A review of the environmental impacts of meat and meat alternatives

Abstract

Awareness of the personal impacts individuals have on the environment is increasing in the United States. There are many different trends in the perception of how individuals can reduce their environmental impact. Examples include using metal straws instead of plastic straws, driving an electric car instead of a gas car, and eating meat alternatives instead of meat. This study primarily investigates the environmental impact of eating meat alternatives instead of meat. Life cycle analyses of the two most common meat alternatives--the Beyond Burger and the Impossible Burger-- were compared to life cycle analyses of beef. Life cycle analyses indicate that meat alternatives have significantly fewer GHG emissions than meat does. The LCA for the Impossible burger reports a 89% reduction in CO₂eq emissions over beef, while the Beyond Burger LCA reports a 90% reduction in CO₂eq emissions over beef.