Waste Generated in Operations
Waste generated in operations encompasses the emissions associated with the disposal and treatment of waste produced by a company’s activities. This includes all forms of waste, from office paper and food waste to industrial by-products and electronic waste (e-waste). However, it excludes the disposal of products sold to customers, as this is accounted for in a separate category.
Where to Find the Data?
Businesses can track and quantify their waste generation through several means:
Accounting and/or ERP Systems: Look for waste disposal expenses.
Waste Recovery and Disposal Records: Many jurisdictions require businesses to maintain records of waste amounts and their disposal, especially for hazardous waste.
Purchase Records: Materials purchased can help estimate potential waste generation, particularly for items known to produce significant waste.
Data Format Template
For Spend-Based Calculations:
Currency: The currency of the transaction.
Price: Input the base price (excluding tax and markup). If unavailable, use a standard price.
Supplier name (Optional): For added detail and traceability.
Description (Optional): To categorize and understand the nature of each purchase.
Additional description (Optional): To provide additional details about the transaction if necessary
Emission factor (Optional): You can manually select an emission factor from EXIOBASE or enter a custom emission factor for spend-based calculations.
For Activity-Based Calculations:
The activity-based data entry form allows users to input detailed waste data:
Mandatory Fields:
Consumption Details:
Location: The country where the waste is generated or treated (mandatory).
Waste Type: Select from the following categories:
Construction
Electronics
Glass
Metal
Municipal Waste
Oil
Organic Waste
Paper
Plastic
Rubber
Textiles and Apparel
Wood
Wastewater
Consumption Unit: Weight-based units only (e.g., kilograms, metric tons).
Consumption Amount: A positive numerical value indicating the amount of waste generated.
Disposal Method: Select from the following options:
Recycling
Landfill
Incineration (waste-to-energy)
Incineration (no waste-to-energy)
Composting
Anaerobic Digestion
Wastewater Treatment
Hazardous Waste: Checkbox to indicate whether the waste is classified as hazardous.
Optional fields:
Supplier name (Optional): For added detail and traceability.
Description (Optional): To categorize and understand the nature of each purchase.
Additional description (Optional): To provide additional details about the transaction if necessary
Dependencies and Validations:
Dependencies and Validations
1. Location-Based Waste Type & Disposal Method Restrictions
• The available Waste Types and Disposal Methods depend on the selected location.
• If the location is the U.S., only EPA-approved waste classifications are available.
• If the location is outside the U.S., only Ecoinvent waste classifications are available.
2. Field Dependencies
• Waste Type cannot be selected before a location is chosen.
• Disposal Method cannot be selected before a location and waste type are set.
• If the Location is changed, both Waste Type and Disposal Method will reset.
• If the Waste Type is changed, the Disposal Method will reset based on availability.
3. Future Considerations
• Future updates may introduce waste subcategories, each with specific disposal method options.
With the ability to track both spend-based and activity-based data, you have the flexibility to choose the approach that best fits your operational realities and sustainability goals.