|
 |
|
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.
Climate and Waste Projects
| |
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) encourages waste reduction as an important way to mitigate global climate change. EPA has lent financial and technical support to projects around the country that demonstrate innovative waste reduction approaches that can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Below are descriptions of some initiatives currently or previously supported by EPA's Climate Change and Waste program. For more information about these projects, talk to an EPA contact in your region.
Waste Reduction
Recycling Initiatives
Composting
Pay-As-You-Throw Programs
Reuse and Exchange Programs
Outreach and Tools
Climate Change Action and Mitigation Plans
Demonstration Pilots
Waste Reduction
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services  (Ongoing)
Solid Waste Management Programs for the Hospitality Industry: Global Climate Change as it Relates to Solid Waste
The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services is working with businesses and municipalities to improve source reduction and recycling activities in the hospitality industry. The department has not yet targeted specific materials or areas. Back to top
Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance (MOEA) (1998)
Quantifying Greenhouse Gases from Reduction and Municipal Solid Waste Management
| Minnesota is estimating its waste-related greenhouse gas emissions and savings for each year since 1991, and investigating how emissions and savings correlate with different waste management practices. |
This MOEA project had two phases. The first phase was designed to evaluate waste management practices as well as the extent of source reduction in Minnesota in 1996. The data collected during this phase were used to determine the GHG savings from waste management practices in 1996.
The second phase examined models for calculating GHG emissions from solid waste management. MOEA planned to estimate GHG emissions and savings for each year since 1991. This estimation focused on changes in GHG emissions that took place as Minnesota shifted its waste management practices from primarily landfilling to primarily processing and recycling. Under this project, MOEA wrote a report that documents how waste management practices have changed for certain materials – plastics used in electronic equipment and automobiles, for example, or wood and plastic lumber. Back to top
Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance (MOEA) (1996/97)
Minnesota Source Reduction Potential Project
Using EPA's Source Reduction Potential Manual, MOEA researched the source reduction potential for various waste streams in Minnesota. Based on these findings, MOEA developed focus and outreach materials for each of these waste streams, and conducted outreach activities with commercial and government institutions about source reduction in these waste streams. Back to topRecycling Initiatives
Business and Industry Resource Venture, Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce (1999)
Safeco Field/Seattle Mariners Waste Reduction and Recycling Project
The Business and Industry Resource Venture (BIRV) of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce assisted the Seattle Mariners and event vendors in the design and implementation of a comprehensive recycling and waste reduction program at the new 47,000 seat Safeco Field stadium. BIRV educated the public about the recycling program through signs, promotions, and educational materials at baseball games and other stadium events. BIRV and Seattle Mariners staff worked with the facility's recycling company to document the volume and types of materials collected for recycling or disposal. Seattle City Light staff evaluated the project's success in reducing GHG emissions. The Sports and Events Council of Seattle/King County promoted the program to the general public, major event organizers, promoters, and operators of other event facilities. The Trade Development Alliance of Greater Seattle promoted the benefits of the program to Seattle's twenty-one sister cities. The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) distributed a case study on the project to its members worldwide. The project is serving 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. Back to top
City of Tucson Environmental Services Waste Diversion Unit (2002)
Tucson Small Business Recycling Research and Pilot Project
From 1999 to 2002, the City of Tucson Environmental Services conducted a recycling research and pilot project to improve recycling activities among small businesses. The project focused on assisting small businesses take advantage of the city-wide residential recycling collection program. The program provided participating businesses with consistent education regarding what items to recycle, and enabled all 2,100 eligible businesses to participate in the city-wide residential blue-barrel recycling program. Tucson estimates that the program has resulted in diverting over 1,000 tons of waste per year from landfills. Additional information, including audits, pilot results, exit interview, and greenhouse gas conversion data, is available in the Final Report (0.19 MB). Back to top Composting
Center for Ecological Technology (CET) (1999)
Developing and Implementing a Multi-Agency Model Approach for Coordinated Private Sector Composting in Greater Boston
| The greater Boston area hopes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by promoting composting. |
CET partnered with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, WasteCap of Massachusetts, Biocycle Magazine, the Chelsea Center for Recycling and Economic Development, and EPA New England to develop and implement a model approach to reducing GHG emissions through advancing private sector composting and other organic materials management strategies in greater Boston. CET performed surveys, held planning/focus group events, and conducted site visits. Project partners conducted a survey of existing and potential food waste processors to determine their existing capacity, potential capacity, and barriers preventing business expansion. CET held a focus group with interviewees and project partners to help project partners develop future plans to aid food waste processors. Project partners then conducted targeted organic waste generation inventories and held a series of focus group meetings with the regulatory community and with hauling and food industries. CET brought all stakeholders from each sector together to facilitate planning and negotiations. CET provided ongoing technical and regulatory support to help overcome barriers to composting business expansion. CET disseminated project results and steps needed to replicate the project through a final report, Web site, conference presentations, and media outreach. Back to top
Center for Ecological Technology (CET) (1996/97)
Composting Commercial Organic Waste in Western Massachusetts
This technical assistance project was intended to create a marketplace for composting commercially generated organic waste. The project aimed to divert waste from landfills or incinerators to area farms for windrow composting. CET worked on the project with 40 commercial waste generators at 70 locations, 9 farmers, and 5 commercial waste haulers. Organic waste was collected from supermarkets, restaurants, institutions/schools, and a large wholesale food distributor. One supermarket saved over $2,000 in disposal costs in 5 months. The CET project diverted about 200 tons per week of organic materials to composting projects. Actual diversion began in January 1997, and as of July 1998, the project had diverted an estimated 8,384 tons of food, wax, corrugated cardboard, leaf and yard waste, pallets, farm residuals (manure and bedding), OCC (waxed cardboard), mixed paper, and wood. The project employed strategies to make the hauling economical. CET produced and distributed information for other organizations that wish to encourage composting of food waste. Back to topPay-As-You-Throw Programs
New Hampshire Governor's Recycling Program (1999)
Pay-As-You-Throw Rate-Setting Software
| New Hampshire is using computer modeling to determine the optimal price to charge for solid waste disposal to maximize greenhouse gas reductions while still meeting the needs of the community. |
Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) is quickly becoming a preferred method of waste management. When municipal officials promote a PAYT program to the public, they need financial justification for this new and different solid waste funding approach. Consequently, one of the greatest challenges facing a community investigating a PAYT program is determining PAYT unit price options. In response to this need, the New Hampshire Governor's Recycling Program (GRP) began experimenting with a computer software program that local rural officials, with elementary computer knowledge, could use to develop pricing strategies for their PAYT programs. EPA's RATEMAKER 1.0 addressed this need for larger metropolitan areas. GRP developed and refined a computer software program to complement RATEMAKER 1.0 – one that is inclusive enough to successfully estimate PAYT unit prices for small, rural communities throughout the United States. Using data a community would already have available, this software gives the user the ability to increase or decrease variable parameters, such as tipping, transportation, or waste reduction rates, and therefore produce various PAYT unit price scenarios for a five-year time span. GRP developed a manual, brochure, and other materials to help promote the use of this product by rural communities nationwide. Back to top
North Carolina Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance (DPPEA) (1999)
Pay-As-You-Throw Implementation and Information Sharing
The North Carolina DPPEA advanced the practice of PAYT through individualized, direct implementation assistance to ten qualified counties/municipalities in the State. DPPEA developed an in-depth guidance document to assist other communities in converting to PAYT, a list server and Web site serving both North and South Carolina, and a document that analyzes how PAYT affects communities in the Carolinas and answers questions concerning PAYT in rural states. DPPEA calculated all GHG resulting from this project through an existing local government reporting process and anticipates sustained post-project financial and technical support for communities seeking to convert to PAYT. DPPEA's project was integrated into the development of a Climate Change Action Plan for North Carolina. In addition, the project could easily be integrated into the Climate Change plans developed by participating communities. Back to top
International City/County Management Association (ICMA) (1998)
Pay-As-You-Throw and Climate Change
ICMA conducted focus groups and workshops for providing technical assistance to communities who are part of the International Council of Local Environmental Initiatives' (ICLEI) Climate Change Protection campaign (CCP). Participants in this project were required to develop GHG reduction plans. Specifically, ICMA helped communities in the CCP to reduce GHG emissions from solid waste by planning and implementing PAYT programs. In a second aspect of the project, ICMA taught participants to use ICLEI software to estimate greenhouse gas emission reductions from solid waste management. The emission estimates calculated using the software could then be incorporated into emission reduction plans. Back to top
Reuse and Exchange Programs
Reuse Development Organization, Inc. (1999)
Promoting the Beneficial Aspects of Reuse
This grant provided a national voice to promote the beneficial aspects of reuse. Reuse is the second rung of the waste management hierarchy, just after source reduction and before recycling, and has proven GHG benefits. The grant funding was used to: create a national donations program to help facilitate the donation of large quantities of materials that cannot be placed within a local community; sponsor technical assistance workshops around the country; provide financial assistance for a newsletter publication and distribution; promote EPA's Video Conference, "Why Waste a Cool Planet" regarding the connection between reuse and climate change; prepare Fact Sheets related to electronics reuse and donation; develop a ReDO website that promotes reuse; and publish a database of reuse enterprises across the United States. Back to top
The Surplus Exchange, Inc. (TSE) (1999)
Material Reuse Initiative Project
TSE proposed a project that resulted in the reduction of two major sources of GHG emissions: manufacturing and landfill emissions. TSE also encouraged the support or development of climate-change mitigation plans in the proposed two-state Kansas-Missouri area within EPA Region 7. TSE encouraged the development of reuse centers in large municipalities and an Internet-based reuse forum serving rural communities. TSE conducted a comprehensive marketing program to educate Kansas and Missouri municipalities about the project and invite participation and attendance at a pilot seminar. At the end of the one-year project period, TSE expected that no less than four municipalities to initiate reuse services, 500 to 1,000 companies to use the rural on-line equipment exchange, and 3,000 to 6,000 tons of solid waste items to be diverted from landfills. TSE also planned to develop a Kansas City reuse guide and provide educational and occupational services to 100 to 200 individuals. Back to top
California Local Government Commission (LGC) (Ongoing)
Second Chance Campaign
| The Second Chance campaign encourages Californian residents to give common household items a second life instead of landfilling them. |
Often, materials that may not be readily recyclable – but are nonetheless still useful – are simply discarded. The Second Chance Campaign encourages people to engage in activities like yard sales and swaps, reusing items that would otherwise have been discarded or left in attics or closets. The LGC of California held its first annual Second Chance Week in October 1997. LGC created the campaign to help individuals think about ways to give the materials they use a second life. As part of the campaign, groups such as brownie troops, teachers, reuse businesses, nonprofit organizations, and local and state government agencies organized materials exchange and repair activities and awareness activities across the country. These activities included citywide garage sales, art projects made of reused materials, donations to needy groups and families, and reuse/repair directories. To track materials during the week, LGC asked activity organizers to supply data; 75 of 84 known organizers reported information.
LGC uses a computer program to calculate the pounds exchanged or repaired because of an activity. The program converts numbers of materials into average weight and used value. Both pounds and dollar value can be altered if different values are available for specific items. LGC has compiled a detailed summary report of activities from the project.
The first Second Chance Week campaign resulted in nearly 120,000 pounds of metals and plastics diverted from disposal. According to LGC's estimates, it resulted in approximate GHG emission reductions of 51 MTCE. To help local event organizers nationwide get their programs off the ground, LGC developed a series of planning materials and other tools. For example, LGC produces activity planning guides and calendars, outreach letters, posters, and reply postcards. Back to top
Nebraska Materials Exchange (Ongoing)
Materials Exchange Program
The Nebraska Materials Exchange Program redirects useable materials of all kinds from waste streams to organizations that can use them, such as businesses, nonprofit organizations, and schools. Materials range from chemicals to construction materials to electronics to food. The program offers technical assistance, facilitates access to recycling markets, and provides educational assistance. Keep Nebraska Beautiful maintains detailed records of all materials exchanged, the source of the material, and whether the material was reused or recycled. As of September 1998, the program had source reduced 63 tons of materials and recycled 187 tons of materials. Back to top
Outreach and Tools
International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) (1998)
Outreach and Tools
This project had two objectives. The first was to update ICLEI emission estimation software so that the data and emission factors were compatible with EPA's WARM model. Secondly, the project included outreach in conjunction with the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign. These outreach activities targeted cities and encouraged them to develop local action plans that incorporate waste management emission reduction strategies. Back to top
Institute for Local Self Reliance (ILSR) (1996/97)
Waste Reduction Record-Setters Program
| Some communities are achieving source reduction goals far beyond the national average. ILSR is investigating what strategies these communities employ so that other communities can follow suit. |
During the past decade, the national recycling rate has climbed to over 27 percent. However, numerous communities, businesses, and government offices are reducing their solid waste stream by more than 50 percent. Some, in fact, are reducing waste by as much as 85 or 90 percent. What makes their waste reduction programs so successful? To answer this question, ILSR is documenting strategies that businesses, institutions, and other organizations are using to reduce the amount of waste they generate. The ILSR has prepared a series of case studies that describe how these record-setting programs are structured, what materials are being reduced at the highest levels, and how much the programs cost to implement and maintain. By documenting this information, ILSR is compiling data others can use to establish their own programs.
How much impact can waste reduction in communities and businesses have on GHG emissions? If the ideas and examples in ILSR's case studies help just 300 communities (population 100,000) increase their waste reduction rate from 27 to 50 percent, they could reduce GHG emissions by an estimated 5.6 million MTCE. That's equivalent to the emissions from producing electricity for more than 3.4 million households for an entire year. Back to top
Climate Change Action and Mitigation Plans
National Recycling Coalition (NRC) (Ongoing)
Integrating Source Reduction and Reuse Activities into State and Local Climate Change Action Plans
Except in a limited number of cases, the link between waste reduction and reduced GHG emissions is not readily understood by solid waste managers or officials responsible for developing Climate Change Action Plans (CCAPs). The NRC helps raise awareness and assists state and local government officials in incorporating waste reduction, and in particular, source reduction and reuse efforts into their CCAPs. NRC promotes networking opportunities; conducts an educational session at the 1999 NRC Congress; conducts a high-profile educational seminar targeting CCAPs officials (an appropriate forum will be identified); creates a climate change/waste reduction section on the NRC Web site to post guidance materials and links to program partners and other relevant sites; and develops and implements a follow-up technical assistance/peer-match program to assist state and local governments in incorporating waste reduction into their CCAPs. NRC builds on the body of existing work in this area by partnering with state and local governments, their representative organizations, and other stakeholders. Back to top
Tellus Institute/Iowa (1998)
Incorporating Waste Reduction Impacts in State Climate Change Mitigation Plans
At the time of this grant, Iowa did not consider the climate impacts of solid waste practices in its state climate change mitigation plan. This project used Iowa's diversion data in conjunction with unit GHG data (developed by EPA and others) to demonstrate specifically how waste reduction impacts can be incorporated into state and local climate change mitigation plans. Iowa planned to use the results of the study to inform policy- and decision-making concerning both GHG and solid waste planning at the state and local levels. At the conclusion of the project, Tellus Institute prepared a report for GHG and solid waste planners in other states and jurisdictions: the report describes the process, techniques, and data used in Iowa to evaluate GHG impacts associated with integrated waste management options and policies. Thus, the results of the project should be highly replicable. Based on the large GHG impact associated with source reduction and recycling of paper and paperboard, plastics, aluminum, and steel, these materials were the primary focus of the analysis. This project did not actually reduce GHG emissions, but rather offered some guidance on how Iowa can do so through waste reduction/management activities. Back to top
International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) (Ongoing)
Cities for Climate Protection Campaign (CCP)
ICLEI-CCP is working with a handful of local governments to help them develop strong waste reduction and waste management programs as part of their local climate action plans. ICLEI support includes training sessions and tool kits geared to help city waste managers estimate emissions associated with waste management activities and evaluate the emission reduction potential of waste reduction projects. ICLEI is targeting materials such as corrugated cardboard, glass, mixed recyclables, newspaper, aluminum cans, and steel cans. Back to top
Demonstration Pilots
Saint Paul Neighborhood Energy Consortium (NEC) (Ongoing)
WoodWins Wood Reclamation Project
| The WoodWins project diverts discarded wood from landfills by using wooden palates and crates to build furniture and other useful items. |
The Saint Paul NEC seeks to help mitigate global climate change, increase the recovery and recycling of discarded wood, and develop jobs and job training opportunities in Saint Paul through the creation of a new business venture called WoodWins . WoodWins refurbishes or reuses valuable hardwood boards, pallets and crates currently being landfilled or incinerated in the Twin Cities area to create unique, high-end planters, window boxes, and garden benches. WoodWins will employ developmentally disabled and economically disadvantaged individuals for many of the manufacturing positions. WoodWins is a winning situation for the entire community because it conserves forest resources, reduces GHG emissions, eliminates a disposal problem for businesses, and creates jobs and job training opportunities for residents. The city of Saint Paul and the International Coalition for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) agree that WoodWins is an important step towards reaching the city's climate change mitigation goals. NEC has secured alliances with Colonial Craft, the world's largest producer of window grills and wooden gas grill parts, and Midway Training Services (MTS), a nonprofit organization providing job training and work opportunities for developmentally disabled adults in the Twin Cities. Colonial Craft has agreed to donate most of the wood manufacturing capital equipment, facilitate the start-up of the venture, and assist with the ongoing management of the manufacturing operation. MTS places and trains workers in the WoodWins facility. Their expertise ensures that WoodWins is a viable business while meeting the needs of developmentally disabled workers. Their connections in the community assist NEC in securing funds for special equipment. Back to top
United States Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (1999)
Demonstration of Performance and Environmental Attributes of Recycled-Plastic Railroad Ties
While recent efforts indicate that plastic railroad ties made from recycled waste plastics can perform as a replacement for wood ties, limited field tests and demonstrations present a major barrier to adoption by the railroads and mass transit organizations. This project demonstrated the performance of recycled plastic railroad ties in actual track situations and derive the environmental benefits of such ties thus accelerating the acceptance of this technology by the railroad communities. With between 10 to 15 million railroad ties replaced annually in the United States, capturing even 10 percent of this market could divert large volumes of waste plastics from landfills and consequently reduce GHG emissions. Railroad ties made from high volumes of recycled thermoplastics also will sequester large amounts of carbon from the environment. Back to top
Triangle J Council of Governments (1996/97)
Industrial Ecosystem Development Project
The Triangle J Council of Governments Industrial Ecosystem Development Project demonstrated the value of specific tools and techniques to help businesses within a six-county area to create partnerships for the local reuse of currently unused materials, water, and energy byproducts. These partnerships reduce the use of natural resources and emissions of GHGs. By using a geographical information system and database, the project's members gathered information from over 150 facilities regarding their potentially reusable byproducts — these could be useable as raw materials by companies within the region. For example, one facility used another's sawdust waste as a vermiculite input. The facilities participating in the project specialized in such areas as electronics, chemicals, fabricated metal products, and food and kindred products. Triangle J has identified 21 materials, including some energy sources, for possible reuse. Triangle J also focused on reducing transportation distances and planned to calculate emissions reductions from decreased transportation of materials for each specific material. Back to top
| |
|
|