Lighter glass bottles can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 16% based on new lifecycle analysis for O.P. Anderson Aquavit

“This is the second lifecycle analysis we have performed on our products and once again, we can see that packaging accounts for most of the emissions. As a company, Altia has set ambitious sustainability goals and the results show where we can make the biggest difference for the environment and climate. We are going to continue our efforts to develop sustainable and innovative packaging solutions for our drinks. Our aim is for our production to be carbon neutral by 2025 and that by 2030 we have cut the carbon footprint from our packaging by 35 percent,” says Inna Cahnbley, Sustainability Manager, Altia Sweden.

The new LCA shows that a 70 cl bottle of O.P. Anderson Aquavit produces 1.8 kg of CO2e emissions. By way of comparison, a litre of yoghurt produces 1.94 kg CO2e* and a 11.5 km car journey generates emissions of 2 kg CO2e** on average. Total emissions from a 35 cl half bottle amount to 1 kg CO2e.

Packaging accounts for 56-63 percent of these emissions, depending on the size of the bottle. The biggest proportion of emissions comes from glass bottles. According to the analysis, glass accounts for 67 percent of the packaging emissions from a 70 cl bottle of O.P. Anderson Aquavit. Some 25 percent of packaging emissions come from the transport of the packaging to the distillery.

The second biggest source of emissions is the production of ethanol. Ethanol accounts for between 27-31 percent of emissions from O.P. Anderson Aquavit, of which 88 percent come from organic grain cultivation.

Possible to cut emissions by 16 percent

According to the analysis, the weight of a 70 cl bottle can be reduced from 490 to 430 g. This would mean a 7 percent reduction in CO2 emissions over the entire lifecycle of the product (total 1.7 kg CO2e/bottle). In the case of the 35 cl half bottle, the weight can be reduced even more, from 300 to 220 g, which would reduce emissions by 16 percent (total 0.85 kg CO2e/bottle).

Altia has several packaging alternatives on the market for its products already. These include lightweight glass, PET and environmentally friendly bag-in-box packaging with rip tape for easier recycling. The company also has ambitious plans for the future. Altia's Sustainability Roadmap 2030, published at the end of 2019, presents the company's target of transitioning all glass bottles to lightweight glass by 2025.

Altia also has far reaching plans to expand the use of PET bottles in its wine and spirits portfolio. Already today, PET packaging accounts for 40 percent of the product range and the aim is to increase this figure to 70 percent by 2030.

The LCA by O.P. Anderson Aquavit was performed by an external company. The calculations are based on total carbon dioxide emissions all the way from the grain growing in fields to bottles on the retailers' shelves. The analysis does not factor in how the end product is used or recycled, as this is outside Altia’s control. Altia has performed a similar LCA for Koskenkorva Vodka. The LCA calculations provide important data for Altia in developing new and more environment friendly products.

The graph below shows emissions for different products. The emissions are not directly comparable and depend on how the different LCA have been performed.

For more information please contact:

Mika Raukko Senior Brand Manager Group Brand Marketing, Spirits +46 72 395 79 62 mika.raukko@altiacorporation.com

* Vasilaki et al. 2016. Water and carbon footprint of selected dairy products: A case study in Catalonia. Journal of Cleaner Production, 139, 504-516

** Defra, 2019, Greenhouse Gas Reporting: Conversion factors 2019