&EPA
September 1998 EPA230-K-97-001
CLIMATE CHANCE AND WASTE
Reducing Waste Can Make a Difference
R
ising level:, ok greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmos-
phere are causine changes in our climate, and some
I C1 O
of these changes can be traced to solid waste. 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 are real ways
to help mitigate climate change.
This tact sheet describes the connection between climate
change and solid waste, explains how waste reduction can
help slow the effects of climate change, and outlines the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) efforts to address
this important issue.
The atmosphere that surrounds the Earth contains
rnanv types of gases, including those known as
"greenhouse gases." Greenhouse gases absorb and
retain heat from the sun. They regulate the Earth's climate
by holding warmth in an atmospheric blanket around the
planet's surface. Scientists call this phenomenon the "green-
house effect."
Without greenhouse gases, the average temperature on Earth
would be 5°F instead of the current 60°K Excess greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere, however, raise global temperatures.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. Solid Waste and Emergency Response
Printed on paper that contains at least 20 percent postconsumer fiber.
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1. The Earth's atmosphere con-
tains greenhouse gases that hold
the sun's warmth. In this it'iiy,
greenhouse gases control global
temperatures.
2* ^ I'rttiin Intnitin //r//r/0' >"<
inure greenkome »<'-'('>. ",'
the natural atmospheric ImLiuic.
Increasing the rlensin <'/ greenhouse
"list's raises global tenifier.iinm.
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF
CLIMATE CHANGE?
What's so bad about warm days and balmy
nights? Why try to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions? Unfortunately, increased concen-
trations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will not cre-
ate a worldwide tropical paradise. The Earth's atmosphere
supports a balanced variety of climates on which diverse
ecosystems depend. Human activities that thicken the
gaseous "greenhouse" around the planet threaten to dis-
rupt diat balance.
In die past 100 years, scientists have detected an increase
of 1°F in the Earth's average surface temperature. There is
international scientific consensus that human activity is
responsible for some of diis increase. A rise of only a few
degrees in die Earth's average temperature could result in:
Wider fluctuations in temperatures
More frequent and intense storms
Flooding of beach, marsh, and other low-lying coastal areas
More precipitation in some areas and not enough in others
Wider distribution of certain 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
Just as a heavy coat holds in
your body heat on a winter
day, greenhouse gases retain
the Earth's heat. Imagine,
though, if you couldn't take off
your parka in August.
climate change. Nor can anyone foretell the ability of
mankind and nature to adapt to
such changes.
It is clear, however, that any cli-
mate changes will not be easily
reversed. Because greenhouse
gases remain in the atmosphere
a long time, turning back
climate change may take
decades or even centuries.
WHAT \s THE LINK BETWEEN SOLID
WASTE AND CLIMATE CHANGE?
Waste prevention and recycling—jointly referred
o as waste reduction—help us better manage
he solid waste we generate. But preventing
waste and recycling also are potent strategies for reducing
greenhouse gases. Together they:
• Reduce emissions from energy consumption.
Recycling saves energy. That's because making goods from
recycled materials typically requires less energy than mak-
ing goods from virgin materials. And waste prevention is
even more effective. Less energy is needed to extract, trans-
port, and process raw materials and to manufacture prod-
ucts when people reuse things or when products are made
with less material. The payoff? When energy demand
decreases, fewer fossil fuels are burned and less carbon
dioxide is emitted to the atmosphere.
• Reduce emissions from incinerators. Diverting certain
materials from incinerators through waste prevention and
recycling reduces greenhouse gas emissions to the atmos-
phere.
• Reduce methane emissions from landfills. Waste pre-
vention and recycling (including composting) divert
organic wastes from landfills, reducing the methane
released when these materials decompose.
• Increase storage of carbon in trees. Forests take a large
amount of carbon dioxide out of die atmosphere and store it
in wood, in a process called carbon sequestration. Waste pre-
vention and recycling of paper products can leave more trees
standing in the forest, continuing to absorb carbon dioxide
from the atmosphere.
What Are Greenhouse Gases?
Some greenhouse gases occur
naturally in the atmosphere, while
others result from human activities.
Naturally occurring greenhouse
gases include water vapor, carbon
dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and
ozone. Certain human activities,
however, 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), and
wood and wood products are burned.
Methane is emitted during the
production and transport of coal,
natural gas, and oil; the decompos
tion of organic wastes in municipal
solid waste landfills; and the raisi
of livestock.
Nitrous oxide is emitted during
agricultural and industrial activities,
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The Link Between Waste Management and Greenhouse Gases
&P
Harvesting trees.
extracting oil and
ores, and trans-
porting these raw
materials emit
greenhouse gases.
Increased GHG
Emissions
Decreased GHG
Emissions
Waste prevention
and recycling delay
the need to extract
some raw materials,
lowering green-
house gases emit-
ted during
extraction
Manufacturing
products releases
greenhouse gases
during processing
and as energy Is
expended.
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
greenhouse gases
emitted during
manufacturing.
Burning certain
waste in
an Incinerator
increases
greenhouse
gas emissions.
Increased GHG
Emissions
Decreased GHG
Emissions
Waste prevention
and recycling
reduce the amount
of waste sent to
incinerators.
lowering the
greenhouse gases
emitted when
waste burns.
Greenhouse gases
are emitted
as waste
decomposes
in landfills.
Increased GHG
Decreased GHG
Emissions
Waste prevention
and recycling
reduce the amount
of waste sent to
landfills.
lowering the
greenhouse gases
emitted as waste
decays.
T
o help measure the climate benefits of waste reduc-
tion initiatives launched by EPA and others, EPA
conducted a comprehensive study of greenhouse gas
emissions and waste management. The study estimates the
greenhouse gas emissions associated with managing ten
types of waste materials: office paper, newspaper, corrugated
cardboard, aluminum, steel, plastic (HDPE, I.DPH, and
PET), food scraps, and yard trimmings. The waste manage-
ment options analyzed are waste prevention, recycling, com-
posting, incineration, and landfilling.
This research indicates that, in terms of climate benefits,
waste prevention is the best management option. Recycling
is the next best approach to reducing greenhouse gas emis-
sions. Also, the research enables users to tailor their analy-
sis of greenhouse gas emissions based on the characteristics
of their waste stream and the waste management options
available to them.
EPA estimates that increasing our national recycling rate
from its current level of 27 percent to 35 percent would
reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 9.2 million metric
tons of carbon equivalent (MTCE, the basic unit of
measure for greenhouse gases) over landfilling the same
material. Waste prevention also makes an important
difference: By cutting the amount of waste we generate
to 1990 levels, we could reduce greenhouse gas emissions
by another IS.3 million MTCE. Together, these levels of
recycling and waste prevention would slash emissions by
more than 24.5 million MTCE—an amount equal to the
average annual emissions from the electricity consumption
of roughly 15 million households.
Every little bit helps! for example, if for 1 year people in
an office building of 2,000 workers recycled all the office
paper, cardboard, newspaper, and plastic waste they gencr
ated, greenhouse gas emissions could (all by 444 MTCE,
equivalent to taking about 333 cars off the road that year.
If just one household generated 5 percent less waste news-
papers, aluminum and steel cans, and plastic containers
and then recycled what remained, 352 pounds of carbon
equivalent could be reduced.
T
he United States is committed to reducing green-
house gas emissions. In 1992, the United States
joined 160 other countries as a signatory to the
as well as during combustion of solid
waste and fossil fuels.
Greenhouse gases that are not nat-
urally occurring include by-products of
foam production, refrigeration, and air
conditioning called
(CFCs), as
well as hydrofluc (MFCs)
and (PFCs)
generated by industrial processes.
Each greenhouse gas differs in
phere. MFCs and PFCs are the most
heat absorbent. Methane traps over
21 times more heat than carbon
dioxide, and nitrous oxide absorbs
270 times more heat than carbon
its ability to absorb heat in the atmos- dioxide.
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United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on
Climate Change, which calls on countries to reduce their
greenhouse gas emissions. .Since 1994, the United Stales
has been implementing the Climate Change Action Plan
(CCAP), a blueprint for achieving voluntary reductions in
greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors of our economy.
The CCAP contains some 50 separate initiatives, includ-
ing one that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
through waste reduction and recycling.
In December 1997, the Parties to the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change agreed to a historic pro-
tocol on climate change. The so-called "Kyoto Protocol"
sets binding emissions targets and timetables tor emis-
sions reductions, encouraging the use of market-based
measures to meei iliose largets. The specific limits vary
from country to country but are similar for Europe, japan,
and the United States; for the United States, the target is
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to a level
7 percent below 1990 emissions over a 5-year period
spanning 2008 to 2012. United States ratification of this
protocol will require the advice and consent of the U.S.
Senate.
Waste prevention and recycling can make a significant
contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the
United States. The waste reduction and recycling initiative
is expected to contribute at least 5 percent of the total
greenhouse gas emission reductions called for in the
CCAP. To help achieve these kinds of greenhouse gas
reductions using wasie prevention and recycling, EPA is
supporting a number of programs, including:
• WasteWise. WasteWise is a voluntary partnership
between EPA and U.S. businesses, state and local govern-
ments, and institutions to prevent waste, recycle, and buy
and manufacture products made with recycled materials.
Presently, more than 800 organizations are participating in
the WasteWise program.
• Pay-As-You-Throw Programs. EPA is providing techni-
cal and outreach assistance to encourage communities to
implement pay-as-you-throw systems for solid waste. Under
pay-as-you-throw, residents are charged based on the
amount of trash they discard. This creates an incentive tor
them to generate less trash .ind recycle more. On average,
communities with pay-as-you-throw see waste reductions of
15 to 28 percent.
• Waste Reduction Demonstrations. EPA has funded
over 20 projects that demonstrate innovative waste reduc-
tion approaches with potential to achieve sig-
nificant carbon emissions reductions.
For More Inf
For an online c
"Greenhouse G
Management of Sel<
Municipal Solid Was
•
hw/muncpl/ghg.htm
change, use EPA's I
or write to EPA,
Office of Econo
I
site on global w
waste and clirm
You Can Make a Difference!
By choosing to prevent waste and recycle, you can help curb climate change. For example, assume your office throws away 100
tons of white (office) paper each year. If you recycle just half that paper instead, look what happens:
Scenario 1
Throwing
away 100 tons
of paper
Result:
107 MTCE
Scenario 2
Recycling
50 tons of
that paper
Result:
39 MTCE
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Trees are harvested. Logs are transported to Paper is
a paper manufacturer. manufactured.
Workers use
and dispose
of paper.
Trash is collected
and transported
to a landfill.
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Paper is buried
in the landfill.
Fewer trees are
harvested.
Fewer logs are
transported to the
paper manufacturer.
Less paper is Workers use
manufactured from and recycle paper.
virgin material.
Paper is collected The recovered paper
and transported to is remanufactured.
a recycling facility.
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