Integrated Waste Management Consulting, LLC Matthew Cotton Reducing GHG: An Organics Perspective STRATEGIC POLICY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE PUBLIC WORKSHOP May 8, 2007 Matthew Cotton Integrated Waste Management Consulting Matthew Cotton Integrated Waste Management Consulting, LLC

Matthew Cotton When food discards, yard trimmings, paper, and wood are landfilled, anaerobic bacteria degrade the materials, producing CH4 and CO2. CH4 is counted as an anthropogenic GHG, because even though it is derived from sustainably harvested biogenic sources, degradation would not result in CH4 emissions if not for deposition in landfills. Source: Solid Waste Management & Greenhouse Gases: A Life-Cycle Assessment of Emissions and Sinks (EPA 2006)

Integrated Waste Management Consulting, LLC Matthew Cotton Carbon Sequestration (Simplified) The process of increasing the carbon content of a carbon reservoir other than the atmosphere Natural (biological) vs. Artificial (physical) Natural = Forests, Oceans, Soils Artificial = Carbon capture, injection into wells, ocean, etc

Integrated Waste Management Consulting, LLC Matthew Cotton Carbon Sequestration Biological Physic al

Integrated Waste Management Consulting, LLC Matthew Cotton Enhancing Carbon Sequestration via the Soil No-till farming Adding Compost and Mulch Cover cropping Crop rotation

Integrated Waste Management Consulting, LLC Matthew Cotton Adding Compost to Agricultural Soils Agriculture is #1 market for compost in CA

Integrated Waste Management Consulting, LLC Matthew Cotton Other Benefits of Using Compost Reduced soil erosion Improved soil structure Potential to reclaim soils Reduced water use (?) Reduced fertilizer use (?) Carbon sequestration in soil

Integrated Waste Management Consulting, LLC Matthew Cotton Other Sequestration Benefits There is a favorable interplay between carbon sequestration and various practices related to soil fertility: - Sustainability - Wildlife habitat - Water Quality Source: Soil Science Society of America

Integrated Waste Management Consulting, LLC Matthew Cotton Graphic Courtesy Norseman Plastics Food waste- 12 Mg CO 2equiv per Mg food waste

Integrated Waste Management Consulting, LLC Matthew Cotton Photo Courtesy Community Recycling and Resource Recovery The Future of Organics Collection

Integrated Waste Management Consulting, LLC Matthew Cotton Emerging Policies European Landfill Directive - 65% reduction in biodegradable waste to landfill by 2020 Some regions in Italy incentivising farmers to add organic matter (compost) Some states (MA, CT, VT) looking at banning food scraps from landfill

Integrated Waste Management Consulting, LLC Matthew Cotton