Industrial Waste Incineration

Industrial residues that cannot go to landfill — contaminated plastics, solvent-laden materials, synthetic process waste — often end up in an incinerator, and their combustion carries the second highest incineration factor in the Australian accounts: 1.649 t CO₂-e per tonne, reported under Scope 1 by the incinerator operator.

The number is high for a simple reason: the NGA method assumes 90% of the carbon in industrial waste is fossil in origin, so almost every kilogram of CO₂ leaving the stack counts.

Quick Verdict

Industrial waste incineration has an emission factor of 1.649 t CO₂-e per tonne under the Australian National Greenhouse Accounts Factors 2025, reported under Scope 1 by the organisation operating the incinerator. The factor applies to the 2025–26 Australian reporting year and counts only fossil-origin CO₂: industrial waste is assumed to be 50% carbon, of which 90% is fossil — plastics, solvents and synthetic residues. Manufacturers with on-site incineration and specialist waste treatment facilities are the typical reporters. Biogenic CO₂ is excluded and reported separately. A Scope 1 and 2 calculator can apply the factor directly from throughput records.

How to Calculate Industrial Waste Incineration Emissions

Emissions (t CO₂-e) = Industrial waste incinerated (tonnes) × 1.649

Worked Example 1: Manufacturing plant

A manufacturer incinerates 60 tonnes of process residues on site during the year.

60 t × 1.649 = 98.94 t CO₂-e (Scope 1)

Worked Example 2: Waste treatment facility

A specialist facility incinerates 250 tonnes of industrial waste in the reporting year.

250 t × 1.649 = 412.25 t CO₂-e (Scope 1)

Worked Example 3: Small residue stream

A chemicals business incinerates 5 tonnes of contaminated packaging waste.

5 t × 1.649 = 8.25 t CO₂-e (Scope 1)

Industrial Waste vs Other Incinerated Streams

All factors from NGA Factors 2025. The spread follows each stream’s fossil-carbon share, measured in CO₂-equivalent terms. For comparison, sending commercial and industrial waste to landfill carries 1.3 t CO₂-e per tonne as a Scope 3 factor for the generator.

NGER and AASB S2 Reporting

Incineration CO₂ is Scope 1 for the operator, so it counts toward NGER facility and corporate thresholds. Under AASB S2 climate disclosures, operators report it within Scope 1, while generators using third-party incineration should assess it within material Scope 3 categories. Keep weighbridge and throughput records as the audit trail and apply the NGA Factors 2025 value consistently across periods.