How do I calculate the carbon footprint of a toothbrush?

Weigh the handle and bristles per brush and multiply the PP and nylon by supplier figures, then add the pack. Add moulding, tufting and packing energy, then divide the plant's energy by brushes made.

Material

• PP handle, sometimes with a rubber grip.
• Nylon bristles.
• Blister or carton pack.

Process

• Injection moulding the handle.
• Tufting and end rounding.
• Blister packing.

Per brush

Report per brush including its pack, which can weigh as much as the brush.

Worked example: plant energy per brush (one month)

• Electricity: 30,000 kWh x 0.710 = 21,300 kg CO2
• Brushes made: 2,000,000
• Plant total: 21,300 / 2,000,000 = 0.0106 kg CO2 per brush
• Add resin, nylon and pack 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
• Injection moulding footprint
• Blister pack footprint
• Toothpaste 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.