Plastics emission factors
Plastics are derived from petrochemical feedstocks, and their carbon footprint varies by polymer type, production process, and recycled content. Common packaging plastics range from 1.5 kg CO₂e per kg (recycled PET) to 3.5 kg CO₂e per kg (virgin polystyrene). The production phase typically dominates the lifecycle footprint, though end-of-life treatment, particularly incineration, adds further emissions.
Why it matters for carbon reporting
Plastics appear across virtually every supply chain, from packaging and retail to automotive and construction. With Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) reforms increasing the cost of non-recyclable packaging, understanding the emission factors for different polymers helps businesses make informed material choices that reduce both carbon and compliance costs.
Practical example
A personal care brand switches its shampoo bottles from virgin HDPE (3.1 kg CO₂e/kg) to 100% post-consumer recycled HDPE (1.4 kg CO₂e/kg). Across 2 million bottles per year using 30g of plastic each, the change saves 102 tCO₂e annually.
How to reduce plastics emissions
- 1Maximise post-consumer recycled content in packaging specifications
- 2Consider material substitution to lower-carbon polymers where feasible
- 3Design packaging for mono-material recyclability
- 4Reduce overall plastic weight through lightweighting
Sample emission factors
View allCalculate your plastics emissions
EcoHedge automatically applies the correct emission factors to your financial data. Connect your accounting software and get your carbon report in hours.