# How do I calculate the carbon footprint of self-adhesive labels?

Canonical: https://senseible.earth/answers/self-adhesive-label-carbon-footprint-per-square-metre

Multiply the label stock used, including matrix waste and liner, by your supplier's per-square-metre or per-kg figure. Add printing ink, press electricity and UV curing, die cutting and rewinding, then divide plant energy by square metres of labels passed.

## Materials

- Face stock: paper, PP or PE film.
- Adhesive and silicone release liner, which is often thrown away by the user.
- Inks, varnish and foil.

## Process

- Flexo or digital press with UV or hot air dryers.
- Die cutting and matrix stripping.
- Slitting, rewinding and cores.

## Per square metre

Report per square metre of printed labels; buyers can convert to per label from the label size.

## Worked example: label plant per square metre (one month)

- Electricity: 35,000 kWh x 0.710 = 24,850 kg CO2
- Square metres of labels passed: 700,000
- Plant total: 24,850 / 700,000 = 0.0355 kg CO2 per square metre
- Add label stock, liner and ink 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)
- [Offset printing footprint per tonne](https://senseible.earth/answers/offset-printing-carbon-footprint-per-tonne-of-print)
- [Printing ink footprint per kg](https://senseible.earth/answers/printing-ink-carbon-footprint-per-kg)

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.