Environmental assessment of broccoli stalk revalorisation via pickling: An attributional and consequential LCA approach

Abstract

This study evaluates the environmental impact of revalorising broccoli stalks—typically used as animal feed—into pickled products. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted using attributional (A-LCA) and consequential (C-LCA) approaches, with a cradle-to-grave boundary and the EF 3.1 method. The A-LCA estimated a carbon footprint of 1.04 kg CO2eq/kg of packaged pickled stalk (drained weight), mainly from cultivation and packaging. The C-LCA, better suited for decision-making, considered the substitution of pickled cauliflower by pickled broccoli stalks and the additional demand for alfalfa hay, as stalks are no longer available for animal feed. This approach revealed environmental benefits in eight of ten impact categories, notably: mineral and metal resource use (net savings), freshwater ecotoxicity (−88.6 %), particulate matter (−74.9 %), and carbon footprint (−26 %). However, increased alfalfa hay production introduced trade-offs in fossil energy and water use. Revalorisation shows environmental potential, although further optimisation is needed to minimize burdens.