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Wasting and Climate
Change: The Connections
Platt, Institute for
Local Self-Reliance
StopBrenda
Trashing
the
Climate
presented at the Zero Waste Conference
Devens, Massachusetts, October 19, 2009
Brenda Platt
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
BioCycle West, San Diego
April 15th, 2008
Top Ten:
Why wasting = climate change?
10. 54% of waste goes to landfills, a top
source of methane emissions
Wasting Trend in U.S.
300,000
Thousands of tons
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
0
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60 962 964 966 968 970 972 974 976 978 980 982 984 986 988 990 992 994 996 998 000 002 004 006
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Composting
Recycling
Disposal
Top Ten:
Why wasting = climate change?
10. 54% of waste is landfilled
9. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas
Landfill greenhouse gas emissions,
% of total
All Other
98.2%
Total 2005 = 7,260 megatons CO2 equiv.
Landfill Methane
Emissions
1.8%
The global warming potential concept
CO2
Methane - 100 year time horizon, 21 times more potent than CO2
Methane - 20 yrs, 72
times more potent
Landfill greenhouse gas emissions,
% of total, 20 yr time horizon
All Other
94.8%
Landfill Methane
Emissions
5.2%
Total 2005 = 8,754 megatons CO2 equiv.
Disposal sector emissions, 8.1% of
total, 20 yr horizon
All Other
91.9%
Landfill
5.2%
Municipal Waste
Combustion
0.2%
Wastewater Trtmt
1.1%
Manure Mgt
1.6%
Top Ten:
Why wasting = climate change?
10. Landfills are a top source of methane
9. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas
8. Incinerators are bad for the climate
Waste incinerators are NOT good for
the climate
3,500
lbs CO2 emissions/megawatt-hour
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
Incinerator
Coal Fired
Oil Fired
Natural Gas Fired
Top Ten:
Why wasting = climate change?
10. Landfills are a top source of methane
9. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas
8. Incinerators are bad for the climate
7. Incinerators require wasting
Incinerators require waste and
wasting
Top Ten:
Why wasting = climate change?
10. Landfills are a top source of methane
9. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas
8. Incineration is bad for the climate
7. Incineration requires wasting
6. Trash is not renewable
The Wasteberg
For every ton of
municipal trash, 71
tons of waste are
produced during
manufacturing, mining,
oil and gas
exploration,
agriculture, and coal
combustion.
Upstream = 71 x MSW Waste
Waste of Energy (WOE)
3 to 5 times more energy can be saved
by recycling
Burning materials for their Btu value is a
waste of resources
Top Ten:
Why wasting = climate change?
5. Biogenic emissions too often
overlooked
Biogenic emissions are not
climate neutral
X
X
X X X
X X X
Top Ten:
Why wasting = climate change?
5. Biogenic emissions too often
overlooked
4. Pay as you throw not widespread
Unit-based Pricing Sends a Clear Message
Worcester, MA
Population 173,000
San Francisco, CA
Population 775,000
Unit based pricing is just a different way of paying for waste
Source: Kristen Brown, Green Waste Solutions, www.thewastesolution.com
Worcester, MA: PAYT Results
55,000
50,000
45,000
40,000
35,000
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
Source: Kristen Brown, Green Waste Solutions, www.thewastesolution.com
'06
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20
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86
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Trash Tons Collected Per Year Recycling Tons Collected Per Year
Overall Waste Generation Decrease
20+%
Source: Kristen Brown, Green Waste Solutions, www.thewastesolution.com
Top Ten:
Why wasting = climate change?
5. Biogenic emissions too often
overlooked
4. Pay as you throw not widespread
3. Competes with expanding composting
and anaerobic digestion systems
Organics Diversion: Core Climate
Protection Strategy
 Prevents landfill methane emissions
 Stores carbon
 Improves soil’s ability to store
carbon
 Substitutes for energy-intensive
fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides
 Improves plant growth, and thus
carbon sequestration
 Reduces energy use for irrigation
 Anaerobic digestion offsets fossil
fuel consumption
U.S. municipal waste disposed
Paper and
paperboard
22%
Textiles
6%
Glass
6%
Metals
8%
Other materials
8%
Wood
8%
Yard trimmings
7%
169.2 million tons in 2007
Plastics
17%
Food scraps
18%
Source: US EPA, 2007 data (http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/msw99.htm)
Top Ten:
Why wasting = climate change?
5. Biogenic emissions too often
overlooked
4. Pay as you throw not widespread
3. Competes with expanding composting
and anaerobic digestion systems
2. Unchecked consumption
U.S. huge contributor
 4.6% of global population
 Consume one-third of Earth’s timber and paper
 Generate 22% of global CO2 emissions
 Produce 30% of world’s waste
Sectors impacted by wasting, % of
total, 20 yr horizon
All Other
61.8%
Disposal sector
8.1%
Synthetic
Fertilizers
1.1%
Truck
Transportation
4.4%
Industrial sector
24.6%
Single use has got to go
Resource Conservation Hierarchy
Most Preferable
Avoid & Reduce
Reuse
Recycle & Compost
Treat
Dispose
Least Preferable
Top Ten:
Why wasting = climate change?
5. Biogenic emissions too often overlooked
4. Pay as you throw not widespread
3. Competes with expanding composting and
anaerobic digestion systems
2. Unchecked consumption
1. Prevents real zero waste planning
Composting
Recycling
05
02
99
96
93
90
87
84
81
78
75
72
69
66
63
60
08
20
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1,000 Tons Per Year
Zero Waste Path
300,000
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
0
Disposal
Aiming for zero waste is key GHG
abatement strategy
Abatement
Strategy
Megatons
CO2 eq.
% of Abatement
Needed in 2030 to
Return to 1990
Reducing waste
via prevention, reuse,
recycling, composting
406
11.6%
Lighting
Vehicle Efficiency
Lower Carbon Fuels
Forest Management
Carbon Capture & Storage
Wind
Nuclear
240
195
100
110
95
120
70
6.9%
5.6%
2.9%
3.1%
2.7%
3.4%
2.0%
Source: ILSR, GAIA, and Eco-Cycle, Stop Trashing the Climate (2008), and McKinsey &
Company, Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: How Much and at What Cost? (2007)
Zero waste path: less coal plants
By significantly
reducing waste
disposal, the U.S. can
take the equivalent of
21% of its coal-fired
power plants off the
grid by 2030.
Composting & Recycling Collection
System Designed For High Diversion
Recycled Paper
21%
Food Scraps
20%
Yard Trimmings
5%
Glass and Plastic Bottles
Aluminum and Steel Cans
5%
Compostable Paper
10%
Construction and
Demolition Waste
25%
Courtesy of City of San Francisco
Other
15%
Easy to Understand Program
Courtesy of City of San Francisco
Designed for Easy Participation
Labeled Lids
Kitchen Pail
Courtesy of City of San Francisco
Wheeled Cart
Recology’s Jepsen Prairie Organics
Regional Composting Facility
Courtesy of City of San Francisco
Toronto
Don’t Waste!
Starve a Landfill
Feed the soil
Conserve resources
Protect the climate
Create jobs
Sustain new businesses
A Call to Action!



Implement zero waste targets and plans.
Stop disposing organic materials – COMPOST!
Pursue recycling-based local economic
development.
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


Make manufacturers responsible for their products.
Regulate single-use plastics.
Reduce junk mail.
Buy recycled.

Institute pay-as-you-throw trash fees.
Contact
www.stoptrashingtheclimate.org
www.ilsr.org
[email protected]
Brenda Platt
202-898-1610 x230