# How do I calculate the carbon footprint of empty hard capsules?

Canonical: https://senseible.earth/answers/empty-hard-capsule-carbon-footprint-per-kg

Add the gelatin or HPMC, colourants and water per kg of capsules using supplier figures, then the dipping, drying and printing energy. Climate-controlled drying rooms usually take much of it, so divide the plant's energy by kg of good capsules.

## Material

- Gelatin or HPMC.
- Colours and opacifiers.
- Printing ink and liners.

## Process

- Dipping pins into the solution.
- Drying under controlled temperature and humidity.
- Stripping, cutting, joining, printing and inspection.

## Per kg

Report per kg, or per lakh capsules by size. HPMC and gelatin carry different supplier figures, so state which.

## Worked example: plant energy per kg (one month)

- Electricity: 150,000 kWh x 0.710 = 106,500 kg CO2
- Kg dispatched: 30,000
- Plant total: 106,500 / 30,000 = 3.550 kg CO2 per kg
- Add gelatin or HPMC 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)
- [Pharma formulation footprint](https://senseible.earth/answers/pharma-formulation-carbon-footprint-per-1000-tablets)
- [Blister pack footprint](https://senseible.earth/answers/blister-pack-carbon-footprint-per-strip)
- [Chemical industry](https://senseible.earth/industries/chemical)

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 2026-10-21.