How do I calculate the carbon footprint of wire nails per kg?

Multiply the wire rod per kg of nails by the steel supplier's figure, then add drawing, nail making, polishing and packing energy. Divide the unit's energy by kg dispatched.

Material

• Wire rod by weight.
• Drawing lubricant.
• Packing.

Process

• Wire drawing.
• Nail making machines.
• Polishing drums and packing.

Per kg

Report per kg. The wire rod usually carries most of the footprint.

Worked example: wire nails unit per kg (one month)

• Electricity: 20,000 kWh x 0.710 = 14,200 kg CO2
• Kg dispatched: 200,000
• Plant total: 14,200 / 200,000 = 0.0710 kg CO2 per kg
• Add wire rod 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
• Steel wire drawing footprint
• Are steel nails covered by CBAM
• 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.