Eco-Efficiency Assessment: Small-Scale Enterprise Toward Sustainable Industrial Practices

Abstract

The growth of the small-scale food industry, particularly micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), has contributed to increased waste generation and carbon emissions, which could have negative environmental impacts. This study aims to evaluate the environmental impact and the eco-efficiency level of 1 portion of the chicken noodle production process at D’Mie Maspit Sukoharjo, which is based on the principles and framework of ISO 14040, integrated with eco-efficiency to evaluate the overall life cycle across all stages. The analysis using SimaPro 9.5.0. The results indicate that the total carbon footprint reaches 17,91kg CO₂/day, with the largest contribution originating from LPG and electricity consumption. The carbon footprint is treated as one of the impact indicators, focusing on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and expressed in CO₂-equivalent units. So, the carbon footprint results are used to describe the contribution to the climate change category, while the overall LCA results cover various environmental impacts. The transportation and fossil fuel-based production stages are identified as the primary hotspots within the system. In the packaging stage, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is the dominant contributor to environmental impacts, particularly in the climate change and resource depletion categories. The eco-efficiency analysis shows strong performance: EEI of 2,136; EVR of 0,135; and EER of 87%. These results indicate that the product is economically viable and environmentally sustainable. Implications of this research are that consideration should be given to focusing on energy efficiency, environmentally friendly packaging, and better waste management to reduce environmental impact while maintaining economic performance.