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Climate Change and Waste
Reducing Waste Can
Make a Difference
Climate Change and
Municipal Solid Waste:
Environmental Issues With
an Important Underlying Link
Rising levels of gases in the Earth's
atmosphere have the potential to
cause changes in our climate.
Some of these emission increases
can be traced directly to solid waste.
The manufacture, distribution, and
use of products—as well as management
of the resulting waste—all result in emissions of greenhouse
gases that affect the Earth's climate. Waste prevention and
recycling are real ways to help address climate change.
What Is the Greenhouse Effect?
The atmosphere that surrounds the Earth contains many types of gases,
including those known as "greenhouse gases." Greenhouse
gases (GHG) absorb and retain heat from the sun. They reg-
ulate the Earth's climate by holding warmth in an atmos-
pheric blanket around the planets surface. Scientists
call this phenomenon the "greenhouse effect."
Without greenhouse gases, the average temperature
on Earth would be -2 degrees Fahrenheit instead of
the current 57 degrees Fahrenheit. Excess green-
house gases in the atmosphere, however, can raise
global temperatures. In the past 100 years, scientists
have detected an increase of 1 degree Fahrenheit in the
Earth's average surface temperature.
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What Are
the Effects of
Climate Change?
Why try to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? Increased concentrations of greenhouse gases
in the atmosphere threaten to disrupt the diversity of habitats and the life dependent on
them. In particular, our health, agriculture, water resources, forests, wildlife, and coastal
areas are vulnerable to the changes that global warming may bring. A rise of only a few
degrees in the Earth's average temperature could result in:
<• More frequent and intense storms
• Flooding of beaches, bay 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 tim-
ing, 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 greenhouse
gases remain in the atmosphere for a long time, turning back climate change may take
decades or even centuries.
What Is the Link
Between Waste and
Climate Change?
The
Earth's
atmosphere
contains
I greenhouse
gases that hold
the sun's warmth.
In this way,
| greenhouse
gases help
control global
tempera-
tures.
Certain
human
activities
release addi-
tional green-
house gases,
upsetting the
natural atmos-
pheric balance.
Increasing the
concentration of
greenhouse
gases raises
global temp-
eratures.
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 reduc-
ing greenhouse gases. Together, waste prevention and recycling:
<* 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. 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.
<* 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 methane emissions from landfills. Waste prevention and recycling (includ-
ing composting) divert organic wastes from landfills, reducing the methane released
when these materials decompose.
it Increase storage of carbon in trees. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmos-
phere and store it in wood, in a process called "carbon sequestration." Waste pre-
vention 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.
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Measuring the
Benefits of
Waste Reduction
To help measure the climate change benefits of waste reduction, EPA conducted a comprehen-
sive study of greenhouse gas emissions and waste management. The study estimated the
greenhouse gas emissions associated with managing 16 types of waste materials: office
paper, newspaper, corrugated cardboard, aluminum cans, steel cans, glass, plastic (HOPE,
LDPE, and PET), magazines/third-class mail, phone books, textbooks, dimensional lumber,
medium-density Fiberboard, 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. Recycling is the next best approach. The research enables waste
managers to analyze their potential to reduce GHG emissions based on the characteristics of
their community's waste stream and the management options available to them.
Waste prevention can make an important difference in reducing emissions. By cutting the
amount of waste we generate back to 1990 levels, we could reduce greenhouse gas emissions
by 18 million metric tons of carbon equivalent (MMTCE), the basic unit of measure for green-
house gases. EPA estimates that increasing our national recycling rate from 30 percent in
2000 to 35 percent would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by another 10 MMTCE, compared
to landfilling the same material. Together, these levels of waste prevention and recycling
would be comparable to annual emissions from the electricity consumption of nearly 4.9 mil-
lion households.
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 570 metric
tons of carbon equivalent (MTCE), when compared to landfilling. This is the equivalent to
taking about 370 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.
You Can Make a Difference!
By choosing to prevent waste and recycle, you can help curb climate change. Assume your office, for example, throws
away 100 tons of white office paper each year. If you recycle just half that amount of paper, look what happens:
Scenario 1
Throwing away
100 tons
of office paper
Waste
Management
Impact:
62 MTCE
Scenario 2
Recycling 50 tons
of that paper
Waste
Management
Impact:
-3 MTCE
Net GHG
Emission
Savings:
-65 MTCE
Fewer trees
are harvested.
Fewer logs are
transported to a
paper manufacter.
Less paper is
manufactued from
virgin material.
Workers use and
recycle paper.
Paper is collected and
transported to a
recycling facility.
The recovered paper is
remanufactured.
75
Trash is collected and
transported to a landfill
Logs are transported to
a paper manufacter.
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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 decomposition of organic wastes in municipal solid waste landfills; and the raising
of livestock.
Nitrous oxide is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities, as well as during
the combustion of solid waste and fossil fuels.
Several classes of halogenated substances are also greenhouse gases.
Hydrofluorocarbons (MFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)
are potent greenhouse gases that primarily result from industrial activities. Sources of
HFC emissions include foams, refrigeration, air-conditioning, solvents, aerosols, and
fire extinguishing sectors. PFCs and SF6 are predominantly emitted from industrial
processes, including magnesium casting, aluminum smelting, semiconductor manufac-
turing, and electric power transmission and distribution systems.
Each greenhouse gas differs in its ability to trap heat in the atmosphere. SF6 is the
most heat absorbent, trapping 23,900 times more heat than carbon dioxide. Methane
traps over 21 times more heat than carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide absorbs 310
times more than carbon dioxide.
Find these materials online at
JFor more information
For an online copy of EPA's report "Solid Waste Management
And Greenhouse Gases" (EPA 530-R-02-006) and for additional
' educational materials on climate change and waste, access
. EPA's Landfill Methane Outreach Program
(LMOP) also demonstrates how to put waste to good use. As organic
waste in landfills decomposes, it produces methane gas, which contributes
to global warming. LMOP works with companies, energy suppliers and users, and
communities on how to capture landfill gas and convert it to energy. Access the
LMOP Web site at
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The Link Between Waste Management and Greenhouse Gases
Greenhouse gases
are emitted during the
harvesting of trees, and
the extraction and trans-
port of raw materials.
Extraction
Waste prevention and
recycling delay the need to
extract some raw materials,
lowering greenhouse gases
emitted during extraction.
Manufacturing
products releases
greenhouse gases during
processing and as energy is
expended during product use.
Manufacturing
Waste prevention means
more efficient resource use,
and making products from
recycled materials requires
less energy. Both lower
greenhouse gases emitted
during manufacturing.
Burning some kinds
of waste in an incinerator
increases greenhouse
gas emissions.
Combustion
Waste prevention and
recycling reduce the
amount of waste sent to
incinerators, lowering the
greenhouse gases emitted
during combustion.
Greenhouse gases
are emitted as waste
decomposes in landfills.
Landfilling
<*£.
Waste prevention and
recycling reduce the
amount of waste sent
to landfills, lowering the
greenhouse gases emitted
during decomposition.
Increased
GHG
Emissions
Decreased
GHG
Emissions
How Are EPA
Programs Slowing
Climate Change?
The United States is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In 1992,
the United States joined 160 other countries as a signatory to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which calls on countries to reduce their greenhouse gas
emissions. Since 1994, the United States has been implementing a series of voluntary initiatives
to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors of our economy. There are cur-
rently more than 50 separate initiatives, including one that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emis-
sions through waste reduction and recycling.
Waste prevention and recycling can make a significant contribution to reducing our nation's
greenhouse gas emissions. By 2010, the U.S. expects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by
5.6 MMTCE through waste prevention and recycling. These reductions are the carbon equiva-
lent to taking more than 4 million cars off the road for one year. To help achieve these
reductions, EPA supports a number of programs, including:
* WasteWise. WasteWise is a voluntary partnership between EPA and U.S. businesses,
Federal, tribal, state and local governments, and institutions to prevent waste, recy-
cle, and buy and manufacture products made with recycled materials. Presently, more
than 1,200 organizations are participating in the WasteWise program.
it Pay-As-You-Throw Programs. EPA provides technical and outreach assistance to
encourage communities to implement pay-as-you-throw systems for managing solid
waste. Under pay-as-you-throw, residents are charged based on the amount of trash
they discard. This creates an incentive for them to generate less trash and recycle
more. Currently, there are over 5,000 pay-as-you-throw communities in the U.S. On
average, communities with pay-as-you-throw see waste reductions of 14 to 27 percent.
EPA's voluntary partnership programs for climate protection have already achieved substantial
environmental results. In 2000 alone, these programs reduced GHG emissions by 35 MMTCE, the
equivalent of eliminating the emissions of approximately 24 million cars. In addition, an
increasing number of states have been instituting their own voluntary actions to reduce emis-
sions. Twenty-five states and Puerto Rico have completed or initiated state action plans, which
list steps to reduce emissions. At least six of these states have incorporated the reduction of
waste into their GHG mitigation strategies.
Taking climate change mitigation efforts one step further, in February 2002 President Bush
committed the nation to reduce greenhouse gas intensity by 18 percent over the next
decade—equivalent to a 4.5 percent reduction from forecast emissions in 2012. These reduc-
tions will be reached through a combination of voluntary, incentive-based, and existing
mandatory measures.
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United States
Environmental Protection Agency
Solid Waste and Emergency Response
(5306 W)
Washington, D.C. 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
EPA 530-E-03-002
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