CO₂ Equivalents Calculator

How are these values calculated? We've provided an approximate breakdown of the CO₂e per ton of each waste type sent to landfills. These values provide a starting point but can vary depending on the waste composition, landfill technology, and local conditions:

• Organics: ~0.5 to 0.75 tons CO₂e per ton, primarily due to methane emissions during anaerobic decomposition.
• Plastics: ~1.0 to 1.5 tons CO₂e per ton, as plastic does not decompose fully but contributes to emissions indirectly via energy-intensive processes.
• Metals: Typically <0.1 tons CO₂e per ton. Metals are inert and don’t decompose, but mining and production of metals are CO₂-intensive.
• Glass: <0.1 tons CO₂e per ton. Like metals, glass is relatively stable, but energy-intensive production contributes indirectly to CO₂e.
• Hazardous Waste: This varies greatly based on the type of waste. Generally, 0.1 to 0.5 tons CO₂e per ton as disposal can require additional treatments or energy-intensive incineration processes.
• PPE: ~1.0 to 1.3 tons CO₂e per ton, depending on composition (often a mix of plastic and organic fibers), with similar characteristics to mixed plastics waste.
• EPA Equivalents: A medium growth coniferous or deciduous tree, planted in an urban setting and allowed to grow for 10 years, sequesters 23.2 and 38.0 lbs of carbon, per year respectively. For miles driven, the EPA and DOT use a common conversion factor of 8,887 grams of CO2 emissions per gallon of gasoline consumed.

*Water bottle equivalants are estimated as a 1L PET bottle and has a benchmark climate footprint of 0.31 kg CO₂e/kg.