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Please see EPA's Climate Change site for current information on climate change and global warming. EPA no longer updates EPA's Global Warming Site, but is maintaining this archive for historical purposes. Thank you for visiting the archive of EPA's Global Warming Site.
National, State, and Local Efforts
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EPA is working in conjunction with agencies at all levels of government to reduce waste-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Some of these actions are described below.
How are EPA programs addressing global climate change?The United States is strongly committed to addressing the challenge of climate change with cost-effective policies that are good both for the economy and the environment. 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 GHG emissions. In February 2002, President Bush set a national goal of reducing greenhouse gas intensity – the amount of GHGs emitted per dollar of GDP – by 18 percent over 10 years. In support of these commitments, the United States is implementing a series of voluntary initiatives to achieve reductions in GHG emissions from all sectors of our economy. Currently, more than 50 separate initiatives exist, including one that aims to reduce GHG emissions through waste reduction and recycling. For more information about US actions to address climate change, visit EPA's Global Warming – Actions site.
Waste prevention and recycling can make a significant contribution to reducing our nation’s GHG emissions. By 2012, the United States expects to reduce GHG emissions by 5.6 MMTCE through waste prevention and recycling. These reductions are the equivalent 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, recycle, and buy and manufacture products made with recycled materials. Presently, more than 1,200 organizations participate in the WasteWise program.
- 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. With pay-as-you-throw, residents are charged based on the amount of waste they discard. This system creates an incentive for residents to generate less trash and recycle more. Currently, over 5,000 pay-as-you-throw communities exist in the United States. 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 2002 alone, these programs reduced GHG emissions by 43 MMTCE, equivalent to eliminating the annual emissions of approximately 28 million cars. In addition, an increasing number of states have been instituting their own voluntary actions to reduce emissions. Twenty-five states and Puerto Rico have completed or initiated state action plans, listing steps to reduce emissions. At least six of these states have incorporated the reduction of waste into their GHG mitigation strategies.Back to top
What activities are the states undertaking to reduce and/or measure GHG reductions related to solid waste?
| Many states demonstrate their commitment to the environment by tracking their greenhouse gas emissions and developing plans to reduce them. |
40 states and territories have completed GHG emission inventories. In addition, 28 states and territories have completed climate change action plans. Five of the state plans alone have identified strategies that could collectively reduce GHG emissions by 34 MMTCE, or 2 percent of projected U.S. emissions in 2010, while saving over $600 million per year. For more information about GHG emission reduction opportunities at the state level, visit EPA's State and Local Capacity Building Branch. Back to top
Where can I find information on technology and policy options for states wishing to reduce their GHG emissions?States across the nation have been evaluating different policies and technologies that reduce GHG emissions. EPA has compiled these options into a database so that state decision makers can obtain information on the types of actions being considered or implemented by other states. Users can search the State Actions Database by keyword, state, sector, or policy type. Back to top
Where can I find more information on state actions related to climate change?Numerous government, private, and nonprofit programs exist that have sought cost-effective options to mitigate climate change. A few examples are:
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What activities are individual cities undertaking to reduce and/or measure GHG reductions related to solid waste?Some of the efforts focusing on cities and counties are being coordinated by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), a nongovernmental environmental organization supporting local authorities. ICLEI provides support to cities and counties that have joined the Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) Program. More than 280 municipalities worldwide participate in the CCP Program, 60 of which are U.S. cities and counties. In joining the CCP Program, municipalities offer local commitment to identify and implement cost-effective practices to reduce GHG emissions, especially in buildings, transportation, and waste management. Visit the ICLEI web site for additional information about the CCP Program.  Back to top
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