Mixed paper and card recycling emission factor by year
| Year | Scope 3 (kg CO2e per tonne) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4.6536 | -0.7% |
| 2025 | 4.6857 | -26.9% |
| 2024 | 6.4106 | -69.9% |
| 2023 | 21.281 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 21.280 | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 21.294 | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 21.317 | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 21.354 | – |
Total kg CO2e for the seven greenhouse gases, from the official DESNZ files for each year. 2026 factor ID: 20_506_5450_15_1. Where a factor jumps sharply between two years, it is usually because DESNZ changed its method or data source, not because the activity itself changed.
Worked example
Take an office recycling 5 tonnes of paper and card a year. 5 tonnes × 4.6536 kg CO2e = 0.02 tonnes CO2e, reported as Scope 3, category 5 (waste generated in operations).
How to report it
The recycling factor only covers transport to the recycling plant. The benefit of making new products from recycled material is counted by whoever buys it, not in your footprint.
Where the data comes from
You'll usually find it in your waste contractor's reports, in tonnes. Keep the source documents: anyone checking your Carbon Reduction Plan or SECR report may ask how each figure was worked out.
Read more about how the factors change each year in our guide to the 2026 conversion factors, or see how we apply them in our methodology.
Related emission factors
- Commercial waste to landfill: 520.58 kg CO2e per tonne
- Commercial waste to energy recovery: 4.6536 kg CO2e per tonne
- Water supply: 0.19130 kg CO2e per cubic metre
- All UK emission factors