of its customers in mind. Their soft material enables customers to squeeze out almost every last drop of the product, minimizing food waste, and their air-filled handle makes them simple to hold and pour from. Furthermore, because it doesn’t include metal, the packaging is safe to open and reheat in the microwave.
- Environmental Impact:Ecolean packaging has a smaller environmental impact because it uses less material and weighs less. The emissions of carbon are decreased because less energy is needed to create and transport the packaging when fewer raw materials are used. To further reduce its impact on the environment, the packaging is made to be recyclable.
- Ecolean Air:
- Suitable for Cold Goods: Dairy goods like milk, yogurt, and cream that need to be refrigerated are perfect for this flexible packaging. Because the container is lightweight, fewer raw materials are needed, which lowers the carbon footprint.
- Air aseptic at Ecolean:
- Appropriate for Ambient goods: This container is made for dairy goods like UHT milk and plant-based beverages that don’t need to be refrigerated. Aseptic packaging further minimizes energy use and environmental effect by guaranteeing that the products stay safe and fresh without the need for refrigeration.
By Mulla Sai Teju
M.Sc Food Science and Nutrition, Mount Carmel College, Autonomous, Bengaluru
