1. Chuck White Director of Regulatory Affairs Waste Management/West
Greenhouse Gas Update
Chuck White Director of Regulatory Affairs Waste Management/West

2. The History of Solid Waste Management in the United States*
Prior to the 1970s
Sanitary landfills rare
Wastes were dumped and burned to reduce volume
Waste incinerators had no pollution control or energy recovery
Minimal recycling or source reduction
Major Changes Include
Source reduction & recycling
Composting of yard waste
Integrated and regional solutions for solid waste
“Waste-to-energy” facilities with minimal environmental burden
Adoption of “Sanitary” landfilling practice
Control landfill gas
Leachate recirculation and other liquids to promote faster decomposition
*Weitz K.A. et al (2002) The Impact of Municipal Solid Waste Management on GHG Emissions in the United States

3. Overall GHG Reductions for Solid Waste Management – All Sources70 60 50 40 30 20 10
1974 Technology Path
52 MMTCE Avoided
MMTCE
Actual Technology Path
1974
1980
1990
2000

4. Solid Waste Management GHG Sources and Sinks?
Source
Sink
Source
Sink
Source
Sink

5. EPA Landfilling Mass Balance Third Edition: October 2006
Chapter 6: Two Key Landfilling Principles
CH4 Emissions are Anthropogenic, CO2 Emissions Biogenic
Incomplete Decomposition in Anaerobic Landfill Carbon Storage is Anthropogenic Sink – CO2 otherwise occurs

6. A Lifecycle Analysis of GHG Sources and Sinks

7. Carbon Inputs to Solid Waste Landfill
24%
24%
<1%
Landfill Carbon:
~ 24% as CH4
~ 24% as CO2
~ 52% Storage (Lignins, Undecomposed Cellulose, and Hemi-cellulose)
52%

8. What About CA Landfills? (As reported in MMCO2E)
Inventory
1990
1995
2000
2002 CEC
16.9
16.6
13.2 (1999)
2005 CCAT
20.7 (4.3%)
2005 CEC
10.0
9.8
9.9 (2.1%)
2006 CEC
Emissions
8.1
7.9
8.0 (1.7%)
Sequestration
8.5
6.4
5.5
Total
(0.4)
1.5
2.5 (0.5%)
Estimated 2000 Gross CA Emissions = 477

9. What About Landfill Carbon Sequestration?
Is it Real?
Well documented in technical literature
Lignins & hemi-cellulose in anaerobic landfill
~ 50% of the total Biogenic Carbon in Waste
Latest CEC GHG Inventory for 2004
Landfill Methane Emissions: MMTCO2E
Landfill Carbon Storage: MMTCO2E
Only includes lignin lumber and yard trimmings
Other Sources of Lignins in Solid Waste
Food, Cardboard, Paper
Actual LF Carbon Storage?: MMTCO2E
Twice previous estimates and more than offsets CH4

10. California Landfill Biomass and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

11. What is WM Doing About GHGs Now?
Voluntary GHG Reductions – CCX
Charter Member
6% reduction for 2003 – 2010
Carbon Neutrality Donations
2002 Winter Olympics
2004 Houston Super Bowl
2006 Harvard Business School – Offset Match !!
California Climate Action Registry
WM first SW company to join
Pending Development of SW Protocols
First CA-wide report for 2006 by Aug. 2007
Climate Neutral !! }

12. It’s going to be another busy and interesting
In Summary . . .
The Solid Waste Industry Has Made Tremendous Reductions in GHG Emissions -- More Than Any Other Industry
Better Models for Estimating LFG GHG Emissions/Sinks
Landfill Mass Balance: Recognition of LF carbon sequestration?
GHG controls will maximize capture & use of landfill gas
Waste-to-Energy LFG to Energy/Fuel Revitalized
GHGs will Drive Recycling and Waste Reduction Initiatives
It’s going to be another busy and interesting
Decade !