How to measure emissions from Waste plastic

What counts as Waste plastic

Plastic waste generated by an organisation's operations, identified by polymer resin type (HDPE, LDPE/LLDPE, PET, PP, PS, PVC) where known, or reported as average plastic film or average plastic rigid where the resin type is not identified.

This page covers plastic leaving the organisation as waste, whether recycled, sent for energy recovery or disposed of. Because plastic emission factors vary significantly by polymer, use the specific resin sub-type (such as PET or HDPE) whenever your waste contractor identifies it, rather than defaulting to the average plastics sub-type — reserve the average options for streams that genuinely arrive mixed or unidentified. Litre and tonne units are both available because some contractors measure by container volume and others by weight; wherever possible, use the tonnage figure from a weighbridge or contractor certificate rather than converting a volume yourself, since no standard density factor is provided on this platform.

What activity data you need

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

• litre
• tonne

Which emission scope it falls under

Waste plastic 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 9 sub-types available in the platform.

• Waste: Average plastic film
• Waste: Average plastic rigid
• Waste: Average plastics
• Waste: HDPE incl. forming
• Waste: LDPE and LLDPE incl. forming
• Waste: PET incl. forming
• Waste: PP incl. forming
• Waste: PS incl. forming
• Waste: PVC incl. forming

Data entry options

• waste type

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

Full list of data entry options

Common questions

Why does plastic waste have both litre and tonne units, and which should I use?

Litre exists for contractors who measure by container volume; tonne is preferred wherever a weighbridge or contractor weight certificate is available, since weight-based data sits higher in the data hierarchy than volume-based estimates.

Do I need to identify the specific polymer type, such as HDPE or PET, for each stream?

Use the specific resin sub-type whenever your contractor identifies it, since it gives a more accurate picture than a blended average; reserve 'Waste: Average plastics' or the film/rigid averages for streams that are genuinely mixed or unidentified.

What if my plastic waste is collected mixed with no breakdown by resin type?

Report the tonnage under 'Waste: Average plastics', or under 'Waste: Average plastic film' or 'Waste: Average plastic rigid' if the mix is predominantly one form, and switch to a specific resin sub-type once your contractor can provide that breakdown.

Is packaging plastic sent to a materials recovery facility still counted as waste?

Yes — any plastic leaving the organisation for recycling, recovery or disposal counts as waste activity data here, regardless of whether it is ultimately recycled, incinerated with energy recovery, or landfilled.

How do I convert a skip volume in litres to a tonnage figure for reporting?

Ask your waste contractor for their measured or contracted conversion, since plastic density varies too much by type and compaction to apply a single assumed factor; use their weight certificate rather than estimating one yourself.