GRRN Recycling and Zero Waste Conference October 19, 2009

1. Climate change, land, materials and products: new reports from EPA and the Product Policy Institute GRRN Recycling and Zero Waste Conference October 19, 2009 Joshuah K. Stolaroff, former AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow, OSWER Center for Program Analysis, EPA contact at josh@rationalcontemporary.com

2. Introduction There is broad, global agreement that the climate is changing and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions must be reduced. Administration target: 83% by 2050

3. How will the cuts be achieved? cap and trade appliance energy efficiency standards corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards emissions control technology mandates building energy use codes renewable electricity mandates carbon capture and storage (CCS) incentives land management? materials management?

4. green design Materials management energy efficiency Prevention-oriented approaches… design for environment industrial ecology Land management smart growth sustainable consumption … tend to reduce emissions at low cost and with environmental co-benefits (compared to end-of-pipe controls), but are harder to understand and quantify.

5. U.S. GHG Emissions (2006): Economic Sectors View Source: U.S. Inventory of GHG Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2006. U.S. EPA, 2008. Excludes U.S. territories.

6. U.S. GHG Emissions (2006): Economic Sectors View This view shows the point where GHG’s are emitted. helpful for framing end-of-pipe and sector-wide mitigation strategies. Indicates that by controlling emissions from transportation and electric power, the majority of emissions are addressed.

7. U.S. GHG Emissions (2006): Systems View This figure reflects the same GHG emissions data shown in Figure 1, using a systems-based approach, as described in Appendix A. Emissions from U.S. Territories are not included in this figure.

8. U.S. GHG Emissions (2006): Systems View Figure 2 Systems-Based View of U.S. GHG Emissions (2006)‏ This figure reflects the same GHG emissions data shown in Figure 1, using a systems-based approach, as described in Appendix A. Emissions from U.S. Territories are not included in this figure. This view organizes emissions by systems, where we define a “system” as all the parts of the economy working to fulfill a particular need. helpful for framing prevention-oriented mitigation strategies that reduce emissions system-wide.

9. U.S. GHG Emissions (2006): Systems View

12. Technical Potential Reductions from Materials Management Source reduction Reduce packaging use by 50% 40-105 MMTCO2e/yr Reduce use of non-packaging paper products by 50% 20–70 MMTCO2e/yr Extend the life of personal computers by 50% 25 MMTCO2e/yr Reuse/Recycling Recycle all construction materials 150 MMTCO2e/yr Increase national MSW recycling and composting rate from 32.5% to 100% 300 MMTCO2e/yr Compost all food scraps 20 MMTCO2e/yr Energy Recovery/Disposal Combust for electricity generation all currently landfilled MSW 70-120 MMTCO2e/yr Combust MSW remaining with 50% recycling rate 66-113 MMTCO2e/yr Capture for electricity generation all landfill methane 150 MMTCO2e/yr Note: Total U.S. 2006 Emissions = 7054 MMTCO2e

13. 42% of US greenhouse gas emissions are associated with materials management. 16-20% of US greenhouse gas emissions, plus the 13% land sink are influenced by land management. Including impacts from international trade increases the share from materials/products. Many materials and land management strategies have comparable mitigation potential to better-known options. Systems/life-cycle thinking are necessary to evaluate and apply materials and land management options. Consumption-based accounting puts more opportunities on the table to reduce emissions Materials and land management strategies have co-benefits for communities and are under state & local influence. Materials and land management should beincluded in the response to climate change. Summary