Scope 3.5 - Waste generated in own facilities
Why Scope 3.5 “Waste Generated in Operations” Matters
Scope 3.5 includes all emissions from the third-party treatment and disposal of waste generated by your operations—covering both solid waste and wastewater—after it leaves your company.
Understanding this category will help you identify hidden impacts linked to waste handling and empower you to target reductions through improved processes and supplier/partner selection.
What’s Included in Scope 3.5?
- All waste leaving your own operations (production, office, and other facilities) handled by external providers—including landfill, incineration, recycling, composting, and wastewater treatment.
- Only covers waste management done by third parties (not your own sites’ direct emissions).
Key Principle: If you generate waste and someone else manages it, include it here.
Typical data points to collect:
- Type of waste: (e.g., paper, plastic, metals, hazardous waste, organics, e-waste, general refuse, wastewater)
- Amount of waste: For each type and destination, in kilograms or tons (or, for wastewater, cubic meters/liters)
- Waste treatment method: (e.g., landfill, incineration, recycling, composting, wastewater treatment)
- Name and/or location of waste management service provider (optional, but can improve accuracy)
Understanding Data Quality in Scope 3.5 and Why Continuous Improvement Matters
Data quality for waste is about the specificity and traceability of waste quantities and treatment paths. You might start with annual totals by waste type, but aim to improve by separating sources (e.g., plant vs. office), detailing waste streams, and working with providers to confirm treatment methods. Over time, encourage suppliers to provide certificates of treatment/destruction or recycling, and review whether specific facilities use energy recovery or advanced landfill technology.
- Spend-based: You start by collecting your waste spend (what you paid the provider). Quick, but broad and not waste type specific.
- Average-based: Here, you track actual quantities (“X kg of waste type y”). This produces a much more accurate and nuanced emissions profile.
- Treatment-Specific: The optimal approach—your waste disposer supplies you the exact GHG emissions for your waste (increasingly common with leading waste companies)
Data Collection Steps: A Collaborative Approach
- Map Your Waste Streams
- Gather data from your internal waste logs, facility records, and invoices from waste contractors.
- Classify and Quantify
- For each waste stream: identify the material, quantify disposal amounts, and record the method/destination (landfill, recycling, etc).
- Document Service Providers
- Collect details or reports from your primary waste contractors and, where available, ask for documentation of treatment methods.
- Track Yearly Improvements
- Aim to increase detail, accuracy, and source separation each year for better transparency and reduction potential.