how much packaging material does my company use per year

Packaging weight usually falls under waste or scope 3, not as a separate figure

There is no separate VSME indicator "packaging material per year". The question usually reaches customers as a derivative of two other measurements: total waste production and indirect emissions in the value chain. Anyone receiving the question literally must first determine which of the two the customer means — often this is stated in the explanation of the question in the portal, not in the question itself.

If it concerns weight (kilos or tonnes of plastic, cardboard, wood, metal), it belongs to how much waste the company generates per year, optionally supplemented with what share is collected separately if the customer wants to know what happens to the packaging stream. If it concerns the climate impact of packaging material — the CO2 released during production and disposal of the packaging you buy or send — it falls under scope 3, and specifically under the categories purchased goods and waste treatment as the GHG Protocol classifies them. See for this emissions in the value chain and, for the methodology behind scope 1, 2 and 3 in general, this explanation on correct completion.

Where this can be traced back to: VSME waste module and GHG Protocol scope 3

The VSME basic module of EFRAG asks for total waste production, broken down where possible by type and treatment method — packaging material is not mentioned as a separate key figure within this, but falls under the general waste categories. The GHG Protocol places the emissions from packaging material within scope 3, under the classification of indirect emissions in the chain. If the chain file only has a total figure for waste and no separate breakdown by packaging, there is no source to confirm a specific packaging figure — in that case, the answer to that sub-question remains open until the customer themselves provides a breakdown or the file is supplemented.