Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Analysis of Robusta Coffee Factory

Abstract

A coffee processing system must be evaluated using a life cycle assessment approach to  understand its environmental impacts arising from its entire production process. This study aims to evaluate the environmental impacts associated with the production of robusta coffee at UD. Cipta Lestari, located in Pujungan Village, Tabanan Regency, Bali. The assessment was carried out using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach, a systematic method for evaluating the environmental impacts throughout the entire life cycle of a product, from raw material acquisition to final output. This research employed a descriptive quantitative approach, following the ISO 14044:2006 standard for LCA implementation. Additionally, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were calculated based on guidelines provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2006. The results indicate that processing 1,000 kg of robusta coffee cherries yields approximately 516.5 kg of ground coffee. The total energy required for the processing was 1,476.8 megajoules (MJ) per ton of coffee cherries. Energy consumption analysis revealed that the production process accounted for 74.13% of total energy use, transportation activities 23.43%, and packaging 2.44%. Furthermore, the total GHG emissions from robusta coffee processing were estimated at 111.38 kg CO₂eq/ ton of fresh coffee cherries, or approximately 0.22 kg CO₂eq/ kilogram of ground coffee. These findings serve as a foundation for developing strategies to reduce environmental impacts and promote sustainable production practices.