Scope 3 is the largest and broadest category, covering indirect emissions across your entire supply chain. For food companies, this often includes emissions from purchased ingredients, packaging, waste disposal, and third-party logistics. Scope 3 emissions capture the impact of your whole business operation and often represent the largest share of emissions.
Why Some Categories Are Included (WRAP Guidance)
WRAP guidance suggests focusing on Scope 3 categories that make up the majority of your emissions. Including high-impact categories gives a fuller view of your supply chain impact:
Included, With Practical Guidance:
Purchased Goods: for each item you purchase (ingredients, packaging), record its weight in kg or tonnes, with any supplier-provided emissions data. Logging items separately by type is preferred to avoid data gaps.
Waste Disposal: track waste in kg each month, noting disposal methods (e.g., landfill, recycling, composting). This helps capture variations across different waste streams.
Transportation: record kilometres travelled or weight of goods transported by third-party logistics providers.
Excluded:
Smaller Emissions Sources: offfice supplies and other low-impact items are typically excluded unless they significantly impact your emissions.
Data Collection Table
Category | Examples | Suggested Units | Data Source | Input Guidance |
Purchased Goods | Ingredients, packaging materials | Kilograms (kg), tonnes | Supplier invoices, purchase orders | Record the type and total weight of each purchased item, using mass and volumetric units (kg, g, tonnes, litres) as much as possible. |
Waste Disposal | Food waste, packaging waste | Kilograms (kg), tonnes | Waste contractor logs, internal records | Track waste amount and disposal method (e.g., landfill, recycling). |
Transportation and Distribution | Third-party logistics providers | Kilometres, kg of goods | Delivery records, contracts | Log the distance travelled and total weight of goods transported. |
Example: Fresh Bites Deli
Fresh Bites Deli records data on each type of ingredient and packaging purchased, noting weight in kg for precise tracking. They also log monthly waste data, separating food and packaging waste and their disposal methods. For third-party logistics, they track both distance travelled and total weight for each delivery.