What Is the Link Between Solid Waste and Climate Change

What is the Link between Solid Waste and Climate Change? Source: US EPA Climate Change—Waste website http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/waste/index.html

Most people don’t realize that solid waste reduction and recycling help address global climate change. How? The manufacture, distribution and use of products – as well as management of the resulting waste – all result in greenhouse gas emissions. Waste prevention and recycling reduce greenhouse gases associated with these activities by reducing methane emissions, saving energy, and increasing forest carbon sequestration.

The disposal of solid waste produces greenhouse gas emissions in a number of ways. First, the anaerobic decomposition of waste in landfills produces methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Second, the incineration of waste produces carbon dioxide as a by-product. In addition, the transportation of waste to disposal sites produces greenhouse gas emissions from the combustion of the fuel used in the equipment. Finally, the disposal of materials indicates that they are being replaced by new products; this production often requires the use of fossil fuels to obtain raw materials and manufacture the items.

Waste prevention and recycling—jointly referred to as waste reduction—help us better manage the solid waste we generate. But preventing waste and recycling also are potent strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Together, waste prevention and recycling:

 Reduce methane emissions from landfills. Waste prevention and recycling (including composting) divert organic wastes from landfills, thereby reducing the methane released when these materials decompose.

 Reduce emissions from incinerators. Recycling and waste prevention allow some materials to be diverted from incinerators and thus reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the combustion of waste.

 Reduce emissions from energy consumption. Recycling saves energy. Manufacturing goods from recycled materials typically requires less energy than producing goods from virgin materials. Waste prevention is even more effective at saving energy. When people reuse things or when products are made with less material, less energy is needed to extract, transport, and process raw materials and to manufacture products. The payoff? When energy demand decreases, fewer fossil fuels are burned and less carbon dioxide is emitted to the atmosphere.

 Increase storage of carbon in trees. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in wood, in a process called "carbon sequestration." Waste prevention and recycling of paper products allow more trees to remain standing in the forest, where they can continue to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Recycling Recycling materials reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Every little bit helps! For example, by recycling all of its office paper waste for one year, an office building of 7,000 workers could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 546 MTCE, when compared to landfilling. This is the equivalent to taking nearly 400

Revised 12/16/11 cars off the road that year. If an average family of four were to recycle all of its mixed plastic waste, nearly 340 pounds of carbon equivalent emissions could be reduced each year.

How can I calculate greenhouse gas emissions from solid waste management?

EPA created the Waste Reduction Model (WARM) to help solid waste planners track and voluntarily report greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions from several different waste management practices. WARM calculates and totals GHG emissions of baseline and alternative waste management practices— source reduction, recycling, combustion, composting, and landfilling. The model calculates emissions in metric tons of carbon equivalent (MTCE), metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2E), and energy units (million BTU) across a wide range of material types. WARM was last updated August 2010. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/waste/calculators/Warm_home.html

How can I calculate the life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions and energy impacts of products I purchase? EPA created the Recycled Content (ReCon) Tool to help organizations and individuals estimate life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy impacts from purchasing materials with varying degrees of post-consumer recycled content. The ReCon Tool calculates GHG emissions and energy consumption related to purchasing, using analyses of baseline and alternative recycled-content scenarios. For example, the tool will allow the user to estimate the GHG emissions and energy benefits of purchasing office paper with 35 percent recycled content instead of 25 percent recycled content. Emissions and energy impacts are calculated using a life- cycle perspective (i.e., what impacts will this purchasing decision have on emissions and energy use associated with the manufacture and disposal of a given material). ReCon was last updated October 2010. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/waste/calculators/ReCon_home.html

Revised 12/16/11