Carbon Methodology
How we curated the Kitchen, Bedroom, and Bathroom (KBB) material list from the official ICE database.
The Database
CounterCarbon uses the official Inventory of Carbon & Energy (ICE) Database V4.1. This database contains highly granular, verified embodied carbon coefficients for hundreds of building materials.
Curating KBB Materials
The raw ICE database contains 479 distinct materials, including dozens of highly specific variations of steel, concrete, and paints. To prevent overwhelm and make carbon calculation accessible to the KBB industry, we mapped the most relevant items into a clean, curated list of 20 core materials.
For categories with multiple variations (such as "Paint" or "Steel"), we calculate a pure mathematical average of all relevant entries within that specific category in the ICE database.
Averaged Curations
MDF Timber & Boards
Direct mapping to a single ICE database entry.
0.8565 kgCO₂e/kg
Chipboard / Particle Board Timber & Boards
Averaged from 2 related entries in the ICE Database.
0.5322 kgCO₂e/kg
Plywood Timber & Boards
Direct mapping to a single ICE database entry.
0.6815 kgCO₂e/kg
Solid Wood (Hardwood) Timber & Boards
Direct mapping to a single ICE database entry.
0.3056 kgCO₂e/kg
Solid Wood (Softwood) Timber & Boards
Direct mapping to a single ICE database entry.
0.2626 kgCO₂e/kg
Laminate Worktops & Surfaces
Direct mapping to a single ICE database entry.
0.6978 kgCO₂e/kg
Stone / Quartz / Granite Worktops & Surfaces
Averaged from 14 related entries in the ICE Database.
4.0002 kgCO₂e/kg
Steel (Average) Metals
Averaged from 14 related entries in the ICE Database.
4.166 kgCO₂e/kg
Stainless Steel Metals
Averaged from 3 related entries in the ICE Database.
5.3926 kgCO₂e/kg
Aluminium (Average) Metals
Averaged from 11 related entries in the ICE Database.
12.6063 kgCO₂e/kg
Brass / Copper (Proxy) Metals
Averaged from 35 related entries in the ICE Database.
11.163 kgCO₂e/kg
Glass (General / Glazing) Glass & Ceramics
Averaged from 11 related entries in the ICE Database.
3.6771 kgCO₂e/kg
Ceramic / Porcelain (Tiles & Sanitaryware) Glass & Ceramics
Averaged from 11 related entries in the ICE Database.
5.0083 kgCO₂e/kg
Paint (Average) Plastics & Finishes
Averaged from 3 related entries in the ICE Database.
2.197 kgCO₂e/kg
PVC / Vinyl Plastics & Finishes
Averaged from 6 related entries in the ICE Database.
2.2502 kgCO₂e/kg
Rubber / Silicone Plastics & Finishes
Averaged from 3 related entries in the ICE Database.
2.6568 kgCO₂e/kg
Plaster / Drywall Construction & Adhesives
Averaged from 6 related entries in the ICE Database.
1.4878 kgCO₂e/kg
Cement & Mortar Construction & Adhesives
Averaged from 32 related entries in the ICE Database.
1.2084 kgCO₂e/kg
Concrete Construction & Adhesives
Averaged from 7 related entries in the ICE Database.
1.6662 kgCO₂e/kg
Insulation (Average) Insulation
Averaged from 19 related entries in the ICE Database.
7.1579 kgCO₂e/kg