Browsing by Author "Rivela Carballal, Beatriz"

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    Análisis de Ciclo de Vida (ACV) para la evaluación del comportamiento ambiental y el planteamiento de acciones de reducción de impactos ambientales del proceso de elaboración de leche entera UHT en una industria láctea cuencana
    (Universidad de Cuenca, 2025-05-15) Iglesias Ordóñez, María Lorena; Rivela Carballal, Beatriz
    This study applies the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to evaluate the environmental performance of producing one liter of whole milk packaged in polyethylene at an industry located in the Cuenca canton. This approach is based on a cradle-to-gate approach, employing the ReCiPe method. Data were collected directly from the industry by gathering information on daily operations and the consumption of inputs and raw materials, considering 2023 as the standard production year. The primary information was supplemented with secondary data from the ecoinvent database, contextualized to the reality of the dairy sector in the region under study. The results show a carbon footprint of 1,966 kg CO₂-Eq per liter of milk, from raw material procurement to industrial dairy processing. At the farm level, these activities represent 85.65% of total emissions, while at the industrial level, the contribution corresponds to 14.19%, equivalent to 0.279 kg CO₂-Eq per liter of milk. The analysis of industrial milk processing showed that the ultra-pasteurization stage accounts for the largest contribution to the footprint (46%). Regarding the activities at each stage, hazardous waste management (43.92%) tops the list, along with steam generation (25.22%). Finally, technical recommendations are proposed, both at the farm and industrial levels, for the effective reduction of environmental impacts.