LCA of Chocolate Packed in Aluminium Foil Based Packaging

The life cycle of chocolate encompasses the whole food supply system including the cultivation of cocoa beans in tropical regions until its consumption in the household. Cocoa beans are transported to Europe by ship and processed to semi-finished cocoa products (butter, powder, liquor). The produced chocolate is packed in aluminium foil and paper, transported to the retailers where it is bought and transported to the household. Used packaging is partly recycled and partly disposed off in landfills or in an incineration plant. In the methodology used the content of recycled material for the packaging production has been considered and therefore no credits for recycling and energy recovery are given. Four different chocolate compositions are investigated in this LCA in more detail: dark, milk and white chocolate and chocolate with sultanas.