Abstract |
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has initiated a Climate and Waste Program aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from waste management. The Climate and Waste Program utilizes a three pronged approach: (1) research and technical assistance, (2) program implementation, and (3) outreach and education. Research and technical assistance provide the scientific underpinning for the Climate and Waste Program. Waste management affects most of the major categories of GHG emissions and sinks, including energy, forestry, industrial processes, and landfill methane, with many important effects occurring upstream of the point of disposal. EPA combined a life cycle analysis framework with the emission accounting guidelines established by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to estimate GHG emissions from materials in waste management practices. EPAs program implementation efforts have included three programs: WasteWise, Pay-As-You- Throw (PAYT), and Waste Reduction Demonstration Projects. The WasteWise program encourages organizations to take cost-effective actions to reduce solid waste, and to quantify progress toward goals. EPAs PAYT team distributes information, provides training, and offers technical assistance to waste managers and to local planners across the US. EPA also supports over 30 state and local demonstration projects that emphasize innovative approaches to waste reduction and climate protection. EPA conducts an outreach and education program to communicate the link between climate change and waste management. This program produces educational materials, maintains a website, prepares papers, and makes presentations to stakeholders. |