A slight warm up exercise Before we get started…

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 Sponsored by: American Institute of Chemical Engineers

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

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.

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.

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.

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

What is Aerobic Composting (AC)? Source: Torfaen County Borough, Environment & Planning: Composting, 2009,

Potential Solution: Composting  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 ProsCons

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,

Potential Solution: Anaerobic Digestion  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 ProsCons

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

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

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”

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

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 Policy Recommendations: Moderately Difficult to Implement Contd.

Environmental Impacts Waste Management Process LandfillCompostCombustion (WTE) Net Carbon Emissions per ton of waste Carbon Emissions from mixed organic waste generated in ,881,400-3,234,500 Emissions in terms of passenger vehicles 2,587,600 (cars added) 2,156,333 (cars removed) 2,156,333 (cars removed) Net Carbon Emissions in terms of metric tons of carbon equivalent per short ton of waste Comparison of Net GHG Emissions for Different Biodegradable Waste Management Processes Adapted From: U.S. EPA, Solid Waste Management and Greenhouse Gases, 2006

Environmental Impact Continued Compost Lawn, Yard, & Brush Compost Food Waste Combined Organics Landfill LGR - Flaring Landfill LGR - Electricity Generation Energy from Waste - Low Estimate Energy from Waste - High Estimate Energy from Waste - Best Case Estimate Operation cost per ton $29.77$71.95$60.94$72.97$60.72$89.75$147.84$77.44 Environmental benefit per ton $42.89 $6.73$16.98$21.86 True cost per ton ($13.12)$29.06$18.04$66.24$43.74$67.89$125.97$55.57 Comparison of the True Environmental Costs of Different Waste Management Options Source: Morawski, C. (2008). Composting - Best Bang for MSW Managment Buck. 49 (10),

Economic Impact Landfills in Mid-West U.S. Landfills in Northwest U.S. Landfills in Northeast U.S. Composting in U.S. Composting in Canada WTE Facilities AD Facilities Tipping Fee ($ per metric ton of capacity) Approx. $28 $88 - $110 Approx. $110 $20 - $50$46 - $68$77- $190$77- $140 Comparison of tipping fees for different waste management processes across North America 1 Economic Analysis of Recycling/Reuse Industry 2 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 1 Levis, J. (2010). Assessment of the state of food waste in the United States and Canada. (e. al., Ed.) Waste Management. 2 R.W. Beck, Inc. (2001, July). U.S. Recycling Economic Information Study.

Summary and Conclusions  Composting and Anaerobic Digestion are favorable when compared to landfills for a variety of reasons:  Reduce GHG emissions on 3 different fronts  Optimize the use of resources  Create jobs and economic growth

Now What Do You See?

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