# How do I calculate the carbon footprint of synthetic rope per kg?

Canonical: https://senseible.earth/answers/synthetic-rope-carbon-footprint-per-kg

A synthetic rope is mostly polymer: multiply the resin or yarn per kg of rope by your supplier's per-kg figure. Add extrusion, twisting and braiding electricity and packing, then divide the plant's energy by kg of rope dispatched.

## Material

- Polypropylene, nylon or polyester granules or yarn by weight.
- Masterbatch and UV additives.
- Process scrap reground or sold.

## Process

- Monofilament or tape extrusion lines.
- Twisting, stranding and braiding machines.
- Coils, reels and packing.

## Per kg

Report per kg of rope by polymer. Recycled granules usually carry a lower per-kg figure than virgin resin, so name the source.

## Worked example: synthetic rope unit per kg (one month)

- Electricity: 60,000 kWh x 0.710 = 42,600 kg CO2
- Rope dispatched (kg): 80,000
- Plant total: 42,600 / 80,000 = 0.532 kg CO2 per kg
- Add polymer and packing 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)
- [HDPE pipe footprint](https://senseible.earth/answers/hdpe-pipe-carbon-footprint-per-kg)
- [Tarpaulin footprint](https://senseible.earth/answers/tarpaulin-carbon-footprint-per-kg)
- [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 2026-10-20.