How do I calculate the carbon footprint of a washing machine?
A washing machine is mostly bought-in parts: weigh the steel cabinet, plastic tub, motor and electronics per unit and multiply each by the supplier's figure. Add pressing, moulding, painting and assembly energy, then divide the plant's energy by machines built.
Bought-in parts
- Steel sheet for the cabinet and drum, or a stainless steel drum.
- Plastic tub, lid and control panel.
- Motor, pump, control board and wiring.
Making
- Press shop, drum welding and the paint or powder coating line.
- Injection moulding if tubs are made in-house.
- Assembly, water and spin testing.
Per unit
Report per machine by type and capacity, since a front loader and a semi-automatic top loader carry very different amounts of steel and plastic.
Worked example: washing machine unit per unit (one month)
- Electricity: 120,000 kWh x 0.710 = 85,200 kg CO2
- PNG: 8,000 SCM x 2.05 = 16,400 kg CO2
- Units produced: 15,000
- Plant total: 101,600 / 15,000 = 6.773 kg CO2 per unit
- Add steel, plastic, motor and board 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
- Electric motor footprint
- Injection moulding footprint
- PCB assembly footprint
- Automobile 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.