Beyond Meat Burger Carbon Footprint & Environmental Impact

Per 20g Protein Serving (4 Ounces)
Carbon
Footprint
Square
Footprint
Water
Footprint
Top 3 1240
0.68 kg CO2e
6.37 ft2
1.13 Gallons
Beyond Meat 1200
Monthly Choice
Weekly Choice
Daily Choice
Best Choice
The Environmental Impact of a Beyond Meat Burger is 38.2 times lower than Beef.
12.7X
Less Carbon
43.3X
Less Land
58.6X
Less Water

Food Waste

Food waste increases the environmental impact of the Beyond Meat Burger by 25.0%

Consumers are estimated to waste on average 20% of all Beyond Meat Burgers purchased (USDA ERS, 2019; based on beef).

Food Waste 400
Food waste increases the environmental impact of the Beyond Meat Burger by 25.0%

Consumers are estimated to waste on average 20% of all Beyond Meat Burgers purchased (USDA ERS, 2019; based on beef).

Carbon Footprint

If you ate a Beyond Meat Burger every day for a year, you would use:

27.9

Gallons of Gasoline Equivalent

248.2

kg CO2e
Gas Can 800
If you ate a Beyond Meat Burger every day for a year, you would use:

27.9

Gallons of Gasoline Equivalent

248.2

kg CO2e

The Carbon Footprint of a Beyond Meat Burger is 0.68 kg CO2e per burger. The greenhouse gas emissions of a Beyond Meat Burger are 12.7 times lower than a beef burger.

  • 34.06 g CO2e / g protein

  • 6.01 kg CO2e / kg

  • 2.73 kg CO2e / lb

Carbon Footprint of Gasoline: 8.89 kg CO2e / gallon

  • Based on EIA (2016)

Carbon Footprint of a Beyond Beef Burger Delivered to Retail: 3.35 kg CO2e / kg

  • From Heller & Keoleiank (2018), which is a Cradle to Retail study on the Beyond Meat Burger. The study does not include food losses or energy used at the retail and consumer stages. The study does assume packaging disposal.

  • Retail and consumer stages are added in subsequent sections.

Carbon Footprint at Retail: 0.12 kg CO2e / kg

Retail to Home: 0.84 kg CO2e / kg

Cooking: 0.30 kg CO2e / kg

  • Cooked from 40 degrees fresh to 165 degrees internal for 6 minutes on a 1,600 g 12 inch aluminum frying pan on medium heat. Cooking time increases to 12 minutes to cook 5 or more burgers on the same pan. 

  • Heat capacity proxied with hamburger meat is 3.52 J / g*C (Engineering ToolBox, 2003)

  • Assumed fresh at 40 degrees.

  • Cooking time based on Capritto (2019)

  • For energy use calculators and the proportion of US Household size used to determine cooking proportions, see the “Carbon Footprint of Cooking” page.

  • Source: Carbon Footprint of Cooking

Food Loss: 2.58 kg CO2e / kg

  • Retail Loss: 4.3%

    • Retail Loss From Food Waste: 0.28 kg CO2e / kg

    • Carbon Footprint at Retail With Food Waste: 3.63 kg CO2e / kg

  • Consumer Loss: 20%

    • Loss After Cooking: 2.30 kg CO2e / kg

  • Carbon Footprint with Food Loss: 5.93 kg CO2e / kg

  • Source: Carbon Footprint of Food Waste Generated

Disposal: 0.08 kg CO2e / kg

Cradle to Grave Carbon Footprint: 6.01 kg CO2e / kg

Additional Assumptions:

  • Energy use from refrigeration at home is not considered. The electricity load of a refrigerator is considered separate from the foods placed inside of it, because it is assumed that every household has a refrigerator, regardless of how much food is in it. The individual load of opening the refrigerator for one item has been estimated to be around 2 g CO2e / opening (0.02 MJ / opening; Terrell, 2006), and thus does not meet the cutoff for sensitivity of carbon footprints set at 2 significant digits for kg CO2e.

Square Footprint

If you ate a Beyond Meat Burger every day for a year, you would use:

16

Parking Spaces Equivalent

2,325

ft2
Parking Spaces 800
If you ate a Beyond Meat Burger every day for a year, you would use:

16

Parking Spaces Equivalent

2,325

ft2

The Square Footprint of a Beyond Meat Burger is 6.73 ft2 per burger. The land use of a Beyond Meat Burger is 43.3 times lower than a beef burger.

  • 0.32 ft2 / g protein

  • 56.14 ft2 / kg

  • 25.46 ft2 / lb

Square-Footprint of an Average Parking Space: 144 ft2

  • Based on the average dimensions stated by Franklin Street (2019).

  • For parallel or perpendicular parking spaces, the average length is between 16-18 feet; the average width is between 7.9-9 feet.

Square-Footprint of a Beyond Meat Burger Delivered to Retail:

  • 0.45 m2 / burger (Heller & Keoleiank, 2018)

  • 42.87 ft2 / kg

  • Heller & Keoleiank (2018) is a Cradle to Retail study on the Beyond Meat Burger. The study does not include food losses or energy used at the retail and consumer stages. The study does assume packaging disposal.

Square-Footprint Calculations:

  • Based on the food waste of 23.4% (USDA ERS, 2019), it will take 30.5% more ingredients produced to deliver the nutrition of 1 burger consumed. Food waste data is proxied for beef.

Water Footprint

If you ate a Beyond Meat Burger every day for a year, you would use:

2.7

Hours in the Shower Equivalent

412.5

Gallons of Water
Shower 800
If you ate a Beyond Meat Burger every day for a year, you would use:

2.7

Hours in the Shower Equivalent

412.5

Gallons

The Water Footprint of a Beyond Meat Burger is 1.13 gallons per burger. The water use of a Beyond Meat Burger is 58.6 times lower than a beef burger.

  • 0.057 gallons / g protein

  • 10.0 gallons / kg

  • 4.54 gallons / lb

Water Footprint of Showering: 2.5 gallons per minute

  • Based on Home Water Works, (2019)

Water Footprint of a Beyond Meat Burger:

  • 3.27 liters / burger (Heller & Keoleiank, 2018)

  • Heller & Keoleiank (2018) is a Cradle to Retail study on the Beyond Meat Burger.  The study does not include food losses or energy used at the retail and consumer stages.  The study does assume packaging disposal.

Water Footprint Calculations:

  • Based on the food waste of 23.4% (USDA ERS, 2019), it will take 30.5% more ingredients produced to deliver the nutrition of 1 burger consumed. Food waste is proxied for beef.

  • Green and greywater are not listed because only blue water is directly linked to irrigation and unsustainable water withdrawal.

References

Caprito, A. (May 30, 2019). The Best Way to Cook the Beyond Meat Burger. CNET. See Link to Source

Energy Information Administration (EIA; February 2, 2016). Carbon Dioxide Emissions Coefficients. See Link to Source

Heller, M. C., & Keoleiank, G.A. (2018). Beyond Meat’s Beyond Burger Life Cycle Assessment: A Detailed Comparison between a Plant-Based and an Animal-Based Protein Source. CSS18-10.

Home Water Works. (2019). Showers. See Link to Source

Franklin Street. (May 23, 2019). How Large is a Parking Space? See Link to Source

Terrell, W. (2006). Energy Requirements of Refrigerators Due to Door Opening Conditions. International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference. Paper 836.

The Engineering ToolBox. (2003). Specific Heat of Food and Foodstuff. See Link to Source

USDA ERS: US Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. (2019). Loss-Adjusted Food Availability.