Carbon Footprint Assessment of Restaurant: A Case Study in Debrecen, Hungary

Abstract

The objective of this study is to assess and identify the hotspots of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from a restaurant in Debrecen. The study employed concepts of life cycle assessment to evaluate and analyze the carbon footprint from a sample of restaurants using purposive selection. Emission activities assessment covered the processes of food preparation, cooking, dining-in, and waste generation. Greenhouse gas emissions were categorized into three types: 1) Direct GHG emissions, 2) Energy Indirect GHG emissions, and 3) Other Indirect GHG emissions. The results from the sample restaurant revealed a total GHG emission of 40,695.15 kgCO2e/year. The hotspot activities with the highest emissions in the sample restaurant were the use of electrical energy, which accounted for 71% of the total emissions, followed by organic waste and packaging at 18% and 6%, respectively.