Sustainability in Tequila Production: A Life Cycle Assessment

Tequila, one of Mexico's most emblematic products, has seen a steady growth in production and exports over the last 25 years. Environmental sustainability in its production is becoming increasingly significant. This is due to consumers' growing awareness of the environment. Life cycle analysis of its industrial stage can be a useful tool to assess and improve the sustainability of its production. Therefore, this research seeks to obtain an environmental overview of the industrial process of a 700 mL bottle of 100% Reposado tequila aged for 6 months in oak barrels. The research showed that a bottle aged for 6 months generates 2.27 kg of CO2 eq, an impact comparable to other spirits. The most impactful stages, responsible for most emissions, are bottling, distillation, cooking, and the agave farming phase. The low level of glass recycling in Mexico, the use of fuel oil, and the lack of clean energies aggravate the impact and increase emissions. The final conclusions highlight the need to increase the use of clean energy, reduce the use of fossil fuels, and promote recycling to improve sustainability.