Challenge
Bravilor Bonamat manufactures coffee machines of all types and sizes: filter coffee machines, espresso machines, fully automatic machines and hot-water dispensers. The family-owned company has also made sustainability a core strategy. And to communicate that strategy effectively, hard data is essential. That is why Hedgehog set to work measuring the environmental impact of two products, including the Bolero 11 coffee machine.
Approach
Hedgehog carried out a comprehensive cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), fully in accordance with ISO 14040/14044. To do this, we collected detailed data on more than 100 components. We modelled the production process (in the Netherlands and Poland), including the use phase. This study created a foundation for both internal decision-making and a future scale-up plan for efficient and broader LCAs.
Solution and Results
The LCA of the Bolero 11 identified the use phase as the largest source of environmental impact. This is mainly due to electricity consumption over the product’s entire lifespan. We also established that the depletion of abiotic resources—such as minerals and metals—occurs predominantly during the production phase, when metals, plastics and Printed Circuit Board Assemblies (PCBAs) are manufactured.
The LCA results provide Bravilor Bonamat with essential insights. With this quantitative foundation, they can formulate validated environmental claims and have specific recommendations at hand to improve energy efficiency.
