# How do I calculate the carbon footprint of an aluminium beverage can?

Canonical: https://senseible.earth/answers/aluminium-beverage-can-carbon-footprint-per-can

Most of a can's footprint is its aluminium: multiply the can and end weight by the coil supplier's per-kg figure, then add forming, washing, coating and curing energy. Divide the plant's energy by cans made and name the recycled share.

## Material

- Aluminium coil for the body and end.
- Inside lacquer and outside inks.
- Scrap returned to the coil supplier.

## Process

- Cupping and body making.
- Washing, coating and curing ovens.
- Necking, testing and palletising.

## Per can

Report per can by size. Recycled aluminium carries a much lower per-kg figure than primary metal.

## Worked example: aluminium can unit per can (one month)

- Electricity: 200,000 kWh x 0.710 = 142,000 kg CO2
- PNG: 80,000 SCM x 2.05 = 164,000 kg CO2
- Cans produced: 20,000,000
- Plant total: 306,000 / 20,000,000 = 0.0153 kg CO2 per can
- Add aluminium 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](https://senseible.earth/calculators/product-carbon-footprint)
- [Aluminium sheet footprint](https://senseible.earth/answers/aluminium-sheet-carbon-footprint-per-tonne)
- [Soft drink footprint](https://senseible.earth/answers/soft-drink-carbon-footprint-per-litre)
- [Aluminium industry](https://senseible.earth/industries/aluminium)

Sources: [GHG Protocol Product Standard](https://ghgprotocol.org/standards), [ISO 14067:2018, Carbon footprint of products (iso.org)](https://www.iso.org), [IPCC 2006 Guidelines, Volume 2 Energy (fuel defaults)](https://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2006gl/vol2.html), [CEA CO2 Baseline Database, version 21.0](https://cea.nic.in/cdm-co2-baseline-database/?lang=en)

Last reviewed 2026-10-20.