Crisps / Chips (multilayer bag)

Material Composition Assumptions

A typical 75g multilayer bag of potato crisps contains approximately 60g potato chips (80%), 12g vegetable oil absorbed during frying (16%), and 3g salt and seasonings (4%). The multilayer packaging consists of polypropylene outer layer, aluminum barrier layer, and polyester inner layer totaling approximately 8g of plastic materials. Modified atmosphere packaging utilizes nitrogen gas displacement to extend shelf life and maintain product freshness.

Manufacturing Geography

Primary manufacturing occurs within the European Union, particularly in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Germany where major snack food producers operate large-scale facilities. The regional grid intensity of 296 gCO2e/kWh reflects the EU’s mixed energy portfolio including renewable sources and natural gas. This geography provides proximity to potato cultivation areas and established distribution networks to major consumer markets across Europe.

Regional Variation

Manufacturing Region	Grid Intensity	Estimated CCI Score	Adjustment vs Default
European Union	296 gCO2e/kWh	65	Baseline
United States	386 gCO2e/kWh	73	+12%
China	555 gCO2e/kWh	89	+37%
Brazil	87 gCO2e/kWh	51	-22%
India	708 gCO2e/kWh	98	+51%

Provenance Override Guidance

1. Submit detailed agricultural data including potato cultivation methods, irrigation systems, fertilizer applications, and farm-to-processing transportation distances.
2. Provide manufacturing energy consumption data covering frying processes, packaging operations, facility heating and cooling, and renewable energy utilization percentages.
3. Document oil sourcing and refining data including palm oil or sunflower oil production locations, processing methods, and transportation to manufacturing facilities.
4. Supply packaging material specifications including plastic resin types, aluminum foil thickness, barrier properties, and supplier production methods with associated carbon intensities.
5. Present distribution logistics data covering warehouse storage, transportation modes, delivery distances to retail locations, and cold chain requirements.

Methodology Notes

• The CCI score represents cradle-to-gate emissions for a standard 75g bag of potato crisps including cultivation, processing, packaging, and distribution to retail locations.
• Scope 3 emissions dominate due to agricultural inputs, oil production, and packaging materials manufacturing occurring throughout the supply chain.
• Functional unit reflects typical consumer serving size corresponding to single-purchase snack portions in retail environments.
• Consumer use phase emissions are excluded as the product requires no additional energy consumption during consumption.
• End-of-life disposal impacts are estimated based on average regional waste management practices but may vary significantly by local recycling infrastructure.
• Water footprint data indicates significant irrigation requirements but is not reflected in the carbon-focused CCI scoring methodology.