FAQs

What is The Carbon Offset Company?

The Carbon Offset Company helps businesses and people offset their carbon footprints. We offer consultation to our network of certified carbon credits, offer a way specifically for business and organizations to give back in a way that is smart for their business through 3rd party verified tree planting projects. Whether you're looking for certified carbon credits, a business looking to increase sales, or an individual looking to live with a clear conscience - join us in our journey to help the planet!



How do you calculate carbon emissions?

The Carbon Offset Company utilizes global standards for calculating carbon emissions for our business partners. For offsetting individuals, we go by the average of carbon output of United States of America citizens.



What is the calculation behind individual offsets?

Our carbon offset packages for individuals and families include one month of driving, eating, shopping, phone use and household energy use
Driving - 845.11 lbs C02 Food - 459.22 lbs CO2 Energy - 1,377.89 lbs CO2 Phones - 1,285.96 lbs CO2 Shopping - 1,521.19 lbs CO2 Netflix - 317.47 lbs CO2 Total - 5,806.84 lbs CO2 Driving Breakdown A typical passenger vehicle emits about 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. This assumes the average gasoline vehicle on the road today has a fuel economy of about 22 miles per gallon and drives around 11,500 miles per year. Every gallon of gasoline burned creates about 8,887 grams of CO2. 4.6 MT = 10,141.3 lbs per year 10,141.3 / 12 = 845.11 lbs CO2 per month Food Breakdown The average person, with a diet including meat, dairy, fruits and vegetables and cereals emits 5511.56 lbs of CO2 per year. This means that over one month an individual would emit 459.22 lbs CO2 5511.56 lbs CO2 / 12 months = 459.22 lbs CO2 per month Energy Breakdown The average household emits 16534.7 lbs of CO2 per year including laundry, showers, heating and cooling and appliances. This means that over one month an individual would emit 1,377.89 lbs CO2 16534.7 lbs CO2 / 12 months = 1,377.89 lbs CO2 per month Phone Breakdown If a person uses their phone for one hour per day over a year they would emit 3086.47 lbs of CO2. The average person spends 3-5 hours per day on their phone. Which means over a year the average individual would emit 15,432.4 lbs of CO2 for phone usage. 3086.47 lbs CO2 x 5 hours = 15,432.4 lbs of CO2 If we divide 15,432.4 lbs CO2 over a year by 12, we get emissions per month. 15,432.4 lbs CO2 / 12 months = 1285.96 lbs CO2 per month Shopping Breakdown Let’s assume the average person shops for clothing about once per month. We know the average plane emits 115grams of carbon per kilometer, let’s assume the clothing came from 6000km away. 115 grams CO2 per km x 6000km = 690,000 grams of CO2 In order to change grams of CO2 to metric tons of CO2 we use the conversion factor 0.0000001 690,000 grams of CO2 x 0.0000001 = 0.69MT CO2 0.69MT = 1521.19 lbs CO2 per month Netflix Breakdown Every half hour of Netflix watched emits 1.6kg of CO2. Since the average person watches 1.5 hours of Netflix per day, we multiply emissions per hour, by hours per day to get total emissions per day. 1.5 hours per day is equal to 3,30 minute segments. 1.6kg CO2/ half hour x 3 half hours = 4.8kg CO2 per day Over one month we would emit 144kg CO2. 4.8kg CO2 x 30 days = 144kg CO2 per month In order to change kg of CO2 to metric tons of CO2 we use the conversion factor 0.001 144kg CO2 x 0.001 = 0.144 MT CO2 0.144 MT = 317.47 lbs CO2 per month Total Breakdown In total over one month the average person would emit 5806.84 lbs CO2 845.11 lbs + 459.22 lbs + 1,377.89 lbs + 1,285.96 lbs + 1,521.19 lbs + 317.47 lbs = 5806.84 lbs CO2
Trees Offset

For individual offsets, The Carbon Offset Company focuses primarily on mangrove projects. These trees are crucial to the coastal areas they grow in and can sequester up to 4x more carbon than other trees. On average, a single mangrove will remove 679 lbs of carbon in its 25 year lifespan.
9 Trees x 679 lbs = 6,111 lbs carbon offset Link - Car Emissions - https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/greenhouse-gas-emissions-typical-passenger-vehicle
Link - Food Emissions - https://www.greeneatz.com/foods-carbon-footprint.html
Link - Phone Emissions - https://nypost.com/2019/05/01/a-year-of-cell-phone-use-emits-as-much-CO2-as-two-round-trip-flights/
Link - Household Emissions - https://www.ccfpd.org/Portals/0/Assets/PDF/Facts_Chart.pdf
Link - Carbon Emission of Planes - https://www.carbonindependent.org/22.html
Link - Carbon Emissions of Netflix - https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/half-hour-of-netflix-leads-to-emissions-of-1-6kg-of-co2-equivalent-climate-experts-11572240109579.html
Link - Average Time on Netflix - https://time.com/4186137/netflix-hours-per-day/ Link - Trees Offset Calculation - https://raidboxes.io/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Carbon-Sequestration-in-Mangroves.pdf Help contribute and sign up here!



What is the calculation behind company offsets?

The Carbon Offset Company calculates our partners' carbon footprint using a standardized questionnaire concerning employee counts, energy usage, transportation usage (including shipping), and events. Sign up for a consultation here if you're simply looking to add tree planting into your business model, or sign up for a consultation here if you're looking for certified carbon credits.



How does my company get involved?

The Carbon Offset Partnership Program is a flexible way for your company to give back in a way that's smart for your business. Whether that means going through a consultation to offset your company's carbon footprint in its entirety, finding a way to contribute on a per sale / service basis, or another creative way, your company can capitalize on a growing market of eco-friendly buyers and give back profitably. Sign up for a consultation here to add tree planting into your business model. Or sign up for a consultation here if you're looking for certified carbon credits.



Does The Carbon Offset Company do the planting?

The Carbon Offset Company does not currently plant our own trees but rather supports our 3rd-party verified partners projects. Find out more about our tree planting project assurance standards here. Find out about our certified carbon credit project standards here. However, we are coordinating our own planting site in California for spring of 2021. Contribute to our efforts through various volunteering opportunites, sponsorship, donation and more here.



How do I know trees are getting planted?

Please see our project quality assurance standards here. On top of planting through a network of verified projects, The Carbon Offset Company is setting up planting projects throughout the United States as well, where we will do the actual planting.



What's the difference between tree planting projects and certified carbon credits?

Although our tree planting projects are 3rd party verified, they do not allow the ability to recieve carbon credits through them. This allows a more cost effective way of adding tree planting into your business model or personal offset goal. Certified carbon credits are most oftenly geared towards large organizations trying to meet carbon emission regulation standards. They are also used by large organizations with the intention of retiring certified carbon credits. Certified carbon credits can be tree planting projects, but can also be forest conservation, cook stove, hydroelectric, wind farm projects and more! Unless you are familiar with certified carbon credits before coming onto our website and specifically have a need for them, we recommend supporting our tree planting projects.



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