Waste Generation
Waste generation is closely linked to population, urbanization and affluence. The archaeologist E.W. Haury wrote: ‘Whichever way one views amount of waste, as garbage piles to avoid, or as symbols of a way of life, they…are the features more productive of information than any others.”
Archaeological excavations have yielded thicker cultural layers from periods of prosperity; correspondingly, modern waste-generation rates can be correlated to various indicators of affluence, including gross domestic product (GDP)/cap, energy consumption/cap, , and private final consumption/cap (Bingemer and Crutzen, 1987; Richards, 1989; Rathje et al., 1992; Mertins et al., 1999; US EPA, 1999; Nakicenovic et al., 2000; Bogner and Matthews, 2003; OECD, 2004). In developed countries seeking to reduce waste generation, a current goal is to decouple waste generation from economic driving forces such as GDP (OECD, 2003; Giegrich and Vogt, 2005; EEA, 2005). In most developed and developing countries with increasing population, prosperity and urbanization, it remains a major challenge for municipalities to collect, recycle, treat and dispose of increasing quantities of solid waste and wastewater. A cornerstone of sustainable development is the establishment of affordable, effective and truly sustainable waste management practices in developing countries. It must be further emphasized that multiple public health, safety and environmental cobenefits accrue from effective waste management practices which concurrently reduce GHG emissions and improve the quality of life, promote public health, prevent water and soil contamination, conserve natural resources and provide renewable energy benefits.
The major GHG emissions from the waste sector are landfill CH4 and, secondarily, wastewater CH4 and N2O. In addition, the incineration of fossil carbon results in minor emissions of CO2.
On mitigation of GHG emissions from post-consumer waste, as well as emissions from municipal wastewater and high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) industrial wastewaters conveyed to public treatment facilities.
It should be noted that a separate chapter on post-consumer waste is new for the Fourth Assessment report; in the Third Assessment Report (TAR), GHG mitigation strategies for waste were discussed primarily within the industrial sector (Ackerman, 2000; IPCC, 2001a). It must also be stressed that there are high uncertainties regarding global GHG emissions from waste which result from national and regional differences in definitions, data collection and statistical analysis. Because of space constraints, this chapter does not include detailed discussion of waste management technologies, nor does this chapter prescribe to any one particular technology. Rather, this chapter focuses on the GHG mitigation aspects of the following strategies: landfill CH4 recovery and utilization; optimizing methanotrophic CH4 oxidation in landfill cover soils; alternative strategies to landfilling for GHG avoidance (composting; incineration and other thermal processes; mechanical and biological treatment (MBT)); waste reduction through recycling, and expanded wastewater management to minimize GHG generation and emissions. In addition, using available but very limited data, this chapter will discuss emissions of non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) from waste and end-of-life issues associated with fluorinated gases.
Archaeological excavations have yielded thicker cultural layers from periods of prosperity; correspondingly, modern waste-generation rates can be correlated to various indicators of affluence, including gross domestic product (GDP)/cap, energy consumption/cap, , and private final consumption/cap (Bingemer and Crutzen, 1987; Richards, 1989; Rathje et al., 1992; Mertins et al., 1999; US EPA, 1999; Nakicenovic et al., 2000; Bogner and Matthews, 2003; OECD, 2004). In developed countries seeking to reduce waste generation, a current goal is to decouple waste generation from economic driving forces such as GDP (OECD, 2003; Giegrich and Vogt, 2005; EEA, 2005). In most developed and developing countries with increasing population, prosperity and urbanization, it remains a major challenge for municipalities to collect, recycle, treat and dispose of increasing quantities of solid waste and wastewater. A cornerstone of sustainable development is the establishment of affordable, effective and truly sustainable waste management practices in developing countries. It must be further emphasized that multiple public health, safety and environmental cobenefits accrue from effective waste management practices which concurrently reduce GHG emissions and improve the quality of life, promote public health, prevent water and soil contamination, conserve natural resources and provide renewable energy benefits.
The major GHG emissions from the waste sector are landfill CH4 and, secondarily, wastewater CH4 and N2O. In addition, the incineration of fossil carbon results in minor emissions of CO2.
On mitigation of GHG emissions from post-consumer waste, as well as emissions from municipal wastewater and high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) industrial wastewaters conveyed to public treatment facilities.
It should be noted that a separate chapter on post-consumer waste is new for the Fourth Assessment report; in the Third Assessment Report (TAR), GHG mitigation strategies for waste were discussed primarily within the industrial sector (Ackerman, 2000; IPCC, 2001a). It must also be stressed that there are high uncertainties regarding global GHG emissions from waste which result from national and regional differences in definitions, data collection and statistical analysis. Because of space constraints, this chapter does not include detailed discussion of waste management technologies, nor does this chapter prescribe to any one particular technology. Rather, this chapter focuses on the GHG mitigation aspects of the following strategies: landfill CH4 recovery and utilization; optimizing methanotrophic CH4 oxidation in landfill cover soils; alternative strategies to landfilling for GHG avoidance (composting; incineration and other thermal processes; mechanical and biological treatment (MBT)); waste reduction through recycling, and expanded wastewater management to minimize GHG generation and emissions. In addition, using available but very limited data, this chapter will discuss emissions of non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) from waste and end-of-life issues associated with fluorinated gases.
posted by Margi @ 4:33 PM
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