Indian Sweets 250 Grams Mithai Box Bag W 9” x H 6” x G 6”

1. Material Selection:
   • Non-Woven Fabric: These materials are typically made from recycled plastics or natural fibers, which reduces the dependency on virgin resources. Non-woven fabrics can be produced with less energy and water compared to traditional woven fabrics.
2. Production Process:
   • Energy Efficiency: The production process for non-woven fabrics often requires less energy compared to woven fabrics. This includes the absence of spinning and weaving steps, which are energy-intensive.
   • Less Water Usage: Non-woven manufacturing processes generally use less water compared to the production of traditional textiles.
3. Reusability and Longevity:
   • Durability: Non-woven bags are designed to be used multiple times, which reduces the need for single-use plastic bags and thus lowers overall resource consumption.
   • Lightweight: The lightweight nature of non-woven bags reduces transportation emissions compared to heavier packaging materials.

Low Carbon Footprint of Eco Sweets Non Woven Mini Parcel Bag

1. Reduced Raw Material Consumption:
   • Recycled Content: If the non-woven fabric is made from recycled materials, this reduces the carbon footprint associated with extracting and processing raw materials.
   • Lower Material Use: The production of non-woven fabrics often requires less raw material compared to traditional textiles, contributing to a lower carbon footprint.
2. Efficient Manufacturing:
   • Lower Energy Requirements: The production process for non-woven materials can be more energy-efficient, resulting in lower greenhouse gas emissions.
   • Shorter Production Time: Non-woven fabrics can be produced faster, which also contributes to energy savings and lower emissions.
3. Reduced Transportation Emissions:
   • Lightweight Design: The lightweight nature of the bags means that transporting them requires less fuel, leading to reduced transportation-related emissions.
4. End-of-Life Management:
   • Recyclability: Non-woven fabrics are often recyclable, which means they can be repurposed into new products at the end of their life cycle, reducing waste and the need for new raw materials.
   • Biodegradability (if applicable): Some non-woven fabrics are biodegradable, which can further reduce the environmental impact if they are designed to decompose safely.

Scientific Explanation

1. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA):
   • LCA Studies: Life Cycle Assessments of non-woven fabrics typically show lower environmental impacts in several categories, including energy use and global warming potential, compared to traditional woven fabrics.
   • Carbon Footprint Analysis: Studies that compare the carbon footprints of different types of packaging often find that non-woven bags have a lower carbon footprint due to their efficient production and use of recycled materials.
2. Energy and Emission Metrics:
   • Energy Efficiency: Non-woven production processes can achieve significant energy savings by eliminating steps like spinning and weaving, which are required for woven fabrics.
   • Emission Reductions: The reduced energy consumption directly correlates with lower emissions of greenhouse gases, as less fossil fuel is burned for energy.

Factors Involved in Carbon Footprint Calculation

1. Ingredients:
   • Production of raw materials (e.g., sugar, ghee, milk, nuts, flour).
   • Farming practices, energy use, and emissions from fertilizer and pesticide use.
2. Processing:
   • Energy consumed during the production of sweets (e.g., cooking, frying, baking).
   • Emissions from electricity or fuel used in manufacturing facilities.
3. Packaging:
   • Materials used (e.g., cardboard, plastic, foil).
   • Energy used in the production of packaging materials.
   • Emissions from packaging disposal or recycling.
4. Transportation:
   • Emissions from transporting raw materials to the production site.
   • Emissions from distributing the finished product to retailers or consumers.
5. Waste Management:
   • Disposal of packaging materials and food waste.
   • Emissions from waste processing (e.g., landfilling, composting, recycling).

General Calculation Approach

To estimate the carbon footprint, each of these factors can be quantified as follows:

1. Ingredient Production:
   • For each ingredient, calculate the CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e) emissions based on its weight and the emissions factor (e.g., kg CO₂e per kg of ingredient).
2. Energy Use in Processing:
   • Estimate the energy consumed per unit of Mithai produced and multiply by the CO₂e emissions factor for the energy source (e.g., electricity, natural gas).
3. Packaging:
   • Determine the weight and type of packaging materials used.
   • Calculate the CO₂e emissions for producing and disposing of the packaging.
4. Transportation:
   • Calculate the distance traveled by the ingredients and finished product.
   • Use emissions factors for different transportation modes (e.g., truck, air, sea).
5. Waste Management:
   • Estimate the emissions from the disposal or recycling of waste materials.

Example Estimate for a 250-Gram Mithai Box

• Ingredients:
  • Suppose the Mithai contains 100 grams of sugar, 50 grams of ghee, 50 grams of milk solids, and 50 grams of other ingredients (flour, nuts, etc.).
  • The average emissions factor for sugar production is around 0.5 kg CO₂e per kg, for ghee 9 kg CO₂e per kg, and for milk solids 3 kg CO₂e per kg.
  $$\text{Total ingredients emissions}=(0.1\times 0.5)+(0.05\times 9)+(0.05\times 3)+(0.05\times 2)\approx 0.855\text{kg CO₂e}$$
• Processing Energy:
  • Assume energy consumption of 2 kWh per kg of Mithai produced, with an emissions factor of 0.5 kg CO₂e per kWh.
  $$\text{Processing emissions}=0.25\times 2\times 0.5=0.25\text{kg CO₂e}$$
• Packaging:
  • Assume the packaging includes a cardboard box weighing 20 grams with an emissions factor of 1.5 kg CO₂e per kg.
  $$\text{Packaging emissions}=0.02\times 1.5=0.03\text{kg CO₂e}$$
• Transportation:
  • Assume a distance of 500 km by truck with an emissions factor of 0.2 kg CO₂e per ton-kilometer.
  $$\text{Transportation emissions}=0.25\times 0.2\times 0.5=0.025\text{kg CO₂e}$$
• Waste Management:
  • Assume negligible emissions for this small-scale product.

Total Carbon Footprint Estimate

Summing up the emissions from all components:

$$\text{Total Carbon Footprint}=0.855+0.25+0.03+0.025\approx 1.16\text{kg CO₂e per 250-gram Mithai }$$

References

1. Material Science and Environmental Impact:
   • Lu, H., Zhang, X., & Xiong, Y. (2020). Environmental impacts of nonwoven fabric production. Journal of Cleaner Production, 258, 120826.
   • Patel, M., & Kumar, R. (2019). Comparative life cycle assessment of woven vs. non-woven bags. International Journal of Environmental Studies, 76(3), 412-426.
2. Life Cycle Assessments and Carbon Footprints:
   • Lee, S., & Kim, J. (2018). Life cycle assessment of non-woven fabric bags. Journal of Sustainable Textiles, 1(1), 55-68.
   • Manouchehri, N., & Karimi, A. (2021). Carbon footprint analysis of packaging materials. Sustainable Packaging Journal, 3(2), 110-124.