Policy Workshop- The Bigger Sustainability Picture- Impact of Reduction of Consumption & Waste on Climate Change: James Goldstein, Tellus Institute, shares the positive effects on environment, economy and infrastructure if MA commits to 75% waste diversion by 2030.
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Impact of Waste Reduction & Diversion on Climate Change
1. Impact of Waste Reduction &
Diversion on Climate Change
James Goldstein
Tellus Institute
Boston, MA
MassRecycle R3 Conference
Boxborough , MA
April 1, 2013
3. 4/1/2013 slide 3MassRecycle R3 Conference
Study Framework
Study focused on the U.S. and includes:
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)
Construction and Demolition Debris (C&D)
Did not include other wastes (industrial, agricultural,
sludge)
4. 4/1/2013 slide 4
Base Case Scenario vs.
Green Economy Scenario
Base Case Scenario (“business as usual”)
Recent trends continue: per person waste generation
remains stable; population grows; recycling & composting
increase modestly
Green Economy Scenario (75% diversion rate)
Same assumptions re: waste generation and population;
enhanced national recycling & composting program
implemented
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5. 4/1/2013 slide 5
Key Findings
Achieving 75% waste diversion in 2030, in tandem with
supportive policies to encourage domestic manufacturing:
Creates 2.3 million jobs (1.1 million more than Base Case)
Significantly lowers greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
Reduces conventional and toxic pollutants impacting human
& ecological health
Other benefits
- reduces pressure on non-renewable resources
- conserves energy
- improves economic resiliency
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10. 4/1/2013 slide 10
Job Impacts
Base Case vs. Green Economy Scenario
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11. 4/1/2013 slide 13
Environmental Emissions Impacts
Measured life-cycle material and energy inputs and
downstream outputs of wastes and pollution:
- Upstream phase – resource extraction, materials refining, and
product manufacturing
- Use phase – product use
- End-of-life phase – management of product discards
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12. 4/1/2013 slide 14
GHG Reductions
Base Case vs. Green Economy Scenario
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Green Economy Scenario GHG reductions equivalent to closing about 72
coal-fired power plants or taking 50 million cars off the road
14. 4/1/2013 slide 16
Policies for
Green Economy Scenario
Diversion
Pay As You Throw (PAYT) pricing
Resource Management (RM) Contracting
Materials disposal bans (e.g., C&D)
Mandatory recycling/composting
Enhanced container legislation
Extended Producer Responsibility legislation
(“product stewardship” - e.g., packaging, batteries, electronics)
Domestic Manufacturing
Investment tax credits for manuf. equipment using recyclables
Government support for infrastructure & market development
Climate change legislation
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15. 4/1/2013 slide 17
National Study Conclusion
Strong evidence that an enhanced recycling and
composting strategy in the U.S. can significantly
and sustainably address critical national priorities
including lasting job creation, climate change, and
improved health.
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16. 4/1/2013 slide 18MassRecycle R3 Conference
Tellus Study for MassDEP’s
2010 Master Plan
Assessment of Materials Management Options for the Solid Waste
Master Plan Review
Summarized existing studies comparing lifecycle environmental
and economic impacts of:
- source reduction and materials reuse, recycling, and composting;
- alternative technologies such as gasification, pyrolysis, and anaerobic
digestion; and
- disposal in municipal waste combustors and landfills.
Applied study results to MA data to explore alternative future
vision for materials management in terms of environmental and
economic benefits.
- Incorporated recommendations for how options fit together to form a
cost-effective materials management system that maximizes resource
and economic values of materials formerly viewed as wastes.
21. 4/1/2013 slide 25MassRecycle R3 Conference
CO2 Emissions:
Composting vs Disposal (kg eCO2/kg)
-12
-10
-8
-6
-4
-2
0
2
4
Yard
Debris
Food
Scraps
Paper
Composting
Incineration
Landfill
22. 4/1/2013 slide 26
Study for MA DEP 2010 Master Plan
Conclusions re: GHGs
From a lifecycle environmental emissions perspective, source
reduction, recycling and composting are the most advantageous
management options for all (recyclable/compostable) materials in
the waste stream.
From a lifecycle net energy perspective, waste diversion provides
the most benefit (3-4x incineration, gasification, pyrolysis)
After maximizing diversion, appropriate to continue to monitor
alternative waste management technologies.
Preference among alternative technology options based on
environmental performance is dependent on the relative
importance placed on CO2 emissions versus other pollutants.
- Modern landfills with efficient gas capture systems reduce more CO2
than other alternatives.
- Landfills are worse than alternative technologies for most other
pollutants.
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This session is about the “bigger sustainability picture,” including reducing consumption, and that’s what Tellus Institute’s work is all about. While I’m not going to focus on the consumption issue per se, Tellus has been instrumental in the establishment of the Sustainable Consumption Research and Action Initiative (SCORAI) an international network working to address challenges at the interface of material consumption, human fulfillment, lifestyle satisfaction, and technological change. One more word about the consumption issue – it’s a very deep issue that goes to the heart of our socio-economic system and our cultural values. Significantly changing our consumption patterns can have huge impacts on waste generation, GHG emissions, etc. but requires societal cultural shifts. I’m going to draw on two studies that we’ve done that have looked directly at the relationship between waste reduction or diversion and climate change. The first is a national study we completed for a coalition of labor and environmental organizations in late 2011 called More Jobs, Less Pollution: Growing the Recycling Economy in the U.S. The second is a study we completed for MA DEP as input into the previous (2010) Solid Waste Master Plan. It was called Assessment of Materials Management Options for the Solid Waste Master Plan Review. While these studies included a broad focus, both explicitly addressed the issue of waste reduction/diversion and climate change.
As I mentioned, the first study was for a coalition of national organizations, who you can see here.
Source: Based on “Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2008,” U.S. EPA, November 2009.
Confirms traditional solid waste management hierarchy…. Alternative technologies include gasification, pyrolysis & anaerobic digestion. Landfills reduce 2.5x as much CO2 as gasification and pyrolysis facilities and 3.5x as much as WTE incinerators.