How do I calculate the carbon footprint of a cushion cover?

Take the fabric per cover, including cutting waste, and multiply by your mill's per-metre or per-kg figure. Add zips, piping, any embroidery or print, stitching, pressing and packing, then divide the unit's energy by covers passed.

Materials

• Face and back fabric per cover from the cutting plan.
• Zips, piping cord and labels.
• Embroidery thread or print paste, where used.

Making

• Cutting, stitching and overlock machines.
• Pressing and folding.
• Poly bags, inserts and cartons.

Per piece

Report per cover by size, and keep the filler cushion separate if you sell it filled.

Worked example: home textile unit per cover (one month)

• Electricity: 15,000 kWh x 0.710 = 10,650 kg CO2
• Covers passed: 60,000
• Plant total: 10,650 / 60,000 = 0.177 kg CO2 per cover
• Add fabric and trims for the full figure

Inputs are illustrative; use your own bills and production records.

What Senseible does here

Senseible reads the plant's electricity bills (CEA grid factor 0.710 kg CO2 per kWh, CO2 Baseline Database version 21.0) and fuel invoices (IPCC 2006 defaults) into a fingerprinted Scope 1 and 2 record, the plant-level input to a per-unit figure. Bought-in materials go to the supplier evidence trail; product reports are self-declared drafts.

• Product carbon footprint calculator
• Cotton bed sheet footprint per set
• Terry towel footprint per kg
• Textile industry

Sources: GHG Protocol Product Standard, ISO 14067:2018, Carbon footprint of products (iso.org), IPCC 2006 Guidelines, Volume 2 Energy (fuel defaults), CEA CO2 Baseline Database, version 21.0

Last reviewed 2026-10-20.