GHG MITIGATION GHG MITIGATION OPPORTUNITIES IN THE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE

WASTE SECTOR IN WASTE SECTOR IN ARGENTINAARGENTINA

SBSTA IN-SESSION WORKSHOP ON MITIGATION

THURSDAY, 9 DECEMBER 2004COP 10

CONTENTS

• HOUSEHOLD WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ARGENTINA

• NATIONAL STRATEGY• BARRIERS TO PROJECT ACTIVITIES

GDP AND WASTE

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT 1993 PRICES. IN MILLION OF PESOS

200.000

210.000

220.000

230.000

240.000

250.000

260.000

270.000

280.000

290.000

300.000

I00

II III IV I01

II III IV I02

II III IV I03

II III IV I04

II

-18% +30,9%

INDUSTRIAL ESTIMATOR Year 1997=100

70

75

80

85

90

95

100

105

110

I98

III I99

III I00

III I01

III I02

III I03

III I04

-27% +32,6%

SOCIOECONOMIC INDICATORS

• In October 2002 45,7% of the households were below the poverty line

• Unemployment peaked at 21,5% in May 2002

WASTE AND WASTE MANAGEMENT

• There exists the technological and economic potential to hold GHG emissions.

• Greater energy efficiency opportunities are available, often at lower cost than expected.

HOUSEHOLD WASTE DISPOSAL IN ARGENTINA

• The dominant methods of waste disposal in Argentina are landfills and open dumps.

• There are: – 15 large landfills in the major metropolitan

areas.– About a 100 open dumps in the Buenos Aires

metropolitan area.– Around 2000 open dumps in urban areas.

• Approximately 65% of the urban population have their waste disposed in landfills.

METHANE FROM LANDFILLS

• Current emissions of methane from disposed household waste add to 14 million tonnes of CO2e/per year (1997 national inventory).

• Those emissions are equivalent to 5% of GHG total emissions.

HOUSEHOLD WASTE DISPOSAL IN ARGENTINA

• Municipal waste management is limited to:

– Household waste collection.– Disposal in landfills – Disposal in open dumps:

• There are few technical controls • Health and environmental risks.

HOUSEHOLD WASTE MANAGEMENT NATIONAL

STRATEGY Diagnosis:• Poor institutional organization• Scarcity of statistics and planning• Lack of trained staff• Insufficient legislation related to solid waste

management• Wide-spread waste collection• Scavenging• Significant amount of open dumps

HOUSEHOLD WASTE MANAGEMENT NATIONAL

STRATEGY

Technical Components:

• Sorting at the household level• Recycling and reuse• Composting• Energy recovery• Closure of open dumps• Methane recovery and use

HOUSEHOLD WASTE MANAGEMENT NATIONAL

STRATEGY

Other Components:

• Revision and consolidation of the regulatory framework

• Public awareness• Economic instruments • Provincial Plans

BARRIERS TO METHANE RECOVERY PROJECTS

Institutional barriers

• Solid waste and landfill management a low budget priority for cities, due to heavy financial constraints

• Collection costs absorb almost 85% of waste management resources

• Lack of funds to finance new investments

• Regulatory issues

BARRIERS TO METHANE RECOVERY PROJECTS

Technological barriers

– Managerial constraints at municipal level– Landfills often distant from potential

methane clients– Landfills of medium/small cities may not

generate enough methane to reach commercial scale

BARRIERS TO METHANE RECOVERY PROJECTS

Economic and financial barriers

– Electricity and natural gas price– Scale of projects may not attract

investors– Lack or insufficient financing– Lack of financial institutions

understanding of these type of projects.

How to overcome barriers?

• Technological barriers could be managed through technical systems.

• Clear and stable conditions are necessary due to the long recovery period.