City of Fort Collins Department of Natural Resources The Role of Solid Waste Reduction Programs in...

City of Fort CollinsDepartment of Natural Resources

The Role of Solid Waste Reduction Programs in Climate Protection PlansThe Role of Solid Waste Reduction Programs in Climate Protection PlansAnnual Conference of Colorado SWANARocky Ford, ColoradoOctober 4, 2007

Annual Conference of Colorado SWANARocky Ford, ColoradoOctober 4, 2007


OutlineMunicipal programs & background; why

Fort Collins is looking at climate protection planning and waste diversion

Measuring greenhouse gas emissions

Achieving multiple objectives with new waste initiatives


BackgroundFort Collins’ population ~140,000

Privatized trash and recycling collection

Licensing requirements for haulers Must bundle residential curbside

recycling in trash bills Must apply PAYT rate structure

Current waste diversion about 27%

City is part-owner of Larimer County landfill


Effects of Traditional Programs Participation in curbside recycling consistently 85-

95%

Trash volumes decreasing: 224,700 tons in 2006(2004: 230,400 tons)

Recycling volumes increasing: 60,250 tons in 2006(2004: 58,000 tons)

Diversion rate: 21% + 6% [PAYT] = 27%


Two Drivers – Fort Collins’ Adopted Policies1. “…to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions by

at least 30 percent below predicted 2010 levels while achieving cost effectiveness in each program.” City of Fort Collins Resolution 97-137

2. 1999 Resolution adopted to divert 50 percent of the community’s solid waste from landfill disposal by 2010


TerminologyUnit of measurement is CO2 “equivalent” (CO2e)Greenhouse gases include:

carbon dioxide (CO2) greenhouse warming potential = 1

Methane (CH4) greenhouse warming potential = 23

Others:N2O GWP = 296CFC-11 GWP = 4,600HCFC-23 GWP = 12,000


Solid Waste and Carbon EmissionsA Life Cycle Perspective

Emitted CH4

Georgia Department of Resources

EPA


Recycling and Carbon EmissionsA Life Cycle Perspective

Upstreamnon-energy aspects

(production, manufacturing)

Seth Jansen

Kid Wind


GHG Reductions by MaterialMaterial GHG reduction (tons

CO2e / ton of material)

Organics -0.22

Corrugated cardboard -2.86

Office paper -3.36

Glass -0.31

Aluminum -16.58

Commingled containers -3.32

Municipal solid waste +1.5


Fort Collins GHG Inventory


Fort Collins’ GHG Emissions

Fort Collins GHG Emissions and Reductions

0.000

0.500

1.000

1.500

2.000

2.500

3.000

3.500

4.000

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

Years

Mill

ion

To

ns

CO

2e

Actual Emissions

Emissions WithoutAny Reductions

Predicted 2010 Emissions

2010 Goal


Fort Collins GHG Reductions


2006 Recommendations for 50% Waste Diversion – New Strategies Worked with community stakeholders, including haulers Developed 20 new measures for consideration, including:

Enhanced pay-as-you-throw program Include commercial customers in PAYT (embed recycling fee

in rates; charge volume-based pricing) Changes to curbside recycling program, i.e., single-stream

system, more designated materials, standard options for larger recycling containers, etc.

Require curbside yard waste collection; ban yardwaste from trash

City-sponsored drop-off site for C&D waste Modeled the costs and new diversion tonnages with

assistance from SERA (Skumatz Economic Research Associates) consulting


Achieving Multiple Objectives with New Waste InitiativesUsing volumes attributed to new measures for

50% waste diversion, in 2007, Fort Collins quantified potential new emissions reductions

Assisted by local consulting firm, the Brendle Group to also examine possible opportunities for carbon offset markets

Increasingly, waste reduction & recycling are integral parts of climate protection plans


Results

2010 49,798 tons

2015 145,610 tons

2020 171,389 tons

New diversion totals

CO2e reduction totals

2010 118,723 tons

2015 313,866 tons

2020 368,332 tons

Approximately equivalent to eliminating 1.5 million roundtrip vehicle trips between Fort Collins and Denver

Meet 50% diversion target between 2010 and 2015


Potential new diversion by material

201020152020

C&D, organics, and cardboard =

~60% of total new diversion in 2015 / 2020


Potential new GHG reductions by material

CO2e Reductions by Material Type

0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000

C&D

Cardboard

Old Newspaper

Aluminum

Mixed paper

Office pack

Phonebooks/magazines

Electronics

Other ferrous materials

Organics

Currently recycled 1&2plastics

Ferrous containers

Glass

Food

Films

Other plastics

tons of CO2e reduction/year

201020152020

C&D, cardboard, news, aluminum source of significant reductions by 2015 / 2020


Benefits of New Waste Reduction Measures

Lower greenhouse gas emissionsLonger landfill lifeNew jobs

Recycling estimated to create 6-7 times as many jobs as landfilling

Lower / deferred municipal and user costsPossible new carbon offset credits / markets


More informationIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

www.ipcc.ch

Climate Change – EPA www.epa.gov/climatechange

International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) – Cities for Climate Protection (CCP)

www.iclei.org/index.php?id=800

EPA Waste Reduction Model (WARM)www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/waste/calculators/Warm_home.html


Contact InformationSusie GordonSr. Environmental Planner(970) 221-6265

[email protected] www.fcgov.com/recycling/reports.php

John ArmstrongEnvironmental Planner(970) [email protected]

Seth JansenEngineerThe Brendle Group Consulting(970) [email protected]

City of Fort Collins Department of Natural Resources The Role of Solid Waste Reduction Programs in...

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