c/EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5305W)
EPA530-N-00-006
Fall 2000
www.epa.gov
REUSABLE
NEWS
Reducing Waste Can Make a
World of Difference:
The Link Between Solid Waste and Global Climate Change
Waste reduction has a vari-
ety of environmental bene-
fits. It reduces pollution,
conserves natural resources, and in
many cases saves energy. But reduc-
ing waste has another, often over-
looked, benefit. It can help stop
global climate change, the gradual
warming of the Earth caused by
increasing amounts of "greenhouse
gases" in the atmosphere.
Rising levels of gases in the
Earth's atmosphere are causing
changes in our climate, and some
of these changes can be traced to
solid waste. The manufacture, dis-
tribution, and use of products—as
well as management of the result-
ing waste—all lead to emissions
of atmospheric gases that affect
the Earth's climate.
Waste prevention and recy-
cling—jointly referred to as
"waste reduction"—help us better
manage the solid waste we gener-
ate. But preventing waste and
recycling also are potent strategies
for reducing greenhouse gases
(GHGs).
(Continued on page 2)
What Are Greenhouse Gases?
Some greenhouse gases (GHGs) occur naturally in the atmos-
phere, while others result from human activities. Naturally
occurring GHGs include water vapor, carbon dioxide,
methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Certain human activities, how-
ever, add to the levels of most of these naturally occurring gases.
• Carbon dioxide is released to the atmosphere
when solid waste, fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and
coal), wood, or wood products are burned.
• Methane is emitted during the production
and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil; the
decomposition of organic wastes in municipal
solid waste landfills; and the raising of live-
stock.
• Nitrous oxide is emitted during agricultural
and industrial activities, as well as during the
combustion of solid waste and fossil fuels.
GHGs that are not naturally occurring include
byproducts of foam production, refrigeration, and air-condition-
ing that are called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), as well as hydro-
fluorocarbons (HFCs) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs) generated by
industrial processes.
^
Each GHG differs in its ability to trap heat in the atmosphere.
HFCs and PFCs are the most heat-absorbent. Methane traps more
than 21 times more heat than carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide
absorbs 310 times more heat than carbon dioxide. 1
> Printed on paper that contains at least 30 percent postconsumer fiber.
-------
The Link Between Waste Management and Greenhouse Gases
GHGs are
emitted during
the harvesting of
trees, and the
extraction and
transport of raw
materials.
Increased GHG
Emissions
Decreased GHG
Emissions
Waste prevention
and recycling delay
the need to extract
some raw materi-
als, lowering GHGs
emitted during
extraction.
Manufacturing
products releases
GHGs during
processing and
as energy is
expended during
product use.
Increased GHG
Emissions
Decreased GHG
Emissions
Waste prevention
means fewer prod-
ucts are made, and
making products
from recycled mate-
rials requires less
energy. Both lower
GHGs emitted dur-
ing manufacturing.
Burning some
kinds of waste
in an incinerator
increases GHG
emissions.
Decreased GHG
Emissions
Waste prevention
and recycling
reduce the amount
of waste sent to
incinerators, low-
ering the GHGs
emitted during
combustion.
Increased GHG
Emissions
GHGs are
emitted as waste
decomposes in
landfills.
Increased GHG
Emissions
Decreased GHG
Emissions
Waste prevention
and recycling
reduce the amount
of waste sent to
landfills, lowering
the GHGs emitted
during decomposi-
tion.
The Link
(Continued from page 1)
Waste reduction efforts can
achieve the following:
• Reduce emissions from energy
consumption. Manufacturing
goods from recycled materials
typically requires less energy
than producing goods from vir-
gin materials. Waste prevention
is even more effective. 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. When
energy demand decreases,
fewer fossil fuels are burned,
and less carbon dioxide is emit-
ted to the atmosphere.
• Reduce emissions from inciner-
ators. Recycling and waste pre-
vention allow some materials to
be diverted from incinerators,
thus reducing greenhouse gas
emissions from the combustion
of fossil fuel-derived waste.
• Reduce methane emissions
from landfills. Waste preven-
tion and recycling (including
composting) divert organic
wastes from landfills, reducing
the methane released when
these materials decompose.
Increase storage of carbon in
trees. Trees absorb carbon diox-
ide 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.
What Is the Greenhouse Effect?
The atmosphere that surrounds
the Earth contains many types of
gases, including GHGs. They
regulate the Earth's climate by
What Do Greenhouse Gases Do?
1. The Earth's atmosphere contains greenhouse
gases that hold the sun's warmth. In this
way, greenhouse gases help control global
temperatures.
2. Certain human activi-
ties release additional
greenhouse gases,
upsetting the natural
atmospheric balance.
Increasing the concen-
tration of greenhouse
gases raises global
temperatures.
-------
The Balance Sheet: Measuring the Climate
Change Benefits of Waste Reduction
ielp measure the climate change benefits of waste reduction, EPA recently conducted a comprehen-
e study of GHG emissions and waste management. The research enables waste managers to analyze
uieir potential to reduce GHG emissions based on the characteristics of their community's waste stream
and the management options available to them.
The study estimated the GHG emissions associated with managing 10 types of waste materials: office
paper, newspaper, corrugated cardboard, aluminum, steel, plastics (HDPE, LDPE, and PET), food scraps,
and yard trimmings. Management options analyzed in the study included waste prevention, recycling,
composting, incineration, and landfilling. The research indicates that, in terms of climate benefits, waste
prevention is generally the best management option, while recycling is the next best approach.
Waste prevention can make an important difference in reducing emissions. By cutting the amount of
waste the United States generates back to 1990 levels, EPA estimates we could reduce GHG emissions by
11.6 million metric tons of carbon equivalent (MTCE), the basic unit of measure for GHGs that weights
each gas according to its global warming potential. EPA estimates that increasing our national recycling
rate from its current level of 28 percent to 35 percent would reduce GHG emissions by another 9.8 million
MTCE, compared with landfilling that same material. Together, these levels of waste prevention and recy-
cling would slash GHG emissions by more than 21.4 million MTCE—an amount equal to the average
annual emissions from the electricity consumption of roughly 11 million households.
For an online copy of EPA's Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Management of Selected Materi-
als in Municipal Solid Waste (EPA 530-R-98-013) and additional educational materials on
climate change and waste, visit , or call the RCRA Hotline at
800424-9346.1 ^tf
Estimated Reductions in GHG Emissions Resulting From Recycling1
D (baseline) 20 million tons of carbon
(equivalent to amount emitted by 15 million cars)
5 33 million tons of carbon
(equivalent to amount emitted by 25 million cars)
5 48 million tons of carbon
(equivalent to amount emitted by 36 million cars)
Source: Recycling...For the Future-Consider the Benefits, November 1998.
holding warmth in an atmospheric
blanket around the planet's surface.
Scientists call this phenomenon
the "greenhouse effect." Without
GHGs, the average temperature on
Earth would be 5 degrees Fahren-
heit instead of the current 60
degrees Fahrenheit. Excess GHGs
in the atmosphere, however, can
raise global temperatures.
The Consequences of Climate
Change
What's so bad about warm days
and balmy nights? Unfortunately,
increased concentrations of GHGs
in the atmosphere will not create
a worldwide tropical paradise.
Even if it did, the Earth's diverse
ecosystems depend on a variety of
climates. Human activities that
thicken the gaseous "greenhouse"
around the planet threaten to dis-
rupt the diversity of habitats and
the life dependent on them.
In the past 100 years, scientists
have detected an increase of 1
degree Fahrenheit in the Earth's
average surface temperature. The
international scientific commu-
nity is increasingly in agreement
(Continued on page 12)
1 Emission reductions estimated for waste reduction activities within any given year occur over a multiyear timeframe.
-------
A Conversation With David Gardiner
David Gardiner is executive director of the White House Climate Change
Task Force. President Clinton established the task force in 1997 to
engage the public in the climate change issue and coordinate
Administration climate change policy. Before joining the task force,
Gardiner was EPA's assistant administrator for policy for 6 years.
Reusable News recently caught up with Gardiner to discuss climate
change and the activities of the task force.
management of waste. Landfills
produce methane, and waste
transportation and incineration
create carbon dioxide. Therefore,
if we prevent or reduce waste, we
reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Reducing waste is something
everyone can do to reduce the rate
of emissions of greenhouse gases.
In addition, 85 percent of green-
house gas emissions in the United
States come from energy use, and
using recycled goods in manufac-
turing can save energy.
RN: How will addressing
global climate change impact
the economy?
DG: Protecting the environment
does not mean hurting the econ-
omy. In fact, there are many
examples of environmental initia-
tives producing economic success
as well, such as EPA's Jobs
Through Recycling Program
. Government,
however, needs to work with
industry in encouraging the
reduction of greenhouse gases.
The President's Climate Change
Technology Initiative, for exam-
ple, is a package of investments
and targeted tax incentives to put
us on a clean energy path and
RN: How pressing is the
global climate change
problem?
DG: It's the greatest environmen-
tal challenge of the 21st century
and one we can't afford to be
wrong on. If we fail to address cli-
mate change, it could overwhelm
all our work in addressing other
environmental challenges. To put
it in perspective for you, the dif-
ference in temperature from the
last ice age to now is about 9
degrees Fahrenheit. The Intergov-
ernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) concluded that the
Earth has already warmed about 1
degree Fahrenheit over the last
century, and the group estimates
that the global surface air temper-
ature will increase an additional 2
to 6.5 degrees Fahrenheit in the
next 100 years. Warming of this
magnitude will impact human
health, fresh water supplies,
forests and other natural areas,
and agricultural productivity.
There is a genuine need to focus
on actions to reduce our green-
house gas emissions and mini-
mize the adverse impacts of a
changing climate.
RN: What role do humans
play in climate change?
DG: The IPCC recently announced
that scientific evidence suggests
human activities are contributing
to climate change. From the fuels
we burn to the forests we cut
down to the trash we throw out,
human activity affects the climate
of the Earth. As our emissions con-
tinue to grow, the planet will con-
tinue to warm.
RN: How do waste produc-
tion and management factor
into climate change?
DG: Greenhouse gas emissions
come from a variety of sources,
including the production and
-------
improve energy efficiency, sav-
ing money for consumers and
businesses. President Clinton
speaks often of our need to
abandon the big idea of the
Industrial Age—that more eco-
nomic growth means more pol-
lution. In today's high tech
economy, that simply isn't true.
With today's energy technolo-
gies, developing countries can
avoid the mistakes we've made
and choose a clean energy
future.
RN: What can the average
citizen do to help reduce
greenhouse gas emissions?
DG: Besides reducing emis-
sions from fossil fuels through
energy and transportation effi-
ciency, we also can help mini-
mize climate impacts through
source reduction, reuse, and
recycling. This saves energy,
which translates directly to
reduced greenhouse gas emis-
sions. We should all do our
share to protect the Earth and
its atmosphere. I
Reducing GHGs at
the Source
R
educing the amount of paper your organiza-
tion uses or transporting material in a
reusable container is not just being cost-
effective—it is taking concrete steps to fight
global warming. More so than any other waste
management option—including composting,
recycling, landfilling, and incineration—source reduc-
tion helps turn back the clock on global climate change
Source reduction, often called waste prevention, is
any change in the design, manufacture, purchase, or
use of materials or products (including packaging) to
reduce their amount or toxicity before they become
municipal solid waste. Source reduction also
includes the reuse of products or materials.
When a material is source reduced (i.e., less
of the material is made), the GHG emissions
associated with making the material and manag-
ing the postconsumer waste are avoided. In addi-
tion, when paper products are source reduced,
trees that would otherwise be harvested are left
standing and continue to grow, removing addi-
tional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
GHG emission reductions resulting from source reduc
tion of a variety of common materials are listed below.
For more information on source reduction and reuse,
visit
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LMOP Energizes Landfill Methane Programs
Did you know that approxi-
mately 50 percent of the gas
emitted from landfills is
methane, a potent greenhouse gas
(GHG)? Rather than allowing this
gas to escape to the atmosphere
and contribute to global climate
change, however, hundreds of
landfills are learning how to har-
ness this gas into useful energy,
through EPA's Landfill Methane
Outreach Program (LMOP).
Calculating the Benefits
To determine the energy and climate change benefits of an LFGTE project,
use the following:
1 million tons of waste in place equals:
• 300 cubic feet of landfill gas per minute
• 7 million kilowatt hours of energy per year
• Enough energy to power 700 homes for a year
• Removing 6,100 cars from the road for a year
• The greenhouse gas impact of planting 8,300 acres of trees
LANDFILL METHANE
QU1REACH PROGRAM
Created as part of President
Clinton's Climate Change Action
Plan, LMOP is a voluntary part-
nership program that encourages
the development of environmen-
tally and economically sound
landfill gas-to-energy (LFGTE)
projects across the United States.
LMOP helps build partnerships
among state agencies, industry,
energy service providers, local
communities, and other stake-
holders to realize the benefits of
landfill gas recovery and promote
a sustainable future.
Under the Clean Air Act, EPA
currently requires many landfills
to collect and combust landfill
gas; to comply, these facilities can
either flare the gas or install an
LFGTE system. LFGTE offers com-
munities and landfill owners an
opportunity to reduce the costs of
compliance by providing a source
of renewable energy for sale.
LFGTE users also help prevent
the emission of other GHGs such
as carbon dioxide, since using
landfill gas for energy offsets the
need to burn other—more pollut-
ing—fuels.
Currently, more than 300
LFGTE projects are operating in
the country, while another 60 are
under construction and approxi-
mately 100 are exploring develop-
ment opportunities. Thus far,
these projects have prevented the
release of 2 million metric tons of
carbon equivalent into the atmos-
phere, or the GHG reduction
equivalent of removing 1.6 mil-
lion cars from the road.
To date, LMOP has assisted in
the development of more than 140
operational LFGTE projects. Local
partners such as the Blue Ridge
Resource Conservation and Devel-
opment (RC&D) Council in North
Carolina have benefitted from
LMOP's involvement, which
helped the group and its partners
launch an LFGTE project in 1999
that will power a greenhouse and
crafts studio for the disabled at the
Yancey-Mitchell Landfill. "We
really appreciate LMOP's support,"
said Terry Woodruff of Blue Ridge
RC&D. "It helped us raise the
money needed for this project."
LMOP currently has more than
240 allies and partners that have
signed voluntary agreements to
work with EPA to develop cost-
effective LFGTE projects. To
encourage more landfills to recover
their methane for energy, LMOP
has developed a series of candidate
profiles for more than 1,300 land-
fills in 31 states. For more informa-
tion about LMOP or LFGTE, visit
. I
-------
Run for Cover: Compost Could Cut
Landfill Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Various technologies have
been developed to reduce
greenhouse gas (GHG) emis-
sions from landfills. Nature, how-
ever, may hold a simpler answer.
Scientists and engineers have
started to explore how covering
landfills with layers of compost—
formed when organic matter
breaks down under the proper
conditions—can cost-effectively
reduce landfill gas emissions.
This research holds promise for
future landfill management.
According to researchers at
the University of Agricultural
Sciences in Vienna, Austria,
even landfills with advanced
systems in place to capture and
combust the methane gas (usu-
ally to produce energy) can leave
behind more than 40 percent of
the gas to rise into the atmos-
phere. In addition, all the land-
fills in the United States that
have collection systems only
recover approximately 14 per-
cent of total U.S. landfill gas
emissions annually.
To further reduce these emis-
sions, some landfill operators are
looking to harness the biochemi-
cal processes found within com-
post. Used in combination with
collection systems, covering
landfills with compost holds a
promising future in reducing
landfill GHG emissions through-
out the country.
The Composting Process
Organic waste is teeming with
microbes that continually feed
and thrive on the organic matter.
Under the right conditions—
which include the proper
amounts of oxygen and moisture,
and the right mix of different
types of organic wastes (e.g.,
grass, wood chips, food, sewage
sludge, etc.)—the pile heats up,
indicating that aerobic microbes
are hard at work. These microbes
require oxygen to break down the
matter into food, carbon dioxide,
and water. When oxygen isn't cir-
culating properly through the
composting pile, anaerobic
microbes take over the process,
breaking down the matter into
carbon dioxide and methane,
which results in a pungent odor.
Harnessing Nature's Capabilities
While aerobic decomposition
can occur in landfills due to
trapped oxygen, once the aerobic
microbes deplete the oxygen,
anaerobic microbes take over, pro-
ducing methane. As the methane
emanates from the depths of the
landfill, it migrates through the
layers of compost cover. The aero-
bic microbes within the compost
capture the methane and convert
it into food, emitting only carbon
dioxide, water, and other sub-
stances which are not
as harmful to
the atmosphere. Scientists cur-
rently are testing how the process
performs depending on the vari-
ety of compost used (e.g., sewage
sludge, municipal solid waste,
etc.), climactic and seasonal varia-
tions, and the shape and structure
of the compost layer.
While U.S. regulations do not
currently allow the use of com-
post alone as a final cover yet,
compost has already proven use-
ful in other environmental appli-
cations. Composting alone helps
reduce the generation and emis-
sion of GHGs by diverting
organic materials from landfills
in the first place. As a landfill
cap, it could serve a second pur-
pose of rendering escaping
methane from landfills less
harmful. Taking advantage of the
same biochemical process
described above, compost also
can help remediate soils contam-
inated by metals and explosives
and filter runoff from roadways.
For more information on the
innovative uses of compost, visit
. For
more information on composting,
see EPA's WasteWise Update
"Recovering Organic Wastes—
Giving Back to Mother Nature" at
. I
O o
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Getting WARM: An Easy Way to Calcu
If you are calculating the cli-
mate change impacts of your
office or community waste
reduction programs, EPA's WAste
Reduction Model (WARM) can
help. WARM does not just calcu-
late greenhouse gas (GHG) reduc-
tions for paper and aluminum; it
offers conversions for more than a
dozen waste commodities in
waste prevention, recycling, and
composting.
WARM was developed using
research performed for the EPA
report Greenhouse Gas Emissions
From Management of Selected
Materials in Municipal Solid
Waste. The report examines the
relationship between specific
GHGs, including carbon dioxide
(CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous
oxide (N2O), and perfluorocar-
bons (CF4 and C2F6), and the
major components of the munici-
pal solid waste stream, including
newspaper, office paper, corru-
gated cardboard, aluminum, steel
cans, plastics, food scraps, and
yard trimmings. EPA created
WARM to help solid waste plan-
ners and organizations track and
voluntarily report GHG emissions
reductions from several different
waste management practices.
Originally designed as an easy-
to-use Microsoft Excel spread-
sheet, WARM allows users to
merely identify the volume of
materials prevented, recycled,
and/or composted and plug the
numbers (in tons) into the spread-
sheets. WARM converts the infor-
mation and provides both a
detailed breakdown of gases
reduced and a summary sheet of
overall GHG reductions in metric
tons of carbon equivalent (MTCE).
Now, in addition to the down-
loadable Excel version, EPA offers
an online WARM application that
does not require use of Microsoft
Excel. The online version of WARM
can be found at , and the Excel version can be
downloaded from .
All
States Leading by
Example
i
nited States estab-
inal climate change
n plan (CCAP) that calls for
.-effective actions and voluntary
-operation among states, local gov-
ernments, industries, and citizens to
reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emis-
sions. In response, several states and a
few local governments have adopted,
or are developing, CCAPs. Like the
national CCAP, state CCAPs identify
initiatives to reduce GHG emissions by
increasing utilization of renewable
energy sources, energy efficiency,
reforestation, and waste diversion.
As demonstrated by other articles in
this issue, solid waste diversion helps
reduce emissions of GHGs, particularly
generation of methane in landfills.
Using methodologies developed by
EPA, including the WAste Reduction
Model (WARM), the states of Iowa,
Delaware, and Missouri have deter-
mined how solid waste diversion activ-
ities such as source reduction and
recycling will help them achieve the
goals set forth in their CCAPs.2
ipleted its CCAP in 1996, and
was one of the first states to do so. As
a precursor to the CCAP, Iowa devel-
oped an inventory of state GHG emis-
sions for 1990, which identified
landfills as the second largest source
of methane emissions in the state.
Local solid waste agencies annually
submit reports that provide the total
tons of waste disposed of in landfills
or diverted through source reduction
and recycling. Using these local
reports and making a few simplifying
assumptions, Iowa developed an esti-
mate value of their source reduction
and recycling efforts in 1995. For the
purposes of the WARM calculations,
the baseline scenario assumed that all
waste generated was disposed of in
2 Tellus Institute. Incorporating Waste Diversion Impacts in Climate Change Action Plans. December 15, 1999.
-------
ate Climate Impacts
So far, WARM'S list of users has
ranged from state and local gov-
ernments, universities, and public
utilities to Fortune 1000 com-
panies. EPA's WasteWise Pro-
gram (visit ) has adopted
f^ WARM as its primary
mode of converting
- its partners' results to
climate change bene-
fits. WasteWise part-
\
Mi\V!
1 'ni ii.
ners submitting an annual report
to the program automatically
receive a WARM report from EPA
detailing the effect their efforts in
waste prevention and recycling
are having on GHG emission
reductions. For example:
• The Seydel Company, a chemi-
cal manufacturer from the
Southeast, has worked hard to
reduce waste and recycle. A
total of 286 MTCE of GHG
reductions will be achieved
through wood, plastic, metals,
and corrugated cardboard recy-
cling, and waste prevention of
more than 200 tons of HDPE
and PET plastics and 300 tons
of organic wastes.
• Public Service Enterprise
Group, a New Jersey electric
and gas utility, found that its
efforts to recycle corrugated
cardboard, mixed paper, vari-
ous metal commodities, and
organic wastes and to reuse
metals and plastics will have a
net benefit of 146,750 MTCE.
• In 1999, McDonald's Corpora-
tion also found sizeable GHG
reductions through prevention
Metric Tons of
Carbon Equivalent
(MTCE) Conversions
1 million MTCE equals:
• The emissions of 750,000 cars,
each traveling 11,000 miles at
20 miles per gallon.
• The annual emissions from the
electric power consumption of
roughly 600,000 households.
• The added carbon storage of 1
million acres of a well estab-
lished, rapidly growing stand of
mixed species trees.
of boxboard packaging and
recycling collection of more
than 1.6 million tons, including
corrugated cardboard and food
waste. It will result in the
reduction of 1.2 million MTCE.
Other businesses and organiza-
tions may find it interesting to try
calculating their own waste reduc-
tion and recycling volumes to see
(Continued on page JO)
landfills. The alternative waste man-
agement scenario accounted for the
source reduction and recycling vol-
umes reported for 1995. The source
reduction and recycling activities
undertaken by Iowa in 1995 are esti-
mated to result in GHG reductions of
roughly 430,000 MTCE.
^^ffi CCAP sets a GHG emis-
jn reduction target of 7 percent by
zOlO, based on the 1990 baseline. The
University of Delaware just completed
a case study that documents how the
WARM model was used to develop
Delaware's CCAP goals. In addition,
the state Office of Economic Develop-
ment recently developed a manual for
solid waste professionals. Local Waste
Reduction Efforts Can Turn Down the
Heat on Global Warming, that dis-
cusses the relationship between waste
reduction activities and GHG reduc-
tions. The manual also provides infor-
mation on how to use the WARM
model and the benefits of its use.
is in the process of finalizing
its CCAP. The state had data on the
tonnage and composition of solid
waste disposed, but no data on the
tonnage and composition of solid
waste diverted. Since diversion data is
needed to run WARM, the state com-
bined the existing state disposal totals,
in conjunction with national source
reduction, recycling, and composting
data from the Characterization of
Municipal Waste in the United States:
1997 Update, to estimate the WARM
inputs for 1997. Based on these esti-
mated volumes of diversion, Missouri
is reducing GHG emissions by more
than 1 million MTCE, a number the
state can use to set future CCAP goals.
For more information on state actions to
reduce GHG emissions and to learn
whether your state has developed a
CCAP, go to .B
-------
Fields of
Green
State and local governments
are not the only ones taking
actions to reduce green-
house gas (GHG) emissions
through waste management.
Through increased source reduc-
tion activities, recycling, and
composting, the private sector is
also taking steps to positively
impact climate change.
The Center for Ecological
Technology (GET), for example, is
partnering with several organiza-
tions in the Boston area to reduce
GHG emissions through increased
private sector composting and
other organic materials manage-
ment strategies. The project will
concentrate on assisting food
waste processors in expanding
their composting capacities. To
date, the project has helped divert
approximately 22,000 tons of
organic materials, which reduces
GHG emissions by approximately
5,700 MTCE.
GET is acting as a facilitator,
providing technical and regula-
tory support. The project partners
began by conducting a survey of
existing and potential food waste
processors to assess their current
composting capacity, potential for
expansion, and possible expan-
The Seattle Mariners are reducing GHG emissions by increasing recycling activities at their new
Safeco Field Stadium.
sion barriers. GET and the project
partners have organized focus
group meetings with the regula-
tory community, hauling compa-
nies, and food industries to
develop future plans to help food
waste processors more effectively
manage their organic wastes.
For more information on GET,
visit .
On the other side of the coun-
try, the Seattle Mariners are
"greening" their new Safeco Field
stadium, and through increased
recycling, preventing 33.5 tons of
carbon dioxide from entering the
atmosphere. The Business and
Industry Recycling Venture (BIRV)
of the Greater Seattle Chamber of
Commerce and several area non-
Getting WARM
(Continued from page 9)
how their efforts may reduce GHG
emissions. To determine how
much of an impact increased recy-
cling rates have on GHG reduc-
tions, simply determine how
many tons of material you would
divert at a certain recycling per-
centage (e.g., increase from 10 to
15 percent), and input those num-
bers into WARM. Gradually
increase the recycling rate to see
how the related emission reduc-
tions change.
For more information on
WARM, visit , or contact Henry
Ferland at EPA's Municipal and
Industrial Solid Waste Division at
703 308-8254 or .!
profit organizations pursued fund-
ing on behalf of the Mariners to
pay for a temporary recycling coor-
dinator to help organize and initi-
ate a comprehensive recycling and
waste reduction program. Started
in May 1999, the program includes
the following waste management
efforts:
• Public area recycling.
• Recycled-content office products.
• A color-coded recycling collec-
tion system.
• Packaging considerations.
• Education for stadium staff and
the public.
By the end of the 1999 baseball
season, the stadium had collected
22.31 tons of recyclables. BIRV
estimates that this accounted for
approximately 44 percent of the
cardboard, tin, aluminum, glass,
and PET plastic generated at the
stadium that season. With contin-
ued efforts, the Seattle Mariners
expect to save approximately
$53,000 in waste disposal over the
next 10 years. The project will
serve as a catalyst to ensure that
solid waste management is
included as a key consideration in
the city of Seattle's climate change
mitigation planning efforts.!
10
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RESOURCES
PUBLICATIONS
Climate Change and Waste
Folder
1
Climate
Change and
Waste: Reduc-
ing Waste
Can Make a
Difference
(EPA530-E-
99-002) pro-
vides a
comprehen-
sive look at
the link
between
municipal solid waste and climate
change. The folder covers the green-
house gas (GHG) effect, the conse-
quences of climate change, and the
work EPA is doing to help reduce the
effects of climate change. In addition,
the folder contains two 1-page fact
sheets on EPA solid waste programs
designed to help reduce GHG emis-
sions. Pay-As-You-Throw: A Cooling
Effect on Climate Change (EPA530-E-
99-002a) describes how PAYT programs
provide an economic incentive to
reduce waste, thereby helping reduce
GHG emissions. Similarly, l/l/osfel/l/;se;
Climate Benefits From Reducing Waste
(EPA-530-E-99-002b), discusses the cli-
mate change benefits that occur
through the waste reduction activities
the WasteWise program encourages in
organizations and industries. To obtain
a copy of the folder and/or the PAYT
and WasteWise fact sheets, call the
RCRA Hotline at 800 424-9346.
Report Covers the Issues
EPA's Greenhouse Cos Emissions From
Management of Selected Materials in
Municipal Solid Waste (EPA-530-R-98-
013) provides data that can be used to
support voluntary reporting of emission
reductions from waste management
practices. The report analyzes the
impact of municipal solid waste on
GHG emissions and reductions achiev-
able through source reduction and
recycling. To order a copy of this report,
call the RCRA Hotline at 800 424-9346.
WEB SITES
EPA's Climate Change and Waste
EPA's climate change and waste Web
site was recently redesigned and inte-
grated within the EPA global warming
site to improve usability and provide
more comprehensive information on
climate change. In addition to a
detailed discussion on the link
between climate change and waste,
the site includes publications, grant
project descriptions, and a list of fre-
quently asked questions.
ICLEI's Cities for Climate Protec-
tion Campaign
The International Council for Local Envi-
ronmental Initiatives (ICLEI) is an asso-
ciation of local governments dedicated
to using local action to prevent and
solve local, regional, and global envi-
ronmental problems. More than 300
local governments worldwide partici-
pate in ICLEI's Cities for Climate Protec-
tion (CCP) Campaign, including more
than 60
^ v cities and
counties in
the United
States.
LGEAN's Local Climate Change
Network
Managed by the International City/County
Management Association, the Local Gov-
ernment Environmental Assistance Net-
work (LGEAN) Web site provides a
summary of the climate change issue and
a description of the Local Climate Change
Network it is initiating. The purpose of the
network is to raise awareness of climate
change and
assist local
governments
and communi-
ties in mitigat-
ing the factors
that cause cli-
mate change.
Pew Center's Business Environ-
mental Leadership Council
Twenty-one
major com-
panies, with
most
included in
the Fortune
500, are
working \^— • • .
together
through the Pew Center on Global Cli-
mate Change to educate the public on
the risks, challenges, and solutions to
climate change. These efforts are spear-
headed by the Center's Business Envi-
ronmental Leadership Council, a group
of leading companies worldwide that
are responding to the challenges posed
by climate change.
This issue of Reusable News is also available on
the Internet. Access this and other EPA publications at
.
11
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The Link
(Continued from page 3)
that human activity is responsi-
ble for some of this increase. A
rise of only a few degrees in the
Earth's average temperature
could result in:
• More frequent and intense
storms.
• Flooding of beaches, marshes,
and other low-lying coastal
areas.
• More precipitation in some
areas and not enough in others.
• Wider distribution of certain
infectious diseases.
Such significant changes could
damage communities and
national economies, as well as
alter the natural world. Of
course, many uncertainties
remain. No one can predict the
precise timing, magnitude, and
regional patterns of climate
change. Nor can anyone foretell
the ability of mankind and
nature to adapt to such changes.
It is clear, however, that climate
change will not be easily
reversed. Because GHGs remain
in the atmosphere a long time,
turning back climate change may
take decades or even centuries. I
Let's Broadcast the Climate Change
Benefits of Waste Management
On December 7, 2000, from 1 to 3 p.m., e.s.t., EPA's Climate and
Waste Program, in partnership with several national solid waste and
governmental organizations, will broadcast a nationwide satellite
forum entitled Why "Waste" a Cool Planet: MSW Solutions for Global Cli-
mate Change. This free, interactive program is designed to help educate
businesses and state and local governments about the relationship between
solid waste management and climate change. This forum will feature:
• Nationally recognized climate change experts exploring the global
warming impacts from solid waste management activities.
• Businesses undertaking waste reduction activities to reduce greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions throughout a product's life cycle, from design and develop-
ment through manufacturing and product end-of-life management.
• State and local governments helping to raise awareness and combat the cli-
mate change impacts associated with various solid waste management
options, including source reduction, recycling, and composting.
Panelists will discuss the impacts of solid waste on global climate change,
highlighting how they have reduced GHG emis-
sions through various programs such as Pay-As-
You-Throw and EPA's WasteWise Program, and
explaining ways to measure GHG mitiga-
tion from waste reduction activities.
Viewers will have the opportunity to
call in during the forum with questions.
If you are interested in hosting a down-
link site, please send an e-mail to the
Climate and Waste Program at
. For more information or
to download a copy of the Satellite Forum
Coordinator's Kit and the Downlink Site
Registration Form, visit the Climate Change and
Waste Web site at . 8
&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
(5305W)
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
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