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Before we get started…

Before we get started…. A slight warm up exercise. What do You See?. Treasure from Trash: Methods for Handling biodegradable Municipal Solid Waste More Sustainably. Sam Markolf The University of Texas at Austin Washington Internships for Students of Engineering

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Before we get started…

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  1. Before we get started… A slight warm up exercise

  2. What do You See?

  3. Treasure from Trash: Methods for Handling biodegradable Municipal Solid Waste More Sustainably Sam Markolf The University of Texas at Austin Washington Internships for Students of Engineering Sponsored by: American Institute of Chemical Engineers

  4. Outline of Presentation • Overview of Waste Management • Novel Approaches to Waste Management • Policy Overview • Recommendations for Policy Changes • Impact and Implications • Summary and Conclusions

  5. Overview of Waste Management • How much waste is actually generated? • 250 million tons vs 413 million tons • Landfills • The U.S. is the leading landfill user in the world • Recycling/Composting • 61 million tons recycled and 22.1 million tons composted • Waste To Energy (Combustion) • Roughly 103 facilities in the U.S. as of 2006 Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) . (2009, November). Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United States: Detailed Tables and Figures for 2008.

  6. Why is biodegradable waste important? • Almost 64% of generated waste is biodegradable • Only 2.5% of food waste composted • Nearly 65% of yard trimmings composted • Can be used as compost or source of renewable energy Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) . (2009, November). Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United States: Detailed Tables and Figures for 2008.

  7. Why is biodegradable waste important? • Almost 64% of generated waste is biodegradable • Only 2.5% of food waste composted • Nearly 65% of yard trimmings composted • Can be used as compost or source of renewable energy Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) . (2009, November). Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United States: Detailed Tables and Figures for 2008.

  8. Concerns with Waste Management • Emissions from landfills • GHG emissions from landfills are equivalent to 22.9 million passenger vehicles • Emissions from transportation • Some waste is sent over 600 miles to landfill • Inefficient use of resources • Much of the waste can be recycled or reprocessed • Siting and Land-use Issues • It’s more difficult to build new landfills

  9. What is Aerobic Composting (AC)? Source: Torfaen County Borough, Environment & Planning: Composting, 2009, http://www.torfaen.gov.uk/EnvironmentAndPlanning/RubbishWasteAndRecycling/Composting/Home.aspx

  10. Potential Solution: Composting Pros Cons • Produces valuable soil additives • Many potential uses for compost products • Produces minimal GHG emissions • Requires relatively pure feedstock • Lack of markets for compost products • Potential for odor issues to arise

  11. What is Anaerobic Digestion (AD)? • Current Use in the U.S. • Waste Water Treatment • Rural Applications • Current Use in Europe • Municipal Solid Waste • Over 200 Facilities • Capacity of 6 million tons Source: Waste Solutions (2008), Anaerobic Digestion, http://www.wastetechnz.com/Solutions/Anaerobic_Digestion/

  12. Potential Solution: Anaerobic Digestion Pros Cons • Produces compost-like soil additive • Produces useful biogas • Greatly reduces solid waste volume • Need for consistent and “pure” feedstock • Higher capital costs • Market not established for products of AD

  13. Policy Overview Political Environment Policy Goals • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (‘76) • Congress charged state and municipal governments with the responsibility of managing non-hazardous waste • Develop an Integrated Solid Waste Management System • Considers environmental, social, and economic ramifications • Compatible with local conditions • Fits within national waste management strategy

  14. Policy Recommendations: Easier to Implement Increasing Public Awareness • Increase public awareness and knowledge related to waste management • Provide Press Releases • Develop PSAs for all forms of media • Host conferences and forums for key stakeholders

  15. Policy Recommendations: Easier to Implement Encouraging Volunteer Participation • Create certification system that recognizes “Green Cities” or “Green States” • Establish quantifiable criteria of evaluation • Different criteria for different sizes and locations • Cities and states want to improve “quality of life”

  16. Policy Recommendations: Moderately Difficult to Implement Regulatory Policies • Establish a standard and framework for accounting for waste from source to disposal • Establish regulatory and pricing framework that encourages growth in markets for secondary goods • Establish quality standards for secondary products • Establish national practice standards for AD and AC • Establish pricing mechanisms for biogas and compost

  17. Policy Recommendations: Moderately Difficult to Implement Contd. Funding Policies • Provide funding that aids the establishment of effective source separation of biodegradable waste • Provide funding for R&D and Testing/Pilot Projects with focus placed on the following areas: • Universities • Cities that use AD for water treatment, • Cities that already have source separation of biodegradable waste • Areas with a high concentration of farming

  18. Environmental Impacts Comparison of Net GHG Emissions for Different Biodegradable Waste Management Processes Net Carbon Emissions in terms of metric tons of carbon equivalent per short ton of waste Adapted From: U.S. EPA, Solid Waste Management and Greenhouse Gases, 2006

  19. Environmental Impact Continued Comparison of the True Environmental Costs of Different Waste Management Options Source: Morawski, C. (2008). Composting - Best Bang for MSW Managment Buck. 49 (10), 23 - 28.

  20. Economic Impact Comparison of tipping fees for different waste management processes across North America1 • Economic Analysis of Recycling/Reuse Industry2 • Recycling industry provides roughly 4 times as many jobs as waste management industry • Recycling industry earned an estimated $236 billion in 2001 • The Federal Government earned roughly $6.9 billion in tax revenues from the recycling industry 1Levis, J. (2010). Assessment of the state of food waste in the United States and Canada. (e. al., Ed.) Waste Management . 2R.W. Beck, Inc. (2001, July). U.S. Recycling Economic Information Study.

  21. Now What Do You See?

  22. Questions? samarkolf@gmail.com Special Thanks to: AIChE, IEEE USA, and ACS Dr. Tom Chapman and Dr. Basil “Bill” Doumas Erica Wissolik All my fellow WISE Interns

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