Beverages — Glass Bottle (330ml)

Material Composition Assumptions

The default bill of materials for a representative 330ml glass bottle (approximately 200–330 g depending on bottle weight category) includes:

• Silica sand (SiO2): Primary glass-forming oxide, approximately 72–74% of batch by mass
• Soda ash (Na2CO3): Flux to lower melting point, approximately 13–14% of batch
• Limestone (CaCO3): Stabiliser, approximately 10–11% of batch
• Recycled cullet: Assumed at 50% by mass (global average; EU average is ~60%, China and USA lower at ~30–40%)
• Minor additives: Alumina, dolomite, colourants (e.g., amber or green chromium oxide) — less than 2%

Glass is dense (~2.5 g/cm3) and requires melting temperatures of approximately 1450–1550°C. This makes it one of the most energy-intensive packaging materials per unit volume. However, its infinite recyclability means that high cullet rates can meaningfully reduce the score. Each 10% increase in cullet content reduces melting energy by approximately 2–3% and eliminates the calcination emissions from soda ash decomposition.

The CCI score assumes a standard non-returnable (NRN) single-use bottle. Returnable bottle systems (common in Germany and some Nordic markets) dramatically reduce per-use emissions by amortising manufacturing over 20–50 refill cycles.

Manufacturing Geography

The default manufacturing region is mixed global, with primary production in the EU (largest glass container market by volume), China (largest single-country producer), and the USA.

• EU grid intensity: ~300 gCO2e/kWh. Many EU furnaces run on natural gas with recovering waste heat; some facilities are trialling electric furnaces powered by renewable energy.
• China grid intensity: ~565 gCO2e/kWh. China dominates global glass production for export markets (particularly Southeast Asia and parts of South America).
• USA grid intensity: ~390 gCO2e/kWh. North American production is concentrated in the Midwest and Southeast; significant natural gas dependency.

The default score uses a blended grid intensity of approximately 420 gCO2e/kWh. Furnace fuel is predominantly natural gas, contributing directly to Scope 1 emissions (combustion) as well as process CO2 from carbonate decomposition in batch raw materials.

Regional Variation

Region	Grid Intensity	Estimated Score Adjustment
EU average	~300 gCO2e/kWh	-15% on Scope 2 (saves ~0.03 kgCO2e)
USA average	~390 gCO2e/kWh	-7% on Scope 2 (saves ~0.01 kgCO2e)
China	~565 gCO2e/kWh	+35% on Scope 2 (adds ~0.06 kgCO2e)
EU (electric furnace, renewable)	~30 gCO2e/kWh	-93% on Scope 2 (saves ~0.17 kgCO2e)
India	~700 gCO2e/kWh	+67% on Scope 2 (adds ~0.12 kgCO2e)

Note: Scope 2 represents approximately 30% of the total footprint. Regional variation has a moderate effect because Scope 3 (raw materials) is the single largest contributor at ~55%. The shift to electric furnaces powered by renewables is the primary lever for decarbonising glass manufacturing.

Provenance Override Guidance

A supplier or manufacturer may override the default CCI score by submitting:

1. Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) per ISO 14025 and EN 15804, covering cradle-to-gate or cradle-to-grave for the specific bottle SKU and production facility.
2. Furnace fuel mix data specifying the split between natural gas, oil, and electricity, along with verified renewable energy certificates (RECs) for any electric furnace share.
3. Cullet rate documentation from a certified recycler or factory QA records. Each percentage point of cullet above the 50% default reduces the score by approximately 0.003 kgCO2e.
4. Transport mode and distance data for finished goods — glass is unusually weight-sensitive and logistics emissions are non-trivial.
5. Returnable bottle system data including verified average refill cycles and washing energy consumption.

FEVE-member producers (European Container Glass Federation) publish collective industry EPDs that can serve as a basis for category-level overrides.

Methodology Notes

• CCI score of 0.6 kgCO2e represents a conservative mid-range estimate for a standard non-returnable 330ml glass bottle at 50% recycled cullet. Published EPD data ranges from 0.4 kgCO2e (high-cullet EU production) to 0.9 kgCO2e (virgin-batch production in high-carbon grids).
• Scope breakdown: Scope 3 dominates at ~62% (0.37 kgCO2e), driven primarily by raw batch materials and outbound logistics. Scope 2 (furnace electricity) accounts for ~30% (0.18 kgCO2e). Scope 1 (direct fuel combustion) is ~8% (0.05 kgCO2e).
• Functional unit: One 330ml non-returnable glass bottle, cradle-to-gate (manufacturing only; filling, distribution, and end-of-life excluded unless stated).
• Weight sensitivity: Glass bottles vary significantly by design — lightweight bottles can be as light as 140 g while premium spirits bottles exceed 600 g. The score scales approximately linearly with bottle weight. Per-kg figures (1.8 kgCO2e/kg) are more stable across bottle formats than per-unit figures.
• Confidence is medium because cullet rate, furnace fuel mix, and bottle weight vary substantially across producers and geographies. Published EPD data is available from major producers but not universally comparable.
• Carbonation requirement: Bottles used for carbonated beverages require higher wall thickness and therefore greater mass, increasing per-unit emissions by 10–20% relative to still-water or wine bottles of equivalent volume.