Example report

Extracts of an Eco Audit report generated from a case study of a PET bottle.

The life cycle analysis for a PET drink bottle is as follows:

Bottle and cap manufactured from virgin materials
Filled bottles transported 550km from filling plant to point of sale
Bottles refrigerated for 2 days at point of sale
Bottle and cap recycled at end of life

Despite being transported 550km and refrigerated for two days, the material phase is the dominant life phase of the product, accounting for around 60% of the energy used and 40% of the carbon footprint:

Eco audit summary report for bottled mineral water: Energy and CO2 footprint are plotted as relative contributions to the life cycle. The dominant life phase is Material. EoL potential is the energy credit available in future life cycles due to material recovery and reuse at end of life, Links to detailed Energy and CO2 footprint breakdowns and a summary table are located below the chart.

Having identified the Material phase as the dominant life phase, the main component contributing to this phase can be identified by examining the detailed breakdown. This shows that 97% of the material energy arises from the PET bottle.

Thus, minimizing the embodied energy and CO₂ footprint of the PET bottle should be the main design objective if we wish to reduce the environmental impact of our mineral water product.

Detailed breakdown of individual life phases: two tables, one showing contributions from the materials chosen, and the other showing contributions to the manufacturing phase. There are links back to the Summary page above each table.