Determining GHG Emissions from Composting at the University of Arizona Emily Toffol UA NASA Space Grant Intern UA Office of Sustainability Joe Abraham, PhD UA Office of Sustainability AASHE 2012 Annual Conference October 16, 2012

Outline Introduction & background Research questions Data Methods Results Lessons learned & next steps

UA Snapshot Approx 39,000 Students & 15,000 Employees 175 buildings ~ 9M gross sqft (Main Campus)

UA Snapshot AAU Member Institution (“Research 1”) $586M in R&D Expenditures ( )

Around the StateTucson Area Arizona’s Land Grant Institution

Arizona/NASA Space Grant NASA created National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program 1989 Provides experiences for and attracts and attains students in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

Compost Basics

Student-Run Compost Program

Compost Ingredients

Collection and Processing

Why Inventory GHG Emissions? UA is an ACUPCC signatory ~2% of total GHG emissions come from solid waste (4,200 MT CO 2 e) An inventory is first step in quantifying reductions

Research Questions How effective is the Compost Cats program at reducing emissions due to organic waste? How can the Compost Cats better monitor their emission reductions? How can Compost Cats reliably inform business partners of their GHG reductions?

Inventory Methods Climate Action Reserve (CAR) Organics Composting Protocol Developed and reviewed by industry experts, federal agencies, and environmental organizations. Established for Western Climate Initiative cap and trade program and other voluntary markets climateactionreserve.org

Determining Emission Reductions Business-as-Usual Emissions Compost Project Emissions VS

= MT CO 2 e reduced Calculations

Calculator Tool Enter sources (lbs), returns emission reductions Consistent with process and protocol Easy to use

Results Average Weekly Project v. Business-as-Usual Emissions: Mt CO 2 e Mt CO 2 e

Using established protocol = credibility Research was challenging but not impossible Emission reductions are negligible (< 1%) Custom calculator is really handy but requires updating… Lessons Learned

New Sources Since Inventory Post-consumer wasteSoiled animal beddingResidence hall composting

New Composting Location More Fuel-Efficient Truck Process Changes Since Inventory

Future Plans for Compost Cats Bagging compost for local retail Expand collection –UA fraternities & sororities –More local restaurants –More local grocery stores

Thank You Acknowledgements Emily Toffol Joe Abraham