Carbon Benefits of
Recycling Wood Pallets
Calculator
Stephen Mitchell
Sustainability Programme Manager, Timber Development Association
Project Manager, National Timber Product Stewardship Group
Waste 2012
2nd May 2012 Opal Cove Resort Coffs Harbour, Australia
National Timber Product
Stewardship Group
Researched and
consulted
Our Strategy: Timber - More Life
• Objectives:
– Double recovery of post-consumer timber for
reuse, recycling and renewable energy
– To 1 million tonnes per annum by 2017
– Maximise positive environmental impacts of
residual end-of-life timber that is landfilled
Strategy Priorities: Timber-More
Life
• Key Waste Streams:
– Wood packaging (C&I)
Largest
volume
– Wood from demolition (C&D)
– Preservative treated timber (C&D)
– Wood from manufacturing (C&I)
• Actions:
– Market development
– Education / communications
– Well targeted research
Wood packaging disposal
Australia:
• ~300,000 tpa disposed to landfill
• >120,000 tpa from importing goods
• 50% pallets/skids - 50% crates
Sources: Hyder (2007) & Mitchell (2008). Available at www.timberstewardship.org.au
Sydney Metro Area:
• ~140,000 tpa disposed to landfill
Source: Disposal based survey of the commercial and industrial waste stream in Sydney
done in 2008 by DECCW (now NSW EPA)
Wood packaging recovery
• Good quality feedstock for reuse, recycling
and renewable energy
• Australia:
– > 15,000 tpa repaired / reused (excl.
CHEP/Loscam)
– > 100,000 tpa recycled (excl. reuse)
• Sydney Metro Area:
– Specific quantity unknown but by far the
biggest input of pos-consumer timber into
organics
Why a calculator?
• Major clients of recovery operators were
asking for measuring carbon emissions
• Enviro Pallets had a basic tool
• Need more credibility. I.E.
– LCA methodology and assumptions reviewed
– NGER factors incorporated
– needed other recovery options included
• DECCW (now EPA) funding
Methodology
• Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology
in line with ISO 14044
• GHG Protocol Standard (Scope 3)
• Data supplied by Enviro Pallets, Benedict
Recycling, Delta Electricity, Veolia, timber
industry, DCCEE (NGERs factors)
• Project supported by NSW EPA
Scope of calculator
• Non-pool wood pallets and packaging
• Majority is one-way packaging
• Compares carbon landfill disposal to:
– reuse and repair
– recycling for mulch and animal bedding
– renewable energy generation
• Options direction and input from DECCW
(now NSW EPA)
System boundary
Emissions from landfilling
• Transport
• Compaction and covering
• Anaerobic degradation
– Methane generation
– Some recovery and oxidation
– Uses current DOCf value of 0.23 for timber
– Converted to CO2e (0.67kg CO2e/kg)
– O.23 DOCf now DCCEE – was USA lab result
Emissions from landfilling
• DOCf value – latest
research (USA lab results)
• DOCf value of 0.0 for
radiata pine and blackbutt
timber
Source: Wang et al (2011) Wood Biodegradation in Laboratory-Scale Landfills
Environ. Science & Technology. Volume 45 (16), pp 6864–6871
• Essentially means zero (0)
methane generated by
these woods in landfills
Wood Pallet Reuse
• Disassembly of old
pallets into
components
• Reassembly using
new and old
• Recycling nonrepairable pallets
Reuse & Repair
• Minor energy usage and emissions
• Reduced demand for (and transport of)
new wood from sawmills
• Calculator assumes one more use
• Multiple benefits if reused repeatedly
Wood Packaging Reuse , Repair & Recycling Facilities – Sydney
ANL/Kimbriki
SITA Belrose
Blacktown Waste Services
SITA Seven Hills
SITA Ryde
CHEP
ANL/SITA Eastern Creek
Pace Pallets
Veolia Horsley Park
SITA Elizabeth Drive
Brandown
SITA Auburn
Bingo
Loscam
Abbey Pallets
SITA Chullora
Veolia Greenacre
Benedict
ANL Badgerys Creek
Enviropallets
SITA Artarmon
DD Alexandria
SITA Rockdale
Glenfield
Advance Pallets
SITA Jacks Gully
Camden Soil Mix
Direct Pallets
SITA Lucas Heights
CHEP/Loscam main repair
centres
Pallet repair / exchange
Wood aggregation /
shredding facilities
For more timber recycling services try www.BusinessRecycling.com.au & the Directory at www.timberstewardship.org.au
Recycling - Shredding
Emissions from:
• Loading shredder
• Shredding
• Sizing (i.e.
trommeling)
• Loading &
transport
Timber Packaging - Recycling
Landscape mulch
Timber Packaging - Recycling
Poultry bedding:
•
•
•
•
Australian market >950,000 m3 per year
NSW > 350,000 m3 per year
Growing 4% per annum
Traditional sources – sawdust,
shavings, rice hulls harder to get
• Shredded packaging and off-cuts
used in WA and VIC
• NSW trials completed at three farms
• Trials and spec. supported by DECCW (now NSW EPA)
Recycling - Chicken Bedding
Timber Packaging – Renewable
Energy
Wood replaces NSW black coal
• Black coal emissions = 1.07 CO2-e/kWh
(DCCEE)
Sawdust
Energy
recovery
Energy
recovery
Sawdust
New wood
Chicken
bedding
Chicken
bedding
Particleboard
Mulch
Results - Reuse
Results - Reuse
CO2e emissions by option for 100 tonnes EoL
wood packaging
0
Repair & Reuse
-50
-100
-150
C02 e emissions
-200
(tonnes)
-250
-300
-350
-400
Animal bedding
Mulch
Renewable Energy
Results – Animal Bedding
Results – Mulch
Results – Renewable Energy
Conclusions
• Calculator supports all non-landfill waste
management options
• Renewable energy and displacement of
fossil fuel combustion is obvious very large
benefit
• However: “once it’s gone it’s gone”
• Calculator supports reuse, recycling and
renewable energy
Conclusions (cont)
• Companies can:
– use this data for reporting or
– use parameters and assumptions in report
(and their specific parameters) for their own
circumstances
• To help reduce their carbon footprint and
increase diversion from landfill.
Next Steps
• Survey of the key stakeholders completed
• Updating the calculator based on feedback
received:
– particleboard option to be included
– certificate type report
• Formal launch in late May
• Promotion to increase exposure and use.
Thank you
Questions?
p: 02 8424 3703
e: stephen.mitchell@tdansw.asn.au