How do I calculate the carbon footprint of a tinplate food can?

Multiply the tinplate per can (body and two ends) by the steel supplier's figure, then add slitting, welding, lacquering and curing energy. Divide the plant's energy by cans made, stated by can size.

Material

• Tinplate sheet for body and ends.
• Inside lacquer and outside print.
• Sealing compound.

Process

• Slitting, body welding and flanging.
• Lacquer and print curing ovens.
• End making and testing.

Per can

Report per can by size. The tinplate usually carries most of the footprint.

Worked example: tinplate can unit per can (one month)

• Electricity: 80,000 kWh x 0.710 = 56,800 kg CO2
• PNG: 20,000 SCM x 2.05 = 41,000 kg CO2
• Cans produced: 5,000,000
• Plant total: 97,800 / 5,000,000 = 0.0196 kg CO2 per can
• Add tinplate 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
• Aluminium beverage can footprint
• Retort pouch meal footprint
• Steel 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.