Microsoft Word - Environmental benefits of recycling 2010 update.doc

Food & garden  ‐ n°5

Title Solid^ waste^ management^ and^ greenhouse^ gases:^ A^ life^
cycle assessment of emissions and sinks
Year 2006
Author US EPA

Case

Material composition

Sub‐scenario Composting Incineration Landfilling

Virgin material

Material marginal: which? / / /

Electricity marginal: which? / / /

Steam marginal: which? / / /

Co‐products dealt with? / / /

Recovered material

Material marginal: which? Compost / /

Electricity marginal: which? / fossil fossil

Steam marginal: which? / / /

Co‐products dealt with? / / /

Material recovery included? No / /

Type of recycling / / /

Alternative use of land/wood included? / / /

In which ratio does recycled material substitute virgin

material?

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General

Technology USA USA USA

Infrastructures taken into account? / / /

Transport included? Yes Yes Yes

Energy production

Produced energy substitutes electricity? / Yes Yes

Produced energy substitutes heat? / No No

Avoided processes ‐ credits / Electricity production Electricity production

Material substitutes / / /

Carbon sequestration issue taken into account? Yes No No

Waste characteristics

Heating value / 5.2^ millionton^ Btu^ per^ /

Degradation rate (over  100  years) / / /

Incineration

Alternative use of incineration capacity included? No No No

Efficiency / / /

Composting

Compost spreading for composting taken into account? Yes / /

Compost leaching after spreading taken into account? No / /

Carbon storage taken into account? Yes / /

Landfill

Methane emissions included? / / Yes

Efficiency / / /

Carbon storage taken into account? / / /

Mixed Organics

5[OR] (OR=Organic Municipal Waste)

Material

recovery

Material

production

Material

disposal