Track Waste

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

• Explain how to calculate emissions from waste.
• Explain Generated Waste records.
• Explain Waste Footprint records.

Having tracked NTO’s water usage data, Sam wants to focus on emissions from waste. The emissions happen due to waste generated from NTO’s operations, waste disposal, and the end-of-life treatment of NTO’s sold products. According to the GHG Protocol, waste-related emissions fall under either scope 1 or scope 3 category emissions.

Sam requests the admin to enable the Manage Waste-Related Data feature in Net Zero Settings. 

Calculate Emissions from Waste

Before beginning the waste-based emissions calculation, Sam requests the admin to upload the Waste Disposal Emissions Factors dataset via Load Reference Data from the setup page. The emissions factor data contains the emissions factor per waste type and waste disposal type.

Emissions from waste depend on the type of waste being disposed of (cardboard, food waste, plastic, or aluminum cans) and the waste disposal method (incinerated, landfilled, or recycled).

To calculate waste-related emissions, Sam must: 

1. Create Generated Waste records.
2. Create Waste Footprint records for a specific year and associate all applicable Generated Waste records to it.

A Generated Waste record is linked to either a Scope 3 Emissions Source or a Stationary Asset Environmental Source. The Waste Disposal Emissions Factor Set records are then connected to the Generated Waste record to calculate emissions from waste. Each Generated Waste record is also associated with a Waste Footprint record, which can have child Waste Footprint Item records. Similarly, each Waste Disposal Emissions Factor Set record can have multiple Waste Disposal Emissions Factor Set Item records.

Here’s an illustration of these waste-related records and their relationship with emissions source.

Sam can calculate emissions from third-party disposal and treatment of waste by using one of these methods.

• Supplier-specific method: Collect the waste-related scope 1 and scope 2 emissions directly from waste treatment companies.
• Waste-type-specific method: Capture the generated waste data, that is, the waste quantity specific to a waste type and disposal method, and apply waste-related emissions factors to calculate scope 1 or scope 3 emissions.

Create Generated Waste Records

Net Zero Cloud requires Sam to create Generated Waste records for all the waste that gets generated.

To create a Generated Waste record, Sam needs data for the following key fields.

• Waste Type
• Disposal Type
• Disposal Site Type
• Disposed Waste Quantity
• Disposed Waste Quantity Unit

Sam must specify the emissions source as either Stationary Asset Environmental Source or Scope 3 Emissions Source. While creating a Generated Waste record, Sam can either associate it with an existing Waste Footprint (more about this in a while) or create a new Waste Footprint.

The following generated waste fields are calculated based on the values Sam entered and the applicable emissions factors.

• Disposed Waste Quantity in tonnes
• Scope 3 Upstream Emissions from Waste Generated in Operations (tCO₂e)
• Scope 3 Downstream Emissions from End-of-Life Treatment of Sold Products (tCO₂e)
• Scope 1 Emissions (tCO₂e)

Let’s understand how the different fields and values affect the accounting of scope 3 emissions.

• If Sam associates a Stationary Asset Environmental Source record with a Generated Waste record, and specifies the field value for Disposal Site Type as Offsite, the emissions calculated are recorded in the field Scope 3 Upstream Emissions from Waste Generated in Operations (tCO₂e).
• If Sam associates a Stationary Asset Environmental Source record with a Generated Waste record, and specifies the field value for Disposal Site Type as Onsite, the emissions calculated are recorded in the field Scope 1 Emissions (tCO₂e).
• If Sam associates a Scope 3 Emissions Source record with a Generated Waste record, and specifies the field value for Disposal Site Type as Offsite, the emissions calculated are recorded in the field Scope 3 Downstream Emissions from End-of-Life Treatment of Sold Products (tCO₂e).

To calculate waste-based emissions, Net Zero Cloud uses waste-related emissions factors loaded in Waste Disposal Emissions Factor Set records. These emissions factors contain the following two entities that help with emissions calculation from waste.

• Waste Disposal Emissions Factor Set: Represents the emissions factors for waste handling associated with the stationary asset or scope 3 emissions source.
• Waste Disposal Emissions Factor Set Item: Represents the individual emissions factors for waste handling based on the waste type and disposal type.

A Waste Disposal Emissions Factor Set can have multiple Waste Disposal Emissions Factor Set Items, one for each waste type and disposal method, with specific emissions factor expressed in tCO₂e/metric ton units. For more information, see Create a Waste Disposal Emissions Factor Set Record.

Calculate Waste Footprints

A Waste Footprint record aggregates emissions from waste generated either as part of operations or during the end-of-life of a product. It is similar to a Carbon Footprint record. 

Sam creates a single Waste Footprint per year for NTO and then associates all Generated Waste records with it. Each Waste Footprint can have child Waste Footprint Items. These items aggregate emissions by Waste Type and Disposal Type.

To create a Waste Footprint record, Sam needs the following key details.

• Name: A name for the waste footprint.
• Footprint Stage: The latest workflow status of the waste footprint. The stages are identical to those on the water footprint and scope 3 carbon footprint.
• Report Period Detail: The details of the duration for which this footprint is generated. This includes Start Date, End Date, and the Reporting Year.
• Emissions Source: It can be either Stationary Asset Environmental Source or Scope 3 Emissions Source.
• Supplemental Emissions (tCO2e): To include emissions inputs for factors that aren’t covered in any of the records, Sam must enter values for the following fields:
  • Supplemental Scope 3 Upstream Emissions from Waste Generated in Operations (tCO₂e)
  • Supplemental Scope 3 Downstream Emissions from End-of-Life Treatment of Sold Products (tCO₂e)
  • Supplemental Scope 1 Emissions (tCO₂e)

While creating this waste footprint, Sam can choose to either associate it with an existing Annual Emissions Inventory or create a new one.

The following waste footprint fields are calculated by aggregating the generated waste records that are associated to the waste footprint record. 

• Generated Waste Detail Record Count
• Total Waste Quantity in Tonnes
• Scope 3 Upstream Emissions from Waste Generated in Operations (tCO₂e)
• Scope 3 Downstream Emissions from End-of-Life Treatment of Sold Products (tCO₂e)
• Scope 1 Emissions (tCO₂e)

For details on how to create a Waste Footprint, see Calculate Waste Footprints.

Having created the Waste Footprint record, Sam can see the total waste quantity and total GHG emissions for NTO for the reporting period on the waste footprint. If Sam creates or associates new Generated Waste records, or adjusts other supplemental emissions figures in the waste footprint, he can use the Recalculate option to recalculate the emissions numbers. He can lock the Waste Footprint record to ensure that it is not updated accidentally or by an automated process. This also locks the associated (or child) Generated Waste records.

All the records are ready. But how can Sam use these records to get the total emissions number for NTO? Sam creates an annual emissions inventory record for a specific year to roll up waste footprints from all sources and activities, along with carbon footprints for that year. For more information about inventory creation, see Science-Based Target Setting and Emissions Forecasting with Net Zero Cloud. 

Analyze Emissions from Waste

The Waste Management Dashboard in Net Zero Cloud provides insights into the carbon emissions generated by your organization’s waste.

Sam uses the dashboard to view NTO’s total waste disposed, by waste type and treatment. He can also see NTO’s total waste emissions, broken down by upstream or downstream activities.

Thanks to Net Zero Cloud, NTO can track its water usage and waste data efficiently and achieve net zero emissions. 

Resources

• Trailhead: Carbon Accounting for Scope 3 with Net Zero Cloud
• Trailhead: Science-Based Target Setting and Emissions Forecasting with Net Zero Cloud
• Salesforce Help: Calculate Waste Footprints
• Salesforce Help: Create a Waste Disposal Emissions Factor Set Record