There is no point reaching for a calculator that cannot show its working. This one starts from pet bottles, plastic bags, shampoo / shower gel / cosmetics bottles, cotton swabs, disposable cutlery, detergent, cleaning products bottles, food wrappers, toys, furnitures etc., plastic plates, refill packets, straws, take-away plastic box, take-away plastic cup, toothbrushes, toothpastes and yogurt containers and reports which is… and total, so you can see how each answer follows from the numbers you entered.
What Is the Plastic Footprint Calculator?
The plastic footprint calculator works out which is... and total from pet bottles, plastic bags, shampoo / shower gel / cosmetics bottles, cotton swabs, disposable cutlery, detergent, cleaning products bottles, food wrappers, toys, furnitures etc., plastic plates, refill packets, straws, take-away plastic box, take-away plastic cup, toothbrushes, toothpastes and yogurt containers.
Biological relationships are usually approximations rather than exact laws, so the output is best treated as an estimate with a sensible range around it.
How the Plastic Footprint Calculation Works
The calculation applies the relationship as published, step by step, so each intermediate value can be checked against the underlying theory.
Keep the units consistent throughout. Mixing a percentage with a proportion is the single most common source of an answer that is out by a factor of a hundred.
Assumptions Worth Knowing
Any relationship used here assumes a constant rate, a representative sample, or a stable population. Real populations rarely meet those conditions for long, so treat the answer as a guide.
Where the inputs are field measurements, a single misread value can shift the result noticeably. Measure carefully and record what you used.
A Worked Example
Working through an example, with pet bottles set to 10, plastic bags set to 5, shampoo / shower gel / cosmetics bottles set to 2, the calculator returns total of 2,442,161.5, and which is... of 183,162,112.5. Substitute your own figures and the same steps produce the same kind of answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to work out which is...?
Enter pet bottles, plastic bags, shampoo / shower gel / cosmetics bottles, cotton swabs, disposable cutlery, detergent, cleaning products bottles, food wrappers, toys, furnitures etc., plastic plates, refill packets, straws, take-away plastic box, take-away plastic cup, toothbrushes, toothpastes and yogurt containers. The calculator then works through the relationship and reports which is... and total.
What does the plastic footprint actually calculate?
It takes pet bottles, plastic bags, shampoo / shower gel / cosmetics bottles, cotton swabs, disposable cutlery, detergent, cleaning products bottles, food wrappers, toys, furnitures etc., plastic plates, refill packets, straws, take-away plastic box, take-away plastic cup, toothbrushes, toothpastes and yogurt containers and converts them into which is... and total using the standard relationship for this problem. Each step is applied in turn, so every output is traceable back to the numbers you typed in.
How should I enter pet bottles?
Use the value you actually have, in the unit shown next to the field. Enter every value in the same unit system. The calculator assumes the figures you supply are consistent, so it cannot correct a mistake that happens before the calculation starts.
Does anything you type get stored?
No. The whole calculation runs inside your browser, and nothing you enter is uploaded, logged or sent anywhere.
Can I use this for a quick estimate as well as a precise answer?
Yes. The calculator is built for quick checks, so round your inputs to a sensible number of significant figures and the result will be just as useful. If you need more precision, keep the same method and add digits to the inputs rather than adjusting the method itself.