Waste Disposal

Based on UK statistics on waste, the UK generated 222.2 million tonnes of total waste in 2018, an increase of 1.8% from the 218.3 million tonnes generated in 2016. England contributed significantly to this total, generating 187.3 million tonnes of waste in 2018, which represents an increase of 1.4% from 2016 and accounts for 84% of the UK’s total waste. These statistics highlight the importance of waste diversion in managing the growing volume of waste and mitigating its environmental impacts. By improving waste diversion practices, the UK can address the increasing waste generation and enhance its efforts towards sustainability and resource conservation.

Waste disposal figures should be used for end-of-life disposal of different materials using a variety of different disposal methods.

This value links to the Master Value EN1 GHG Emissions value.

EN1.3.8

Waste Disposal

Environment
  • Measuring GHG Emissions

Key Value

252 per tCO2e or 25.2p per kgCO2e

The monetised value of CO₂e emissions for waste disposal

  • Construction: Aggregates: £0.31 per tonne
  • Organic: Household residual waste: £125 per tonne
  • Metal: mixed cans: £2.3 per tonne
  • Plastic: average plastics: £2.3 per tonne
  • Paper and board: mixed: £293 per tonne

This value represents a cost or disbenefit through the creation of the GHGs emitted.

Conversion factors should be used to report Scope 3 emissions for waste disposal. For more information about principles for GHG accounting and reporting and three “scopes” of emissions, please visit MeasureUp EN1 GHG Emissions value.

According to the 2021 carbon values from DESNZ/BEIS, Carbon values in £2020 prices per tonne of CO2: central series for 2023 is £252 per t CO₂e or 25.2p per kg CO₂e. For more information, please visit MeasureUp GHG Emissions value.

UK government’s Greenhouse Gas Conversion Factors – 2024 reports the kgCO2e for waste disposal for different activities and materials. Access the data.

Waste disposal figures should be used for end-of-life disposal of different materials using a variety of different disposal methods.

Landfill
Activity Material Unit kg CO2e Monetised Value
Construction Aggregates tonnes 1.23 £0.31
Organic Household residual waste tonnes 497 £125
Metal Metal: mixed cans tonnes 9 £2.3
Plastic Plastics: average plastics tonnes 9 £2.3
Paper Paper and board: mixed tonnes 1164 £293

Please visit the government conversion factors for greenhouse gas reporting website for further guidance.

This value represents a cost or disbenefit through the creation of the GHGs emitted.  The value should therefore not be presented as a positive value or added to an overall social value figure.

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 waste disposal, 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:

At the Bronze level, you should calculate the approximate CO2 emissions from waste disposal.  Represent the cost or disbenefit of the emissions for end-of-life disposal of different materials using landfill.

Here’s an example

A company is assessing the environmental impact of its annual waste disposal across different business units.

At its construction division, the company procures 500 tonnes of general construction material annually. It selects the ‘Aggregates’ material type, which has an emissions factor of 1.23 kg CO₂e per tonne and a monetised carbon value of £0.31 per tonne.

  • Annual emissions: 500 × 1.23 = 615 kg CO₂e
  • Monetised carbon value: 500 × £0.31 = £155

At a separate site focused on consumer goods packaging, this company procures 100 tonnes of packaging made from mixed metal cans. This material has a much higher emissions factor of 9 kg CO₂e per tonne, with a monetised carbon value of £2.3 per tonne.

  • Annual emissions: 100 × 9 = 900 kg CO₂e
  • Monetised carbon value: 100 × £2.3 = £230

Total monetised value from material use for this company is £230+£155 = £385

Silver

Effort

Accuracy

Monetised value:

At the Silver level, you should calculate the emissions by activity, by type of material based on their origin, as each produces different levels of carbon emissions. Represent the cost or disbenefit of the emissions for end-of-life disposal of different materials using landfill.

UK government’s Greenhouse Gas Conversion Factors – 2024 reports the kgCO2e by activity, by type of material based on their origin. Access the data.

Activity List of Materials
Construction Aggregates; Average construction; Asbestos; Asphalt; Bricks; Concrete; Insulation; Metals; Soils; Mineral oil; Plasterboard; Tyres; Wood
Other Books; Glass; Clothing
Refuse Household residual waste; Organic: food and drink waste; Organic: garden waste; Organic: mixed food and garden waste; Commercial and industrial waste
Electrical items WEEE – fridges and freezers; WEEE – large; WEEE – mixed; WEEE – small; Batteries
Metal Metal: aluminium cans and foil (excl. forming); Metal: mixed cans; Metal: scrap metal; Metal: steel cans
Plastic Plastics: average plastics; Plastics: average plastic film; Plastics: average plastic rigid; Plastics: HDPE (incl. forming); Plastics: LDPE and LLDPE (incl. forming); Plastics: PET (incl. forming); Plastics: PP (incl. forming); Plastics: PS (incl. forming); Plastics: PVC (incl. forming)
Paper Paper and board: board; Paper and board: mixed; Paper and board: paper

Here’s an example

A construction company is assessing the environmental impact of its annual waste disposal across different materials to landfill.

Landfill
Activity Material Tonnes kg CO2e per tonnes Monetised Value
Construction Bricks 500 1.2 (500* 1.2)*£0.252= £151
Construction Concrete 1000 1.2 (1000*1.2)*£0.252=£302
Construction Insulation 1000 1.2 (1000*1.2)*£0.252=£302
Construction Metals 5000 1.3 (5000*1.3)*£0.252=£1,638
Total Monetised Value £2,393

Gold

Effort

Accuracy

Monetised value:

At the Gold level, you would be expected to

  • Measure more accurately using more specific data for you in-scope activities.
  • Track the emissions over time. Steps in tracking emissions (choosing a base year and recalculating base year emissions) are explained in detail in the GHG Protocol Chapter 5 – Tracking Emissions Over Time

Here’s an example

A construction company is assessing the environmental impact of its annual waste disposal across different materials to landfill.

 Lets assume that they dispose wastes to landfill in 2023 and in 2024 they dispose the wastes to open or closed-loop if available.

  • Open-loop recycling is the process of recycling material into other products.
  • Closed-loop recycling is the process of recycling material back into the same product.
Landfill Open/Closed-loop
Construction

Material

 tonnes kg CO2e per tonnes kg CO2e per tonnes Monetised Value in 2023 (Landfill) Monetised Value in 2024 (Open/Closed-loop)
Bricks 500 1.2 1 (500* 1.2)*£0.252= £151 (500* 1)*£0.252= £126
Concrete 1000 1.2 1 (1000*1.2)*£0.252=£302 (1000*1)*£0.252=£252
Insulation 1000 1.2 1 (1000*1.2)*£0.252=£302 (1000* 1)*£0.252=£252
Metals 5000 1.3 1 (5000*1.3)*£0.252=£1,638 (5000* 1

)*£0.252=£1260
Total Monetised Value £2,393 £1,890

The monetised value of the reduction in greenhouse gas emission from 2023 to 2024 for material usage is £2,393 – £1,890 = £503.

Gold+

Effort

Accuracy

Monetised value:

In the Gold+ level of GHG emission values, you can focus on better management and improvement of your reporting on the GHG emissions.

The following steps could be useful: 

  • Set clear targets and a target date 
  • Provide resources to take the actions necessary to meet your target 

Environmental Reporting Guidelines: In the  Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting Guidance (SECR) there are two types of targets outlined:  

  • An absolute reduction target which compares absolute figures in the target year to the base year 
  • An intensity target based in an appropriate other unit or normalising factor (e.g. kgCO2e per km/miles driven) 

For more information please visit Environmental Reporting Guidelines: Including streamlined energy and carbon reporting guidance (SECR). 

The actions under Gold+ for the environmental values in MeasureUp are also in line with the eighth Principle of Social Value ‘Be Responsive’ which represents the imperative for organisations to respond to impact measurement or ‘Social Value accounts’ with action to improve positive impact and decrease negative impact. Users of this Standard will create a structured ‘impact management approach’ that can guide decision making at strategic, tactical, and operational levels to optimise impacts on wellbeing. 

Value Type: Activity What's this?
UN SDG Categories:
  • 11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • 13. Climate Action
 What's this?
2020 Social Value Models:
    • MAC 4.1 Additional environmental benefits
    • MAC 4.2 Influence environmental protection and improvement
    • Policy Outcome 4: Effective stewardship of the environment
    • Theme 3: Fighting Climate Change
 What's this?
2025 Social Value Models:
What's this?

Evidence

Measure Up focuses on empowering you to numerically measure the impact you’re having. We recommend that numeric reports are backed up with stories and other types of evidence to help illustrate, in human terms, the impact that’s being made on individuals.

We recommend seeing consent from one or more participants in your intervention to collect and tell their story. This should include a little background on the participant, a summing up of life before the intervention, the human impact of the intervention, and the longer term (if known) impact on the person’s life outside of, and after, the intervention.

Providing photographs, audio recordings, video interviews or even artefacts from the intervention (for example, writing, paintings, music, etc from creative interventions) can add more colour, and convey the emotional impact of interventions more directly.

In some cases it’s appropriate to anonymise or abbreviate the personal information of case study participants. No story should be published or shared without the recorded consent of the individual(s) it concerns. Individuals continue to own the rights to their stories and if they request you stop sharing the story or making it available online you should do so promptly and without need for justification.

More help

We want to empower anyone to perform and improve their impact measurement – without needing a degree in economics.

If you need any more help, or just someone to do the legwork for you we can help signpost you to software, training and consultancy to help you get to grips with the impact you’re having.

Data Sources