You produce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from this activity if your organization uses any paper products. This is a Scope 3 (indirect) emission.
Tip: Using recycled paper lowers your carbon emissions.
Enter data about your paper consumption into Climate Smart to calculate the emissions from your inventory period.
On this page:
- Examples of emission sources
- Prepare the data you need
- Find your emissions data
- Enter data into your inventory
Examples of emission sources
Not sure if you should report this emission source? Here are some examples of paper consumption that you should consider tracking in your inventory:
- Brochures, cards, or physical newsletters that are printed for marketing campaigns or subscription services
- Office printers, fax machines, and photocopiers
Prepare the data you need
Choose one of the following options based on the type of paper you use. If your organization prints on office and other paper, add separate entries for each type.
Remember to collect information for the relevant inventory period.
Option 1: Other paper types
If your organization uses other types of paper besides standard office paper, you’ll need to know:
- Paper weight (kilograms or pounds)
- Amount of CO2 (use the paper calculator to measure this amount in pounds)
- Paper type (for example, uncoated freesheet or paperboard)
- Percentage of recycled content
Option 2: Office paper
If your organization uses standard office paper, you’ll need to know:
- Paper size (for example, 8.5” x 11”)
- Percentage of recycled content
- Number of reams (packages of 500 sheets) of paper (for example, one box contains 10 reams of paper)
- The paper bond weight (indicates the paper quality – unless you know otherwise, assume it’s 20 pounds)
Find your emissions data
Not sure where to find the data you need? Try the following suggestions:
Ask your accounting department
Your accounting department might already have the information you need! Ask your team about collecting data for your emissions inventory.
Check summary reports, receipts, or order invoices
If you buy paper from an office supply company, your summary reports, receipts, or order invoices include important information you need for your inventory, such as:
- Paper type
- Percentage of recycled content
- Number of reams
- Paper bond weight
If your business has an online account with your office supply company, you might be able to download a spreadsheet with your purchase history. You might also find these reports on your printer, photocopier, or the package of paper.
Paper weight – use a scale
Does your business use other paper types? Use a scale to calculate the total weight.
For example, you can weigh one catalogue on a mail scale. Multiply this amount by the total number of catalogues to find the weight of paper you printed on.
Pounds of carbon equivalents (CO2e) – use the paper calculator
To find out how many pounds of carbon equivalents (CO2e) your business produced, use an online paper calculator.
Use an equation for the number of reams
To find out how many reams of paper your business used, follow this equation:
Number of sheets of paper used / 500 = Number of reams used
Enter data into your inventory
When you’re ready to track emissions from this activity, you can start entering the data you’ve collected into Climate Smart.
Add this activity to your inventory
Before you can enter information about your emissions, you need to add this activity to your inventory. Learn how to add new activities to your inventory.
Add an entry to your inventory
To enter your data into Climate Smart:
- Choose a calculation method:
- If your organization is measuring other paper types, select Other Paper Types and enter your information into Climate Smart.
- If your organization is measuring office paper, select Office Paper and enter your information into Climate Smart.
- Enter the start and end dates of the activity you’re measuring. These dates will usually match the start and end dates of your inventory period.
- Enter how much the paper cost (including taxes). If this amount is an estimate, select the checkbox next to Cost is estimate. Tell us if you paid in Canadian Dollars (CAD) or United States Dollars (USD) from Currency the drop-down list.
- Under Description, enter information such as:
- Paper supplier
- Paper type
- In the Note box,enter optional information including any details that might be helpful for you (or your Climate Smart Advisor, if applicable) in the future.
- When you’re done, click ADD ENTRY. Your entry will appear in the table below.
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