Glass Bowl

Material Composition Assumptions

The Climate Cost Index score for glass bowls reflects a standard household serving bowl weighing approximately 300 grams. The material composition includes silica sand as the primary ingredient comprising roughly 70% of the total weight, equivalent to 210 grams per bowl. Soda ash contributes approximately 15% or 45 grams, while limestone accounts for about 10% or 30 grams. Recycled glass cullet represents a variable component ranging from 0% to 53% depending on manufacturing location and supplier practices, with European producers typically achieving higher recycled content ratios than facilities in developing regions.

Manufacturing Geography

Europe serves as the primary manufacturing region for this assessment due to its significant role in global glass production and relatively advanced environmental practices. European glass manufacturing facilities benefit from cleaner electricity grids with an average intensity of 295 gCO2e per kilowatt-hour, substantially lower than coal-dependent regions. Additionally, European producers demonstrate superior recycled content integration, with average cullet usage exceeding 53% compared to lower rates in other manufacturing centers. The combination of cleaner energy sources and circular economy practices makes European facilities representative of best-case manufacturing scenarios for glass bowl production.

Regional Variation

Manufacturing Region	Grid Intensity	Estimated CCI Score	Adjustment vs Default
Europe	295 gCO2e/kWh	52	Baseline
China	555 gCO2e/kWh	68	+31% higher
United States	386 gCO2e/kWh	59	+13% higher
India	708 gCO2e/kWh	76	+46% higher
Global Average	475 gCO2e/kWh	63	+21% higher

Provenance Override Guidance

1. Furnace fuel composition data showing the percentage breakdown of natural gas, electricity, and alternative energy sources used during melting operations.

2. Recycled content certification documenting the exact percentage of cullet incorporated into the glass batch formulation for the specific production run.

3. Regional electricity grid intensity values with timestamps corresponding to the manufacturing period, including any renewable energy certificates or power purchase agreements.

4. Raw material transportation distances and shipping methods for silica sand, soda ash, limestone, and cullet sourcing to the manufacturing facility.

5. Production efficiency metrics including furnace utilization rates, reject rates, and energy consumption per unit of finished product output.

Methodology Notes

• The CCI score represents cradle-to-gate emissions for glass bowl production, encompassing raw material extraction through factory completion but excluding retail distribution and end-of-life phases.

• Scope 1 emissions dominate the profile at 75% due to intensive natural gas combustion required to achieve melting temperatures exceeding 1500 degrees Celsius, combined with process emissions from limestone and soda ash decomposition.

• The functional unit assumes a standard 300-gram serving bowl suitable for typical household food service applications.

• Transportation impacts beyond raw material delivery to manufacturing sites are excluded from the assessment boundary.

• Data gaps exist regarding emerging alternative fuel technologies and regional variations in raw material processing methods outside major production centers.

• Reuse scenarios are not incorporated despite their potential to significantly improve the environmental profile compared to single-use applications.