How do I calculate the carbon footprint of empty hard capsules?

Add the gelatin or HPMC, colourants and water per kg of capsules using supplier figures, then the dipping, drying and printing energy. Climate-controlled drying rooms usually take much of it, so divide the plant's energy by kg of good capsules.

Material

• Gelatin or HPMC.
• Colours and opacifiers.
• Printing ink and liners.

Process

• Dipping pins into the solution.
• Drying under controlled temperature and humidity.
• Stripping, cutting, joining, printing and inspection.

Per kg

Report per kg, or per lakh capsules by size. HPMC and gelatin carry different supplier figures, so state which.

Worked example: plant energy per kg (one month)

• Electricity: 150,000 kWh x 0.710 = 106,500 kg CO2
• Kg dispatched: 30,000
• Plant total: 106,500 / 30,000 = 3.550 kg CO2 per kg
• Add gelatin or HPMC 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
• Pharma formulation footprint
• Blister pack footprint
• Chemical 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 2026-10-21.