Opportunities for Improving the Environmental Profile of Silk Cocoon Production under Brazilian Conditions

Abstract

Brazilian silk production is amongst the five largest in the world. Nonetheless, there is no life cycle assessment study on silk cocoon production and its upstream processes, pertaining to the mulberry production (fundamental upstream process for silk production), in the existing literature. The objective of this study was to identify opportunities to improve the environmental profile of mulberry and silk cocoon production under Brazilian conditions. To that end, a life cycle assessment was conducted for the core processes of mulberry and silk cocoon production and upstream processes of raw material production, using the ReCiPe method for life cycle impact assessment using nine impact categories. Overall, the mulberry production showed greater impacts than the cocoon production for the impact categories analyzed. A few opportunities for improving the environmental profile of mulberry and silk cocoon production under Brazilian conditions included replacing the Kraft paper used to cover the rearing beds, replacing the standard tractor used to fetch mulberry leaves, replacing light bulbs, conducting a more sustainable mulberry and cocoon production, and setting a reverse logistics system for plastic and paper packaging waste. Nevertheless, many of these measures are long-term strategies. Besides, many of them need further economic feasibility assessment.