Do metalworking coolants count in our carbon footprint?
Coolant concentrate you buy is Scope 3 Category 1, and spent coolant sent to a recycler or treatment plant is Category 5. Coolant does not burn in normal use, so it adds nothing to Scope 1. Longer sump life cuts both lines.
What to record
- Litres of concentrate bought.
- Litres of spent coolant sent out, with the recycler's receipt.
Size
For most machine shops coolant is small next to electricity. Track it so the inventory is complete, not because it is large.
What Senseible does here
Senseible reads bills, fuel invoices and production records into dated, fingerprinted records, so the figure you send a buyer can be traced to its documents.
Sources: GHG Protocol Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard
Last reviewed 2026-10-22.