Environmental Impact Assessment of the Bioprocesses on the Plantain Supply Chain in Mexico

The waste, by-products, and rejects generated in the processing, distribution, and sale of bananas are not optimally utilized. If not properly managed, this organic waste can cause serious environmental problems. Between 24% and 40% of bananas are not marketed and end up in landfills until they decompose, mainly because they do not comply with export regulations. Although it is feasible to use this waste to produce flour and bioethanol, it is necessary to evaluate the potential environmental consequences of these processes. This study assessed the environmental viability of flour and bioethanol production from immature plantain within the plantain production chain in Mexico, using life cycle analysis (LCA). The functional unit for the agronomic stage was 1 kg of plantain produced for direct sale. In contrast, for the industrial processes, 1 kg of flour produced was used as the functional unit, with bioethanol as a co-product. A sensitivity analysis was performed by varying the allocation between mass and economic value, while holding the total product flow constant across scenarios. E-LCA was performed using SimaPro 9.6.0.1 with ReCiPe Midpoint (H) v1.13 and Ecoinvent v3.3 data. Monte Carlo simulations modeled input uncertainty using probability distributions, enabling variability/sensitivity analysis to support robust environmental results. The results showed that the transport of inputs, together with the use of machinery, fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides, has the most significant environmental impact during cultivation. In addition, the production of flour and bioethanol has substantial implications due to the complexity of the underlying technological processes. In conclusion, this work provides reliable environmental inventories and criteria to support decisions aimed at reducing environmental impacts in the banana marketing chain, thereby contributing to its sustainability and the circular economy.