CDs, DVDs and Games Carbon Calculator
Every CD, DVD or game that is played again, instead of thrown away and replaced, saves carbon. Tap what you’re giving below to see roughly what your clear-out could save. Then book a free doorstep collection for CDs, DVDs and games and make it happen.
- Takes seconds
- An estimate, not an exact figure
- Free doorstep collection
Behind the numbers
How we work it out
We turn what you give into kilos
Each thing you tap has a typical weight, with the case included. Discs, cases and box sets all vary a little, so the total is a rough guide rather than an exact weight.
We work out what playing them again saves
For every kilo of CDs, DVDs and games used again instead of made new, we estimate a saving of 2 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent. This is our own estimate for discs and games, and the only one the calculator uses.
We add it up
Your kilos are multiplied by that estimate to give your total. A full bag at 7.5 kg comes to an estimated 15 kg of CO2e. Fifty DVDs in their cases weigh about 6 kg, so they come to an estimated 12 kg.
Typical weights
The weights the calculator uses
These are the weights we count for each thing you add. Every weight includes the case.
- Full bag of CDs, DVDs and games: 7.5 kg
- CD in its case: 0.1 kg
- DVD in its case: 0.12 kg
- Blu-ray in its case: 0.09 kg
- Video game in its case: 0.1 kg
- DVD box set: 0.5 kg
- CD box set: 0.4 kg
If you’re giving a mix, add them one by one, or use the full bag if you’ve already packed them up.
What does CO2e mean?
Carbon dioxide equivalent. Making discs and cases releases several greenhouse gases, and CO2e adds them up as the amount of carbon dioxide that would warm the planet by the same amount.
Where does the saving come from?
Discs and cases are made from plastic and metal. When a film, album or game is played again, a new copy doesn’t have to be made, packed and shipped. More on this is on how donating CDs and DVDs helps the planet.
Why “estimated”?
Every disc and every case is different, and the real saving depends on what each one replaces. No calculator can be exact, so treat the answer as a rough guide to the good your clear-out does.
Make it count
How to make your saving bigger
- Put discs back in their cases where you can, so they’re ready to be played again.
- Check the whole house: films under the TV, music in the car, old games in a cupboard or the loft.
- Keep box sets together, so they can be passed on as a set.
- Leave out VHS tapes, cassettes, records and CD racks. We can’t collect those.
Not sure what to include? See what CDs, DVDs and games can I donate? and our page on video games. When you’re ready, book a free collection. We sort your discs by hand at our warehouse and pass on what can be used again. You can follow that journey on what happens to my CDs and DVDs?
Sources
- Weights: the typical weights our calculator uses for CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, games and box sets, each in its case.
- Savings per kilo: our own estimate of 2 kg of CO2e for each kilo of CDs, DVDs and games reused instead of made new.
Ready to donate your CDs, DVDs and games?
It’s free, you don’t need to be at home, and you choose the charity your donation supports.