Before we get started…
A slight warm up exercise
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?



The U.S. is the leading landfill user
in the world
Recycling/Composting


250 million tons vs 413 million tons
Landfills

Breakdown of Waste Disposal
Methods in the U.S.
61 million tons recycled and 22.1
million tons composted
Waste to
Energy
13%
Recycling
/Compost
33%
Landfill
54%
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
Breakdown of Waste Streams in
the U.S.
Rubber,
leather,
and
textiles
8%
Other
3%
Glass
5%
Wood
7%
Paper
31%
Metals
8%
Plastics
12%
Food
Scraps
13%
Yard
Trimmings
13%
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
Breakdown of Waste Streams in
the U.S.
Wood
7%
Rubber,
leather,
and
textiles
8%
Other
3%
Glass
5%
Paper
31%
Metals
8%
Plastics
12%
Food
Scraps
13%
Yard
Trimmings
13%
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


Emissions from transportation


Some waste is sent over 600 miles
to landfill
Inefficient use of resources


GHG emissions from landfills are
equivalent to 22.9 million passenger
vehicles
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,
http://www.torfaen.gov.uk/EnvironmentAndPlanning/RubbishWasteAndRecycling/Composting/Home.aspx
Potential Solution: Composting
Pros



Produces valuable soil
additives
Many potential uses
for compost products
Produces minimal
GHG emissions
Cons



Requires relatively
pure feedstock
Lack of markets for
compost products
Potential for odor
issues to arise
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, http://www.wastetechnz.com/Solutions/Anaerobic_Digestion/
Potential Solution: Anaerobic Digestion
Pros



Produces compost-like
soil additive
Produces useful biogas
Greatly reduces solid
waste volume
Cons



Need for consistent
and “pure” feedstock
Higher capital costs
Market not established
for products of AD
Policy Overview
Political Environment

Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act (‘76)

Congress charged state
and municipal
governments with the
responsibility of
managing nonhazardous waste
Policy 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

Policy Recommendations:
Moderately Difficult to Implement Contd.
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

Environmental Impacts
Comparison of Net GHG Emissions for Different Biodegradable Waste Management Processes
Waste Management
Process
Landfill
Compost
Combustion (WTE)
Net Carbon
Emissions per ton
of waste
0.06
-0.05
-0.05
Carbon Emissions
from mixed organic
waste generated in
2008
3,881,400
-3,234,500
-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
Adapted From: U.S. EPA, Solid Waste Management and Greenhouse Gases, 2006
Environmental Impact Continued
Comparison of the True Environmental Costs of Different Waste Management Options
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
$42.89
$42.89
$6.73
$16.98
$21.86
$21.86
$21.86
($13.12) $29.06
$18.04
$66.24
$43.74
$67.89
$125.97
$55.57
True cost per
ton
Source: Morawski, C. (2008). Composting - Best Bang for MSW Managment Buck. 49 (10), 23 - 28.
Economic Impact
Comparison of tipping fees for different waste management processes across North America1
Landfills in Landfills in Landfills in
Composting
Mid-West Northwest Northeast
in U.S.
U.S.
U.S.
U.S.
Tipping Fee
($ per
metric ton
of capacity)
Approx.
$28
$88 - $110
Approx.
$110
$20 - $50
Composting
in Canada
$46 - $68
WTE
Facilities
AD
Facilities
$77- $190 $77- $140
Economic Analysis of Recycling/Reuse Industry2
• 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
1Levis,
2R.W.
J. (2010). Assessment of the state of food waste in the United States and Canada. (e. al., Ed.) Waste Management .
Beck, Inc. (2001, July). U.S. Recycling Economic Information Study.
Now What Do You See?
Questions?
samarkolf@gmail.com
Special Thanks to:
AIChE, IEEE USA, and ACS
Dr. Tom Chapman and Dr. Basil “Bill” Doumas
Erica Wissolik
All my fellow WISE Interns