Alternative End-Of-Life Waste Management

Practices

SHERIN K RAHMAN

M.TECH

(ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING & MANAGEMENT)

Current ScenarioAs a nation, we are generating more garbage (960 million tonnes/year !!!!) and we don’t know what to do

with it.

Ineffective or irresponsible disposal of this waste can pollute the environment and pose a public health risk.

Current disposal methods threaten our health, safety, and environment, and pose additional indirect costs

to society.

When waste is burned, it releases hazardous gases into the air and leaves toxic residues in the form of ash.

These hazardous waste byproducts find their way into humans and animals in one form or another.

In order to manage waste, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Solid Waste Act favor an

integrated solid waste management strategy that includes :

1) Reducing the amount of solid waste generated,

2) Recycling as much refuse as possible,

3) Transforming waste in an environmentally safe manner, and

4) Continuing safe landfilling.

Reduce: Buy only what you need because a better way to reduce waste is by not creating it.

Reuse: If you have to acquire goods, try getting used ones or obtaining substitutes.

Recycle: When discarding your waste, find ways to recycle it instead of letting it go to landfill.

Recovery: It may be possible to recover materials or energy from waste which cannot be reduced, reused or

recycled.

Waste Management OptionsIt is important to understand the capabilities and

limitations of different waste management options for

the various types of wastes generated in order to make

cost effective waste management decisions that are

protective of human health and the environment.

As a general matter, EPA has a waste management

hierarchy, with a preference for reuse and recycling

options.

Reuse

Possible Waste Streams: Construction and Demolition Materials; Soil , Mud, and Sand;

Electronics; White Goods; Vehicles and Marine Vessels; Building Contents

Recycle

Possible Waste Streams: Vegetative Debris; Construction and Demolition Materials; Electronics; White

Goods

Combustion

Possible Waste Streams: Vegetative Debris; Municipal Solid Waste; Animal Carcasses; Biologically

Contaminated Waste.

CompostingPros Cons

Possible Waste Streams: Vegetative Debris; Animal Carcasses

Landfill

Possible Waste Streams: Vegetative Debris; Construction and Demolition Materials; Soil ,Mud, and Sand;

Municipal Solid Waste; Hazardous Waste; Electronics; White Goods; Putrescent Waste; Animal

Carcasses; Radiological , Biological , and Chemical Contaminated Wastes.

Tools to measure life-cycle GHG and energy benefits Waste Reduction Model (WARM)

- Calculates the benefits of alternative materials management decisions (focusing on end-of-life

perspective)

Recycled Content Tool (ReCon)

- Calculates the benefits of alternative recycled content purchasing decisions

Individual WARM (iWARM)

- Calculates energy saved by recycling small quantities of common waste materials

Materials management impacts on lifecycle GHG emissions

EPA’s Waste Reduction Model (WARM) online tool for quantifying the life-cycle climate and waste connections EPA created WARM to help solid waste planners and organizations track and voluntarily report greenhouse

gas emissions reductions and energy savings from several different waste management practices.

Purpose of WARM :

1. Understand the link between waste management practices and climate change;

2. Incorporate GHG impacts into decision-making processes;

3. Communicate GHG emission reductions to the public;

4. Improve materials management through incorporation into climate action plans at the municipal and

state level

Intended Audience and Scope

Audience:

Solid waste managers, primarily from state and local governments who want to evaluate various waste

management options ; EPA source reduction and recycling program managers who are required to annually

report GHG benefits of program activities; EPA source reduction and recycling program participants.

Scope:

Source reduction, recycling, and composting are evaluated in comparison to combustion and landfilling ;

Emissions represent baseline versus alternative waste management scenarios (i.e., not absolute);Currently

covers over 50 material types

Materials Included in WARM

Using WARM - DemoWARM available at www.epa.gov/warm

Users input:

Tonnage by material type for two scenarios: baseline and alternative

Landfill characteristics

1. LFG recovery status

2. Collection system efficiency

Transportation distances

Implications & LimitationsQuantifying connections illustrates the varying, and sometimes unexpected, GHG impacts of different materialsmanagement practices.

Understanding these impacts can help waste managers:

1. maximize the GHG and energy benefits of diversion programs,

2. quantify program benefits, and

3. communicate climate-related waste reduction benefits to consumers and members of the general public.

Limitations:

Emission results are relative to alternative scenarios

Factors do not reflect use phase emissions

Not all waste management practices are currently included (e.g., anaerobic digestion)

EPA’s Recycled Content Tool (ReCon) online tool for quantifying the GHG and energy benefits of recycled content.Purpose:

To assist companies and individuals in estimating the life-cycle GHG and energy impacts of

(a) purchasing, (b) manufacturing, and/or (c) increasing the recycled content of certain materials

Approach:

Uses a streamlined life-cycle methodology.

Measures GHG impacts throughout the material life cycle: raw material acquisition, manufacture, transport, and disposal; excludes use phase.

Includes forest and landfill C sequestration and avoided utility emissions from waste/landfill gas to energy.

Provides relative baseline vs. alternative scenario results.

Using ReCon - Demo For online or Excel tool, go to:

http://epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/tools/warm/ReCon_home.html

Enter the amount of each material purchased or manufactured.

Enter the baseline (or current) and alternate post-consumer recycled content of each material.

Select to view GHG and energy outputs.

EPA’s individual Waste Reduction Model (iWARM) It is an online tool for quantifying the energy savings from recycling on a personal level.

For online or Excel tool, go to:

http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/tools/iwarm/index.htm

Enter the amount of each household item recycled

Choose an appliance to see how long the energy savings from recycling would power that

appliance.

Use of Material Proxies

Example Material Proxies

WARM Material Proxy Guidance available at: http://epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/tools/warm/pdfs/Using_WARM_EFs_Materials_Pathways_111612.pdf

For More Information...WARM: www.epa.gov/warm

ReCon: www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/tools/warm/ReCon_home.html

iWARM: www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/tools/iwarm/index.htm

Model Documentation: http://epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/tools/warm/SWMGHGreport.html

THANKYOU !!!!!