1. Wasting and Climate
Change: The Connections
Stop Trashingfor Local Self-Reliance
Brenda Platt, Institute the Climate
presented at the Zero Waste Conference
Devens, Massachusetts, October 19, 2009
Brenda Platt
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
BioCycle West, San Diego
April 15th, 2008

2. Top Ten:
Why wasting = climate change?
10. 54% of waste goes to landfills, a top
source of methane emissions

3. Thousands of tons
19
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
50,000
0
60
19
62
19
64
19
66
19
68
19
70
19
72
19
74
19
76
19
78
19
80
19
82
19
84
19
86
19
88
Wasting Trend in U.S.
19
90
19
92
19
94
19
96
19
98
20
00
20
02
20
04
20
06

4. Top Ten:
Why wasting = climate change?
10. 54% of waste is landfilled
9. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas

5. Landfill greenhouse gas emissions,
% of total
All Other
Landfill Methane
98.2%
Emissions
1.8%
Total 2005 = 7,260 megatons CO2 equiv.

6. The global warming potential concept
CO2
Methane - 100 year time horizon, 21 times more potent than CO2
Methane - 20 yrs, 72
times more potent

7. Landfill greenhouse gas emissions,
% of total, 20 yr time horizon
All Other
94.8%
Landfill Methane
Emissions
5.2%
Total 2005 = 8,754 megatons CO2 equiv.

8. Disposal sector emissions, 8.1% of
total, 20 yr horizon
Landfill
All Other 5.2%
91.9%
Municipal Waste
Combustion
0.2%
Wastewater Trtmt
1.1%
Manure Mgt
1.6%

9. Top Ten:
Why wasting = climate change?
10. Landfills are a top source of methane
9. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas
8. Incinerators are bad for the climate

10. Waste incinerators are NOT good for
the climate
3,500
3,000
lbs CO2 emissions/megawatt-hour
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
-
Incinerator Coal Fired Oil Fired Natural Gas Fired

11. Top Ten:
Why wasting = climate change?
10. Landfills are a top source of methane
9. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas
8. Incinerators are bad for the climate
7. Incinerators require wasting

12. Incinerators require waste and
wasting

13. Top Ten:
Why wasting = climate change?
10. Landfills are a top source of methane
9. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas
8. Incineration is bad for the climate
7. Incineration requires wasting
6. Trash is not renewable

14. The Wasteberg
For every ton of
municipal trash, 71
tons of waste are
produced during
manufacturing, mining,
oil and gas
exploration,
agriculture, and coal
combustion.

15. Upstream = 71 x MSW Waste

16. Waste of Energy (WOE)
3 to 5 times more energy can be saved
by recycling
Burning materials for their Btu value is a
waste of resources

17. Top Ten:
Why wasting = climate change?
5. Biogenic emissions too often
overlooked

18. Biogenic emissions are not
climate neutral
X X X X X
X X X

19. Top Ten:
Why wasting = climate change?
5. Biogenic emissions too often
overlooked
4. Pay as you throw not widespread

20. Unit-based Pricing Sends a Clear Message
Worcester, MA San Francisco, CA
Population 173,000 Population 775,000
Unit based pricing is just a different way of paying for waste
Source: Kristen Brown, Green Waste Solutions, www.thewastesolution.com

21. Worcester, MA: PAYT Results
55,000
50,000
45,000
40,000
35,000
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
19
'87
'88
'89
'90
'91
'92
'93
'94
'95
'96
'97
'98
'99
20
'01
'02
'03
'04
'05
'06
86
00
Trash Tons Collected Per Year Recycling Tons Collected Per Year
Source: Kristen Brown, Green Waste Solutions, www.thewastesolution.com

22. Overall Waste Generation Decrease 20+%
Source: Kristen Brown, Green Waste Solutions, www.thewastesolution.com

23. Top Ten:
Why wasting = climate change?
5. Biogenic emissions too often
overlooked
4. Pay as you throw not widespread
3. Competes with expanding composting
and anaerobic digestion systems

24. Organics Diversion: Core Climate
Protection Strategy
 Prevents landfill methane emissions
 Stores carbon
 Improves soil’s ability to store
carbon
 Substitutes for energy-intensive
fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides
 Improves plant growth, and thus
carbon sequestration
 Reduces energy use for irrigation
 Anaerobic digestion offsets fossil
fuel consumption

25. U.S. municipal waste disposed
Textiles
Paper and 6% Glass
paperboard 6%
22%
Metals
8%
Other materials
Wood 8%
8%
Yard trimmings
7%
Plastics
17%
169.2 million tons in 2007 Food scraps
18%
Source: US EPA, 2007 data (http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/msw99.htm)

26. Top Ten:
Why wasting = climate change?
5. Biogenic emissions too often
overlooked
4. Pay as you throw not widespread
3. Competes with expanding composting
and anaerobic digestion systems
2. Unchecked consumption

27. U.S. huge contributor
 4.6% of global population
 Consume one-third of Earth’s timber and paper
 Generate 22% of global CO2 emissions
 Produce 30% of world’s waste

28. Sectors impacted by wasting, % of
total, 20 yr horizon
All Other
61.8%
Disposal sector
8.1%
Synthetic
Fertilizers
1.1%
Truck Industrial sector
Transportation 24.6%
4.4%

29. Single use has got to go

30. Resource Conservation
Hierarchy
Most Preferable
Avoid Reduce
Reuse
Recycle Compost
Treat
Dispose
Least Preferable

31. Top Ten:
Why wasting = climate change?
5. Biogenic emissions too often overlooked
4. Pay as you throw not widespread
3. Competes with expanding composting and
anaerobic digestion systems
2. Unchecked consumption
1. Prevents real zero waste planning

32. 1,000 Tons Per Year
19
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
50,000
0
60
19
63
19
66
19
69
19
72
19
75
19
78
19
81
19
84
19
87
19
90
19
93
19
96
Zero Waste Path
19
99
20
02
20
05
20
08
20
11
20
14
20
17
20
20
20
23
20
26
20
29

33. Aiming for zero waste is key GHG
abatement strategy
Abatement Megatons % of Abatement
Strategy CO2 eq. Needed in 2030 to
Return to 1990
Reducing waste
via prevention, reuse,
recycling, composting 406 11.6%
Lighting 240 6.9%
Vehicle Efficiency 195 5.6%
Lower Carbon Fuels 100 2.9%
Forest Management 110 3.1%
Carbon Capture Storage 95 2.7%
Wind 120 3.4%
Nuclear 70 2.0%
Source: ILSR, GAIA, and Eco-Cycle, Stop Trashing the Climate (2008), and McKinsey
Company, Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: How Much and at What Cost? (2007)

34. Zero waste path: less coal plants
By significantly
reducing waste
disposal, the U.S. can
take the equivalent of
21% of its coal-fired
power plants off the
grid by 2030.

35. Composting Recycling Collection
System Designed For High Diversion
Recycled Paper Food Scraps
21% 20%
Yard Trimmings
5%
Glass and Plastic Bottles
Aluminum and Steel Cans
5%
Compostable Paper
10%
Construction and
Demolition Waste
25%
Other
15%
Courtesy of City of San Francisco

36. Easy to Understand Program
Courtesy of City of San Francisco

37. Designed for Easy Participation
Labeled Lids
Kitchen Pail Wheeled Cart
Courtesy of City of San Francisco

39. Recology’s Jepsen Prairie Organics
Regional Composting Facility
Courtesy of City of San Francisco

40. Toronto

41. Don’t Waste!
Starve a Landfill
Feed the soil
Conserve resources
Protect the climate
Create jobs
Sustain new businesses

42. Job Creation:
Reclamation vs. Disposal
Type of Operation Jobs/
10,000 TPY
Computer Reuse 296
Textile Reclamation 85
Misc. Durables Reuse 62
Wooden Pallet Repair 28
Recycling-Based Manufacturers 25
Conventional MRFs 10
Composting 4
Disposal Facilities 1
MRF = materials recovery facility Institute for Local Self-Reliance
TPY = tons per year

43. Composting = Local
 Organics do not ship well
 Composting is small-scale
 Compost products are used locally
 Jobs are local
 Dollars circulate within local
economies
 Local = good for local economies
Institute for Local Self-Reliance

44. A Call to Action!
 Implement zero waste targets and plans.
 Stop disposing organic materials – COMPOST!
 Pursue recycling-based local economic
development.
 Make manufacturers responsible for their products.
 Regulate single-use plastics.
 Reduce junk mail.
 Buy recycled.
 Institute pay-as-you-throw trash fees.

45. Contact
www.stoptrashingtheclimate.org
www.ilsr.org
bplatt@ilsr.org
Brenda Platt
202-898-1610 x230