Carbon emissions of bottled water sector supply chains: a multiple case-study approach^*

* Preliminary results of the study were presented at the 2015 British Academy of Management conference in Portsmouth (8–10 September) under a different title, and at two internal workshops at the University of Liverpool in 2016 and 2017.

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to assess the environmental performance of medium-sized bottled water producers. More specifically, the research incorporates a multiple case study approach by conducting life cycle assessment (LCA) for three organisations located in Kosovo that produce and distribute bottled water in the local and other European markets. The Supply Chain Environmental Analysis Tool (SCEnAT) was used to assess the carbon emissions caused by the activities within the supply chains of these companies. It was found that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are created mainly due to the use of plastic pallets, plastic cups and electricity. Upon identifying the hotspots (where emissions account for more than 10% of the total emissions), a number of potential interventions to lower the overall emissions are proposed. As indicated, proactive green supply chain management practices can help SMEs in the sector improve their environmental impact and reduce their operations costs.

KEYWORDS:

• Life cycle assessment (LCA)
• bottled water companies
• carbon emissions
• green supply chains
• environmental sustainability

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

* Preliminary results of the study were presented at the 2015 British Academy of Management conference in Portsmouth (8–10 September) under a different title, and at two internal workshops at the University of Liverpool in 2016 and 2017.