How to measure emissions from Waste textiles

What counts as Waste textiles

Textile waste generated by the organisation — including mixed clothing waste and end-of-life footwear — sent for treatment or disposal. Excludes the purchase of new textile materials or apparel (see Textiles or Apparel), which is recorded as a separate purchased-goods activity.

Waste textiles pairs with the Textiles and Apparel purchased-goods entries: use those for new material and garment purchases, and this entry only for textiles the organisation discards, whether uniforms, workwear or footwear reaching end of life. A dedicated end-of-life LCA sub-type exists for some products (such as trainers), which should be used only where you are running a genuine product life-cycle assessment rather than routine organisational waste reporting, where the general mixed clothing waste sub-type is usually more appropriate.

What activity data you need

Collect the most specific physical unit available. Unit definitions are in Appendix I — Description of Units.

• tonne
• Unit

Which emission scope it falls under

Waste textiles activity data typically maps to Scope 3 Category 5 under the GHG Protocol. Confirm organisational boundary and ownership before reporting.

Sub-types available in the platform

All 2 sub-types available in the platform.

• Shoe: Trainer (pair) End of Life (LCA)
• Waste: Clothing: Mixed

Data entry options

• waste type

  Select waste type when entering waste textiles activity data in the platform.

Full list of data entry options

Common questions

We run a uniform take-back scheme — how should returned uniforms be recorded?

Record the tonnage or unit count confirmed by your textile recycler or take-back partner, using the mixed clothing waste sub-type unless a more specific end-of-life sub-type matches the exact product (as with certain footwear lines).

Should offcuts and unused stock from garment production be recorded as textile waste?

Yes, if your organisation manufactures or has garments manufactured and generates offcuts or unsold stock that is discarded, record the tonnage under this entry rather than treating it as a purchased-goods reduction.

Does donated clothing (not disposed of) count as waste?

No — items diverted to reuse via donation are not waste; only textiles genuinely discarded for treatment or disposal (including recycling) should be recorded here. Donation pathways may be worth noting separately as a circularity initiative.

How do we handle footwear with a specific end-of-life LCA sub-type versus general mixed clothing waste?

Use the specific end-of-life sub-type only where the product genuinely matches (e.g. a named trainer line with a life-cycle assessment); for general workwear and uniforms, the mixed clothing waste sub-type is the appropriate default.

What waste type options apply to textile waste?

The waste type option lets you record the treatment route (e.g. recycling, landfill, incineration) as confirmed by your recycler's consignment note; select the route that matches the actual outcome rather than your organisation's stated policy intent.