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Waste Emissions & Emission Factors

Waste Emissions & Emission Factors

A step-by-step walkthrough of how to set up waste meters properly and input waste emission factors.

Last updated on October 7, 2025

You can define Waste Emission Factors in Scaler to support robust Scope 3, Category 5 reporting. These factors enable calculation and visualization of GHG emissions from waste in Performance dashboards and data exports.

How to Fill in Waste Emission Factors

Step 1: Define Waste Meter Details

Before you can add emission factors, your waste meters must be properly defined.

In the Scaler Platform

  1. Navigate to Data Collection Portal → Asset → Overview → Edit asset → Meters & Consumption → Waste Meters.
  1. Open a meter and select the Waste type (e.g. Paper, Food, Plastic, Mixed, etc.).
  1. Under Area type, confirm the operational control is set to Landlord Controlled where appropriate.
      2. Notion image

In the Scaler Spreadsheet

  1. Download the Scaler spreadsheet for your selected assets and include only the Waste tabs.
  1. Delete the “Waste Consumption” tab — only edit the “Waste Meters” tab.
  1. Update Waste type and Area type columns as needed.
  1. Upload the edited spreadsheet back into Scaler.

Step 2: Input Waste Emission Factors

In the Scaler Platform

  1. Go to Data Collection Portal → Portfolio → Emission Factors → Waste Emission Factors tab.
  1. Enable the waste emission toggle.
  1. Scaler automatically populates rows for each combination of Waste type and Source (disposal method).
  1. Enter the Emission Factor for each combination (per country, per year).
  1. Add the Reference (e.g., UK DEFRA 2024 or EPA GHG Factor Hub 2025) for auditability.
      2. Notion image

Important Notes

  • Only landlord-controlled meters appear in this table.
  • Waste type must be selected for each meter to generate a row.
  • You can download the table to Excel or copy-paste data directly from your source templates.
  • Hover over the unit icon in the EF entry table to confirm units:
      • All emission factors must be entered in kilograms of CO₂e per metric tonne (kg CO₂e / tonne).

Sourcing Emission Factors

Waste emission factors can be sourced from several credible public datasets. Below are the most common sources, example formats, and unit conversion guidance.

Source
Dataset
Access Link
Typical Unit
Conversion Required
🇬🇧 DEFRA (UK)
GHG Reporting Conversion Factors
kg CO₂e / tonne
No
🇺🇸 EPA (U.S.)
GHG Emission Factor Hub
Metric tons CO₂e / short ton
Yes — multiply by 1102.31
🇦🇺 Australia NGA
National Greenhouse Accounts Factors
t CO₂-e / t
Yes — multiply by 1000
🇪🇺 EEA (EU)
European Environment Agency Waste Data
varies
Confirm unit before entry
Notion image

Screenshot UK DEFRA GHG Conversion Factors

Notion image

Screenshot EPA GHG Emission Factors Hub

Converting Units

When necessary, convert emission factors using the correct multiplier before entering them into Scaler.

Source
Original Unit
Conversion to kg CO₂e / tonne
Formula
EPA (U.S.)
Metric tons CO₂e / short ton
Multiply by 1102.31
EF × 1102.31
Australia (NGA)
t CO₂-e / t
Multiply by 1000
EF × 1000
UK (DEFRA)
kg CO₂e / tonne
No conversion needed
EF × 1

Examples of Converting Units

Guidance on Sourcing and Validation

  • Always cross-check the unit listed in your data source — CO₂e values can be expressed per short ton, metric ton, or kilogram.
  • Convert all values to kg CO₂e / tonne before uploading.
  • Record your data source and year in the “Reference” column for auditability (e.g., DEFRA 2024, EPA 2025, NGA 2023).
  • If you’re uncertain about conversions, you can use a verified calculator or an AI assistant (e.g. ChatGPT) to double-check unit conversions.

Where You’ll See the Results

Once entered, Scaler automatically calculates and surfaces emissions in:

  • Data Collection Portal → Company → Performance → Scope 3 → Category 5: Waste generated in operations
      • Notion image
  • Data Export field: scope_3_category_5_landlord_controlled_waste_emissions_kgco2e
      • Notion image

Only emissions from landlord-controlled waste meters are included.

Tenant-controlled meters are excluded from both dashboards and exports.

📘 Summary

Step
What to Do
Where
1️⃣
Define waste type and area type for each meter
Asset → Overview → Meters & Consumption
2️⃣
Source verified factors and convert to kg CO₂e / tonne
EPA / DEFRA / NGA / EEA
3️⃣
Enable and enter emission factors
Portfolio → Emission Factors → Waste
4️⃣
View results
Performance → Scope 3 → Category 5
 
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