EN2.5
Recycling
Environment
- Waste Management
Recycling
Recycling is the process of collecting, processing, and reusing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as waste. Instead of sending these materials to landfill or incineration, recycling converts them into new products, reducing the need for virgin raw materials and energy.
If users want to assess the emissions impact of their waste management practices, they can consult WRAP’s Carbon Waste and Resources Metric. However, it’s important to note that this metric is not designed for reporting Scope 3 emissions. For more information about principles for GHG accounting and reporting and three “scopes” of emissions, please visit EN1 Measuring Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions.
Key Value
£166
The monetised environmental value of carbon savings per tonne of waste diverted by recycling.
PLEASE NOTE: This value is not a “footprint” (i.e. carbon emissions) but a relative measure that can be used to quantify the carbon saving relative to any given treatment option for a given material / treatment combination.
The values are based on CarbonWARM2 which is the latest version of the Carbon Waste and Resources Metric developed by WRAP on behalf of Defra. This updated version provides conversion factors that enable organisations to assess the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with waste management practices, expressed in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). It serves as an essential tool for evaluating and improving waste management strategies.
When calculating the factors, closed loop recycling emissions are assumed to offset purchase of the same material (the closed loop is material to material, not product to product). Where open loop recycling is calculated, emissions are assumed to offset another material (e.g. open loop recycling of plastics is assumed to offset wood, as garden furniture and other wood substitutes are a common end fate of open loop recycled plastics).
The metric values are shown below. The value represents a carbon emission, while negative values represent a carbon saving.
Table 1 Carbon WARM, unnormalised values (tonnes.CO2e/tonne)
| Material | Closed loop recycling, source separated | Closed loop recycling, commingled | Open loop recycling, source separated | Open loop recycling, commingled |
| Paper | -0.147 | -0.097 | 0 | 0 |
| Cardboard | -0.071 | -0.043 | 0 | 0 |
| Glass | -0.571 | -0.443 | 0.003 | 0.009 |
| Steel | -1.234 | -1.02 | 0 | 0 |
| Aluminium | -7.454 | -5.92 | 0 | 0 |
| PET rigid | -0.918 | -0.816 | 0.211 | 0.194 |
| HDPE rigid | -0.749 | -0.669 | 0.211 | 0.195 |
| Rigid plastics average | -0.854 | -0.589 | 0.211 | 0.154 |
| Film plastics average | -0.796 | -0.549 | 0.211 | 0.154 |
| Wood | NA | NA | -0.485 | -0.482 |
| Textiles | NA | NA | -0.732 | -0.728 |
| Kitchen waste | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Garden waste | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Mixed organics | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Furniture | NA | NA | -0.239 | NA |
| Electricals – all | NA | NA | -0.978 | NA |
| WEEE – Large household | NA | NA | -0.843 | NA |
| WEEE – Refrigeration | NA | NA | -0.997 | NA |
| WEEE – Small household | NA | NA | -0.366 | NA |
| WEEE – IT and telecoms | NA | NA | -0.394 | NA |
| WEEE – Consumer | NA | NA | -0.855 | NA |
| WEEE – Display screen | NA | NA | -0.45 | NA |
| Batteries – alkaline | NA | NA | -3.045 | NA |
| Batteries – NiMh | NA | NA | 0.413 | NA |
| Batteries – lithium | NA | NA | 1.341 | NA |
| Sanitary & AHP | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Misc combustible | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Misc non combustible | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Rubble and aggregate | -0.001 | -0.001 | -0.001 | -0.001 |
| Incinerator bottom ash | NA | NA | -0.145 | -0.14 |
| Average | -1.28 | -1.015 | -0.289 | -0.05 |
These numbers represent the amount of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions or savings associated with each material. The higher the value, the greater the environmental impact. The average Carbon saving for four types of recycling is 658 kg.CO2e per tonne.
According to the 2021 carbon values from DESNZ/BEIS, Carbon values in 2020 prices per tonne of CO2: central series for 2023 is £252 or 25.2p per kgCO2e. For more information, please visit MeasureUp GHG Emissions value.
Average carbon emission per tonne of waste for recycling is –658kg.CO2e and Carbon values in £2020 prices per kg of CO2 is £0.252. Thus, the headline value is 658kg.CO2e*£0.252= £166 per tonne of waste for recycling.
This value represents carbon savings for recycling.
Local Needs Analysis Data Source
Before using this MeasureUp value, we encourage you to assess the local need in relation to the activity or outcome.
Here is the most useful initial data source for assessing local need in relation to this value.
To assess local needs related to the value EN2.5 ‘Recycling’, use the Household Recycling Rate from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
This indicator reflects the percentage of household waste that is recycled instead of sent to landfill. It is updated annually and available at local authority and regional levels, helping to evaluate the effectiveness of local waste management and sustainability efforts.
Bronze
Effort
Accuracy
Monetised value:
The monetised environmental value of carbon savings per tonne of waste diverted by recycling.
At the Bronze level, you should measure the amount of waste you have diverted by recycling, and use this to calculate the approximate carbon savings of your diverted waste.
Here is an example
:Assume as an organisation you diverted 100 tonne of waste by recycling. If you don’t know material of the waste, you can approximately calculate monetised value of the recycling as (100tonne* 658 kg.CO2e) *£0.252= £16,600
This value represents carbon savings for recycling.
Silver
Effort
Accuracy
At the Silver level, you should measure the amount of waste you have diverted from landfill by recycling by each type of material and use this to calculate the approximate carbon footprint of your diverted waste.
Table 1 Carbon WARM, unnormalised values (tonnes.CO2e/tonne)
| Material | Closed loop recycling, source separated | Closed loop recycling, commingled | Open loop recycling, source separated | Open loop recycling, commingled |
| Paper | -0.147 | -0.097 | 0 | 0 |
| Cardboard | -0.071 | -0.043 | 0 | 0 |
| Glass | -0.571 | -0.443 | 0.003 | 0.009 |
| Steel | -1.234 | -1.02 | 0 | 0 |
| Aluminium | -7.454 | -5.92 | 0 | 0 |
| PET rigid | -0.918 | -0.816 | 0.211 | 0.194 |
| HDPE rigid | -0.749 | -0.669 | 0.211 | 0.195 |
| Rigid plastics average | -0.854 | -0.589 | 0.211 | 0.154 |
| Film plastics average | -0.796 | -0.549 | 0.211 | 0.154 |
| Wood | NA | NA | -0.485 | -0.482 |
| Textiles | NA | NA | -0.732 | -0.728 |
| Kitchen waste | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Garden waste | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Mixed organics | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Furniture | NA | NA | -0.239 | NA |
| Electricals – all | NA | NA | -0.978 | NA |
| WEEE – Large household | NA | NA | -0.843 | NA |
| WEEE – Refrigeration | NA | NA | -0.997 | NA |
| WEEE – Small household | NA | NA | -0.366 | NA |
| WEEE – IT and telecoms | NA | NA | -0.394 | NA |
| WEEE – Consumer | NA | NA | -0.855 | NA |
| WEEE – Display screen | NA | NA | -0.45 | NA |
| Batteries – alkaline | NA | NA | -3.045 | NA |
| Batteries – NiMh | NA | NA | 0.413 | NA |
| Batteries – lithium | NA | NA | 1.341 | NA |
| Sanitary & AHP | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Misc combustible | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Misc non combustible | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Rubble and aggregate | -0.001 | -0.001 | -0.001 | -0.001 |
| Incinerator bottom ash | NA | NA | -0.145 | -0.14 |
| Average | -1.28 | -1.015 | -0.289 | -0.05 |
Here is an example
Assume and as an organization you diverted 100 tonne of paper from landfill and 100 tonne of cardboard by closed loop recycling, source separated. Thus, you can approximately calculate monetised value of the closed loop recycling, source separated as ((100tonne* 147 kg.CO2e) +(100tonne* 71 kg.CO2e)) *£0.252=£5,493.6
This value represents carbon savings for recycling.
Gold
Effort
Accuracy
At the Gold level, you would be expected to
- Measure more accurately using more specific data for you in-scope activities.
- Track the emissions or savings over time.
This will allow you to show your actual results over time against your estimates as outlined in Bronze and Silver. Think of this as assessing your forecast or budget against your actuals.
Here is an example
A company is assessing the environmental impact of its annual carbon savings from closed loop recycling, source separated different materials relative to landfill.
| Construction Material | Tonnes2023 | Tonnes2024 | Monetised Value in 2023 | Monetised Value in 2024 |
| Glass | 50 | 75 | (50 × 571) × £0.252 = 2 £7,191.06 | (75 × 571) × £0.252 = £10,786.95 |
| Steel | 100 | 120 | (100 × 1234) × £0.252 = £31,096.80 | (120 × 1234) × £0.252 = £37,316.16 |
| Aluminium | 100 | 80 | (100 × 7454) × £0.252 = £187,840.80 | (80 × 7454) × £0.252 = £150,272.64 |
| PET rigid | 500 | 400 | (500 × 918) × £0.252 = £115,668.00 | (400 × 918) × £0.252 = £92,534.40 |
| Total | – | – | £341,796.66 | £290,910.15 |
- A change of £50,886.51 means that the monetised benefit from avoided emissions has decreased in 2024 compared to 2023.
- This is likely because less aluminium and PET rigid were recycled in 2024, and those materials have higher emission-saving potential.
This value represents carbon savings for recycling relative to landfill.
Support in developing your Gold survey approach is available through the Measure Up partners, so please do reach out to Impact, State of Life or PRD.
| Value Type: | Activity |
What's this?
This is the type of value. Some values are outcomes, which means many different interventions might lead to them, others are specific interventions that have a set value. |
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| UN SDG Categories: |
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What's this?
The UN Sustainable Development Goals are global goals adopted in 2015 for all signed up nations to achieve for us to have a sustainable global future by 2030. There are 17 Goals that address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. The Goals are all interconnected, and in order to leave no one behind, it is important that we achieve them all by 2030. |
| 2020 Social Value Models: |
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What's this?
PPN 06/20 Taking account of social value in the award of central government contracts introduced the Central Government Social Value Model in 2020 which all Central Government contracting authorities must use in their in scope procurements. It consists of 5 themes, 8 policy outcomes, and 24 Model Award Criteria which outline key priority areas to achieve more social value. |
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What's this?
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Evidence
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