ISSUE PAPER METHANE AVOIDANCE FROM COMPOSTING An Issue Paper for the: Climate Action Reserve Prepared By: SAIC Sally Brown, Matthew Cotton, Steve Messner, Fiona Berry, David Norem Final – 15 September 2009 Table of Contents 1.0 Background .......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Relationship to OWD Protocol......................................................................................1 1.2. GHG Emissions from Organic Waste...........................................................................1 1.3. Composting Facility Types and Methods....................................................................3 1.4. Compost Feedstocks .......................................................................................................8 2.0 Existing Quantification Methodologies............................................................................ 15 2.1. Clean Development Mechanism...................................................................................15 2.2. Chicago Climate Exchange ............................................................................................17 2.3. Alberta Aerobic Composting Protocol.........................................................................18 2.4. Other .................................................................................................................................19 3.0 Scientific Uncertainty.......................................................................................................... 21 3.1. CDM and CCX.................................................................................................................21 3.2. Alberta Protocol...............................................................................................................24 4.0 Additionality ‐ Performance Standard Test..................................................................... 26 4.1. OWD Protocol Performance Standards .......................................................................26 4.2. Composting Performance Standards............................................................................27 5.0 Additionality – Regulatory Test........................................................................................ 31 5.1. OWD Protocol Regulatory Test.....................................................................................31 5.2. Relevant Regulations ......................................................................................................32 5.3. Distinguishing Additionality.........................................................................................40 6.0 Baseline Quantification....................................................................................................... 41 6.1. Defining the Baseline......................................................................................................41 6.2. Standard Methods for Quantifying Methane from Organic Waste in Landfills....42 6.3. GHG Potential of Individual Compost Feedstocks In Landfill ................................51 7.0 Potential Reduction Opportunity and Cost of Reductions............................................ 57 7.1. Project Emissions Quantification Feasibility ...............................................................57 7.2. Compost GHG Potential ................................................................................................59 7.3. Process Control Techniques or Methods .....................................................................62 7.4. Reduction Cost ................................................................................................................68 8.0 Project Boundary ................................................................................................................. 70 8.1. OWD Protocol Project Boundary ..................................................................................70 8.2. Composting Project Boundary ......................................................................................71 ii 9.0 Ownership............................................................................................................................ 72 9.1. OWD Protocol Ownership.............................................................................................72 9.2. Establishing Ownership of Composting Projects .......................................................72 10.0 Other Positive/Negative Environmental Impacts........................................................... 74 10.1. Benefits Associated with Compost Use .......................................................................74 10.2. Negative Consequences .................................................................................................75 11.0 Market Interest..................................................................................................................... 77 11.1. Compost Facility Ownership.........................................................................................77 11.2. Potential Compost Project Developers.........................................................................77 References ........................................................................................................................................... 79 iii List of Tables Table 1 ‐ Summary of Composting Systems ..........................................................................................6 Table 2 – Feedstocks Typically Composted ...........................................................................................8 Table 3 ‐ Tons of Post‐Consumer Solid Food Waste and Yard Trimmings in the U.S.....................9 Table 4 – EPA Estimates for Organic Waste Recovery in U.S. in 2007 (million tons) ..............Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 5 – Percentage of Kitchen Disposal Units in U.S. Cities...........................................................10 Table 6 – Organic Waste Generation by Location ...............................................................................11 Table 7 – Food Residuals in California .................................................................................................13 Table 8 – Survey of Waste Materials in Landfills in California .........................................................13 Table 9 ‐ CCX Projected Yields of Waste Streams Diverted from Landfilling ................................17 Table 10 – Alberta Protocol Variation in Landfills ..............................................................................25 Table 11 – Summary of Waste Regulations by State ...........................................................................32 Table 12 – MSW Landfill Disposal bans for Selected Materials ........................................................35 Table 13 – Landfill Organic Waste Diversion Regulations ................................................................37 Table 14 – Landfill Decay Rates .............................................................................................................43 Table 15 – Comparison of Landfill Characteristics identified by Three Studies.............................46 Table 16 – Chemical Content of Different Food Wastes.....................................................................52 Table 17 – CH4 and NO2 Emissions from Compost............................................................................60 Table 18 – GHG Reduction Potential from Various Composting Process Control Measures.......63 Table 19 – Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Three Treatment Methods .............................................65 Table 20 – Limiting NO2 by Mixing Compost with Finished Product.............................................65 Table 21 – Example Composting Facility Payback Economics..........................................................68 List of Figures Figure 1 – Feedstock Sources for California Compost Facilities .........................................................7 Figure 2 ‐ Percentage of Products Sold by All Facilities to Markets in 2008......................................7 iv Figure 3 –Biosolid Disposal Methods in the U.S. ..................................................................................9 Figure 4 – CH4 Generation Potential using Volatile Solids................................................................20 Figure 5 ‐ CDM CCX GHG Reduction Equation .................................................................................21 Figure 6 ‐ Alberta Protocol Methane Generation Potential Equation...............................................24 Figure 7 – States that Ban Yard Trimmings in Landfills.....................................................................39 Figure 8 – Temperature Changes in Landfill at Different Depths ....................................................45 Figure 9 – Landfill Compression Phases...............................................................................................47 Figure 10 – Landfill Compression Cellulose to Lignin Ratio.............................................................47 Figure 11 – Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Mechanical versus Mechanical‐Biological Treatment ............................................................................................................................................................50 Figure 12 – Food Waste Characteristics ................................................................................................53