Carbon footprint analysis of personal electronic product-induction cooker

Carbon footprint, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and global warming are terms that have been gaining immense attention and significance globally. Electronic product category has always been highlighted as one of the important sources of GHG emissions. Product carbon footprint (PCF) of personal electronic products, in particular, receives low attention, and this might be because of the notion that small-scale products are assumed to create lesser environmental problems. However, it need not be the case, and hence an initial attempt has been made to conduct a PCF analysis of low-profile electronic product such as induction cooker and is presented in this chapter. The primary data used can be good inventory source for other environmental assessments also. PCF analysis was carried out covering raw material extraction; manufacturing and transportation phases (cradle to gate) of the studied product and the results are presented individually. The results reflected that raw material extraction stage contributed maximum carbon emissions, within which integrated circuits and printed circuit boards contributed the most. A sensitivity analysis was carried out for materials extraction and manufacturing phases as they contributed the maximum amount of carbon emissions. This sensitivity check describes the effects of input data and electricity on the final result. This kind of PCF analysis of small-scale personal electronic products is very much essential and is the key toward sustainable society.