Introduction
Scope 3 Category 12 (End-of-Life Treatment of Sold Products) refers to the emissions from the disposal of products sold by your organisation. This is a crucial element of carbon accounting for companies selling products that will eventually be discarded, such as packaging or consumer goods. In this guide, we’ll walk through how to estimate emissions from paper waste disposal, using examples from Italy’s national averages, and provide context for other European countries like the UK, France, and Germany.
Data Needed for Estimating Scope 3.12 Emissions
To accurately calculate emissions for the end-of-life treatment of sold products, you’ll need to gather the following key data:
Total weight of products sold: The combined weight of all units sold that will eventually become waste (e.g., tonnes or kilograms).
Number of units sold: The number of individual units your organisation sold during the reporting period.
Disposal method breakdown: National waste disposal rates for the country where your products are used (e.g., recycling, landfill, incineration percentages).
Emission factors for each disposal method: These can be sourced from credible databases or your national environmental agency. Emission factors are often provided in kg CO₂e per kg of waste.
Type of waste produced: The specific material (e.g., paper, plastic, metal) as different materials have different emission factors.
Step 1: Identify the Total Weight of Sold Products For this example, assume your organisation sold 100,000 units of paper packaging, with each unit weighing 0.5 kg. The total weight would be:
Total weight = Units sold × Weight per unit
Total weight = 100,000 × 0.5 kg = 50,000 kg (or 50 tonnes)
Step 2: Determine Disposal Methods In Italy, paper waste typically follows these disposal methods:
Step 3: Apply Emission Factors Using fictitious emission factors:
Recycling: 0.02 kg CO₂e/kg
Landfill: 1.2 kg CO₂e/kg
Incineration: 0.7 kg CO₂e/kg
For each method:
Recycling emissions = 40,500 kg × 0.02 kg CO₂e/kg = 810 kg CO₂e
Landfill emissions = 7,500 kg × 1.2 kg CO₂e/kg = 9,000 kg CO₂e
Incineration emissions = 2,000 kg × 0.7 kg CO₂e/kg = 1,400 kg CO₂e
Step 4: Calculate Total Emissions Total emissions = 810 + 9,000 + 1,400 = 11,210 kg CO₂e (or 11.21 tonnes CO₂e)
Comparison with Other European Countries
For further context, waste disposal rates in key European countries include:
United Kingdom: 44% recycling, 8% landfill, 43% incineration (ISPRA Ambiente).
France: 46% recycling, 20% landfill, 30-35% incineration (ISPRA Ambiente) (ECCO).
Germany: 67-70% recycling, <1% landfill, 30% incineration(Gift).
Resources for National Averages on Waste Disposal:
ISPRA: Municipal Waste Report (Italy)(ISPRA Ambiente).
Comieco: Comieco’s Paper and Board Recycling Reports (Comieco).
Eurostat: Waste Statistics for Europe.
Conclusion
Estimating Scope 3.12 emissions requires accurate data collection and understanding of national waste disposal methods. With this guide, you can confidently estimate emissions from your organisation’s end-of-life treatment of sold paper products and compare your results with European counterparts. For further assistance, reach out to our support team at support@keyesg.com.
Next Steps
Consider strategies to improve the recyclability of your products or enhance the sustainability of your packaging to minimise emissions from landfill or incineration.