Introducing CU
[CarbonUnit]
A new, relatable way to measure your environmental impact one item at a time.
By Natcycle, based on iWARM tool by EPA.
What is CarbonUnit (CU)?
CarbonUnit (CU) is a simple, universal score that tells you how much carbon impact you’ve helped avoid by diverting waste away from landfills.
Every item we throw away, whether it’s food, paper, plastic, or glass has a carbon cost. This cost includes the emissions released when the item is produced, transported, used, and finally dumped. But when you recycle, compost, or repurpose, you reduce those emissions. CarbonUnit lets us track that saved impact in one simple number.
For Everyday People
Think of CarbonUnit as your eco-points. Every time you recycle or divert waste, CU gives you credit for the amount of climate damage you helped prevent.
Divert 1 lb of food waste? You might earn 3.9 CU.
Recycle 1 lb of glass? You get 0.02 CU.
Compost your kitchen scraps? More CU.
You don’t need to understand all the science. just know: the more CU you earn, the more carbon you save.
For Academics and Experts
CU is built on carbon diversion values modeled from EPA’s iWARM (Waste Reduction Model), which quantifies greenhouse gas savings from alternative waste pathways (e.g., recycling vs. landfill).
While not a full Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), CU focuses specifically on end-of-life emissions,a key factor in climate-focused circular economy models. It translates metric tons of COâ‚‚e (MTCOâ‚‚e) into a simple, relative scale for use in apps, dashboards, and civic impact scoring systems.
For Government, Municipalities, and Sustainability Partners
CU helps translate waste diversion into tangible climate performance. Cities and communities can:
Quantify the carbon benefit of their waste programs
Identify which materials yield the most savings
Track progress over time, using a transparent, normalized metric
It can also serve as a tool for reporting green impact to state or federal programs, and support the development of circular waste policies.
How CU Compares to Other Models
| Feature / Tool | LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) | iWARM (EPA) | CU (CarbonUnit) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope | Cradle-to-grave (full product life) | End-of-life only | End-of-life only |
| Stages Covered | Extraction, production, use, waste | Landfill vs. recycling/compost | Based on iWARM-type data |
| Focus Area | All environmental impacts | Energy & carbon savings | Carbon savings only (user-facing) |
| Use Case | Industrial design, compliance | Waste program modeling | Public engagement & education |
| Output Format | Complex reports | BTUs and MTCOâ‚‚e | CU points per material |
Frequently Asked Questions
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CU stands for Carbon Unit, a simple metric that tells you how much carbon impact you’ve helped prevent by diverting waste from landfills. It’s based on how much greenhouse gas emissions would’ve been released if the material wasn’t recycled or repurposed.
We use CU because it gives us a relatable way to measure your positive environmental impact. Every material has a different carbon footprint—some like food waste release more emissions, others like glass release less. CU captures that difference and helps track your contribution to reducing climate change.
CU is only about carbon. It doesn’t cover other kinds of waste impact, like:
How hard it is to move or handle the waste
How much space it takes up
How reusable or valuable it is locally
What CU Does Not Measure (Yet)
CU is only about carbon. It doesn’t currently measure:
Volume or weight handling costs
Local labor or spatial burden
Reusability or remanufacturing potential
We’re building toward a more complete framework in the future—one that includes social, logistical, and economic impact of waste.
How You Can Use CU Today
Track your personal climate action
Compete in community impact leaderboards
Support recycling programs with real-time data
Educate others with a visible metric of change
Whether you’re a student, business, or policymaker—CU bridges the gap between action and impact.
Powered by Natcycle
CarbonUnit is part of the Natcycle platform designed to make waste diversion easy, measurable, and rewarding.
Let’s make sustainability visible, social, and scalable.
One CarbonUnit at a time.