Waste and Climate Change

By Christie Keith

www.no-burn.org

Global Anti-Incinerator Alliance

Global Alliance for IncineratorAlternatives

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Greenhouse Effect

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The Rongbuk glaciar in 1968 (above) and 2007. Rongbuk is the

largest glacier on Mt. Everest.

The Glaciers are Disappearing

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Drought in the Amazon

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Extreme Climate Events

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Crop Failure

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2004 data in the 2007 IPCC, AR4, SPM, Fig 3

Global Emissions of Greenhouse Gases

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What Produces Methane?

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Trashing the Climate

Photo by Gigie CruzPhoto by Gigie Cruz Sanitary Landfill with Landfill Gas Collection System under Construction

Municipal Waste Dump or Landfill

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Stuff = 42% of greenhouse gases in U.S.

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U.S. GHG Emissions

Source: US EPA, 2009, Opportunities to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

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Clean Energy Technologies?

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Incinerators and climate: CO2

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Incinerator Coal Oil fired Natural gas

fired

Pounds of CO2 per MWh

SOURCE: US EPA, 2007

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Landfills gas capture systems do not work as expected

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Bali, Indonesia

Recyclers vs. the Clean Development Mechanism

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India: Recyclers are the Real Climate Heroes

Source: Cooling Agents, Chintan 2009

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Costs

Karlsruhe, Germany: lost €400,000,000 in 4 years

Frederick County, Maryland, USA: Proposed incinerator would cost US$615,000,000

US Energy Information Administration: it costs more to generate energy from waste than from coal, nuclear, or hydropower projects.

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Comparing capital costs of recycling and incineration

Recycling/Composting: Less Industrialized Nations

Cost per ton/day

Philippines, recycling collection and composting

$5,000

India, recycling collection and composting $1,650

Egypt, recycling micro-enterprises $450

Brazil, recycling cooperatives $5,300

Recycling: Industrialized Nations

Typical U.S. recycling facility $30,000

Incineration $136,000-270,000

Recycling costs based on existing projects. Incineration costs based on World Bank estimates. Source: Institute for Local Self-Reliance report, 2004.

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Zero Waste for Zero Warming:Solutions for a Finite Planet

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Reduction in GHG Emissions: Massachusetts

Emissions Reduction

0 500 1000 1500 2000

Incineration

Landfill with gas

recovery

Recycle/Compost

kg CO2e per ton of waste

Source: Assessment of Materials Management Options for the Massachusetts Solid Waste Master Plan Review, Tellus Institute December 2008.

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Plastic #1 Newspaper

Energy Saved or RecoveredIn Million BTUs/ton of material

Reducing

Recycling

Incineration with energy recovery

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Composting in Indonesia

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Large-scale Composting

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Vermicompost

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Animal Feed

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Small-scale Biogas Plant

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www.no-burn.org

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Mass Burn Incinerator

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Gasification Incinerator Schematic

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Life Cycle Emissions

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