# Do metalworking coolants count in our carbon footprint?

Canonical: https://senseible.earth/answers/metalworking-coolant-emissions-scope-3

Coolant concentrate you buy is Scope 3 Category 1, and spent coolant sent to a recycler or treatment plant is Category 5. Coolant does not burn in normal use, so it adds nothing to Scope 1. Longer sump life cuts both lines.

## What to record

- Litres of concentrate bought.
- Litres of spent coolant sent out, with the recycler's receipt.

## Size

For most machine shops coolant is small next to electricity. Track it so the inventory is complete, not because it is large.

## What Senseible does here

Senseible reads bills, fuel invoices and production records into dated, fingerprinted records, so the figure you send a buyer can be traced to its documents.

- [Lubricants in Scope 1](https://senseible.earth/answers/do-lubricants-count-in-scope-1)
- [Waste in Category 5](https://senseible.earth/answers/waste-emissions-scope-3-category-5)

Sources: [GHG Protocol Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard](https://ghgprotocol.org/corporate-value-chain-scope-3-standard)

Last reviewed 2026-10-22.