Greenhouse abatement in waste management
Urban Ecology News. 2007.10.17
Greenhouse emissions can be substantially reduced at moderate costs through better waste management, says report.
The report, "Potential for greenhouse gas abatement from waste management and resource recovery activities in Australia", released by the Waste Management Association of Australia, shows improving waste management and recycling could deliver an abatement or saving of nearly 38 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions - a 6.7 percent cut in national greenhouse emissions.
The report shows greenhouse gases can be abated by:
- Improving gas capture from existing landfills (saving 8.5 million tonnes CO2e).
- Avoiding future landfill emissions by limiting organic waste to landfill (13 mt)
- Saving energy by recycling materials which involve a high energy during manufacture e.g. aluminium (11 mt).
- Using renewable fuels made from waste (2.6 mt).
- Converting suitable waste
to "biochar" for land application (1.7
mt)
Using biodiesel for waste recovery and waste management vehicles (0.2 mt).
Marginal costs of carbon abatement are $35 a tonne of CO2 equivalent for metropolitan solid waste and $29 a tonne for commercial and industrial waste materials, cheaper abatement options than carbon capture and storage and biomass renewable energy.
Mike Richie, WMAA:
The industry is ready to invest several billion dollars in new technology and create thousands of jobs, with the right signals.
Links
Source: Former Premier Carr says governments must push incentives for recycling waste. Waste Management Association of Australia. 2007.10.17
Refer: Potential for Greenhouse Gas Abatement from Waste Management and Resource Recovery Activities in Australia (PDF). WMAA. 2007.10