Developing a carbon footprint calculation method for product life cycle based on low-carbon design: A case study of the STAGE Bluetooth speaker
In the field of low-carbon design, the collection and quantitative analysis of carbon footprint data are vital for reducing the environmental impact of products. This paper proposes a carbon footprint calculation method based on the product life cycle, using Cleer's STAGE Bluetooth speaker as a case study. By integrating greenhouse gas (GHG) emission data from the GaBi database with the life cycle assessment (LCA) theory and the PAS 2050 standard, a carbon emission quantification model and calculation method for Bluetooth speakers have been developed. Results indicate that the STAGE Bluetooth speaker has a total carbon footprint of 227.01 kgCO₂e across its life cycle. The use stage contributes the most (72.77%, 165.2 kgCO₂e), followed by transportation (25.23%, 57.28 kgCO₂e), raw material acquisition (3.78%, 8.6 kgCO₂e), and production (1.82%, 4.13 kgCO₂e). The recycling of materials results in a net reduction of -3.6% (-8.2 kgCO₂e). The research demonstrates that improving energy efficiency and substituting materials are crucial strategies for reducing the carbon footprint of electronic products. This method offers a theoretical basis for low-carbon design in similar products and serves as a reference for assessing the carbon footprint of other electronic devices in industrial applications.
Authors
- Shanliang Yao
- Yantao Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8521-5355)
- Yuwei Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1016-7361)
Institutions
- University of Nottingham Ningbo China (CN)
- University of Malaya (MY)
- Wuhan Institute of Technology (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- PLoS ONE
- Published
- 2025-08-20
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0327576
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Green IT and Sustainability
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.73