1. CRRA Conference, August 2016 Karen Irwin U.S. EPA Region IX
Policy and Program Impact Estimator A Materials Recovery GHG Calculator for Communities
CRRA Conference, August 2016
Karen Irwin
U.S. EPA Region IX

2. Where Can I Find It?

3. Where Can I Find It?
Direct URL:

4. Where Can I Find It?

5. What Is It?
A customizable MS Excel spreadsheet for projecting tonnage & lifecycle GHG reductions over a 10-year timeframe using EPA’s WARM v14 emissions factors
Local Solid Waste Planning
Quantify greenhouse gas reductions from implementing solid waste policies & programs
Local Energy/ Climate Action Planning
GHG results tailored to a community’s base year waste stream tonnage and assumptions for solid waste policy & program implementation

6. What Policies & Programs are Addressed?

7. What’s Involved? Enter *Tonnage Data for a Baseline Year, e.g., 2016
Enter Policy & Program assumptions/estimates
- Which policies & programs?
* How much will recycling or composting increase?
View Results; change assumptions to test sensitivity
Print or Copy/Paste results into a planning document
*Defaults or guidelines provided where available

8. Entering Data How Waste/Materials are Managed Baseline Year Tons
Multi-Family Homes
Single-Family Homes
Commercial

9. Entering Data Waste & Diversion Characterization
*Choice of Entering Data by Percentages or Tons
Total MSW Landfilled
Total MSW Recycled
Total MSW Combusted
Total MSW Composted

10. Entering Data Waste & Diversion Characterization
*Choice of Entering Data by Percentages or Tons
Total C&D Landfilled
Total C&D Reused/Recycled

11. √ (recycled & composted)
Entering Data
How to Address Gaps in Local Data?
While local or regional data is preferable, defaults can be selected…
Type of Data (percentage breakdown)
California defaults
U.S. defaults
Residential vs. Commercial MSW √
Total MSW combusted, recycled, and composted
Single-family home materials
√ (landfilled)
√ (recycled & composted)
Commercial sector materials
C&D debris materials
Multi-family home MSW
(tip provided)
(tips provided)

12. Entering Data
How Will Tonnage Generated in my Community Change Over Time?

13. Program Assumptions
Food Waste Collection Program for Single-Family Homes
3 Options to estimate program effects on food waste composting:
Enter your own estimate
Select a low-end default
Select a high-end default

14. Program Assumptions Increase Commercial Recycling
Example Measures Provided

15. Program Assumptions Implement C&D Requirements
(new or expanded ordinance)
Accounts for:
Coverage (how much C&D debris tonnage comes from projects that would be subject to the ordinance?)
Recycling/Reuse Targets (what recycling rate(s) would the ordinance require?)
Capture Efficiency (how much C&D debris will actually be recovered or recycled?)

16. Program Assumptions C&D Recycling/Reuse Targets
*Can check a box to assume an average % diversion across all material types (e.g., 75%) and tweak percentages for individual materials if appropriate

17. Results New Tons Diverted & Metric Tons of CO2e Saved
10-Year Accumulative
Annual
Final Year

18. Results

19. How Results Can Be Used
To include quantitative lifecycle GHG reduction estimates in a local climate action plan for expanded implementation of solid waste policies/programs
To prioritize solid waste policy/program options for local implementation according to their GHG reduction potential
To inform elected officials, stakeholder groups, and community members of what affect increasing local recycling and composting rates could have on reducing GHG emissions

20. Tips
Set aside time to enter solid waste data (it may take more than an hour)
Run different scenarios with low and high end assumptions for policy/program effectiveness to establish a range for projected results
If you have time constraints:
Consider a student intern or class project – check with EPA about opportunities through Campus-Community Sustainability Partnerships
Incorporate use of the calculator into an existing task order with a consultant related to climate change, zero waste, or waste management
Check with other stakeholders in the community about using the calculator (e.g., members of a local solid waste workgroup)

21. Questions?
Karen Irwin
(415)