Olive Oil (500ml glass bottle)

Material Composition Assumptions

A 500ml glass bottle of extra virgin olive oil contains approximately 460 grams of oil representing 92% of the product by weight. The glass container weighs between 300-400 grams comprising 60-80% of packaging weight. Additional components include cork or screw cap closures weighing 5-15 grams, paper or plastic labels at 2-5 grams, and optional cardboard shipping boxes adding 50-100 grams for retail packaging. The glass bottle dominates the packaging environmental impact due to energy-intensive manufacturing processes requiring high-temperature melting of silica sand and other raw materials.

Manufacturing Geography

Mediterranean regions serve as the primary production centers for olive oil due to optimal climate conditions and centuries of cultivation expertise. Spain leads global production followed by Italy and Greece, with these three countries accounting for approximately 75% of world olive oil output. The regional electricity grid relies on a mix of renewable energy from solar and wind installations alongside natural gas and coal-fired power plants. Manufacturing in these regions benefits from proximity to olive groves, reducing transportation emissions, and established supply chains for glass bottle production and filling operations.

Regional Variation

Manufacturing Region	Grid Intensity	Estimated CCI Score	Adjustment vs Default
Spain (Andalusia)	280 gCO2/kWh	72	-4%
Italy (Tuscany)	315 gCO2/kWh	75	0%
Greece (Crete)	450 gCO2/kWh	82	+9%
California, USA	260 gCO2/kWh	78	+4%
Australia	520 gCO2/kWh	85	+13%

Provenance Override Guidance

1. Cultivation practice documentation including fertilizer application rates, pesticide usage records, and irrigation system specifications to assess farming phase emissions.

2. Processing facility energy consumption data covering extraction equipment operation, temperature control systems, and facility lighting with renewable energy percentage breakdown.

3. Glass bottle specifications including recycled content percentage, bottle weight, and manufacturing location to calculate packaging-specific emissions.

4. Transportation documentation detailing shipping distances from grove to processing facility, processing to bottling, and distribution to retail locations.

5. Carbon sequestration accounting for olive tree plantations including tree age, density per hectare, and soil carbon storage measurements.

Methodology Notes

• The CCI score represents cradle-to-gate emissions for a 500ml glass bottle of extra virgin olive oil including cultivation, processing, packaging, and distribution to retail
• Scope 1 emissions encompass on-farm agricultural activities and direct fuel consumption during cultivation and harvesting operations
• Scope 2 accounts for electricity consumption in processing facilities, bottling operations, and cold storage requirements
• Scope 3 includes upstream fertilizer and pesticide production, glass bottle manufacturing, transportation, and end-of-life disposal impacts
• Carbon sequestration by olive trees is excluded from the baseline score but can significantly offset emissions in established groves
• Regional variations reflect differences in agricultural practices, grid electricity mix, and transportation distances
• Glass bottle recycled content assumptions use industry average of 30% recycled material in new bottle production