determining ghg emissions from composting at the university of arizona emily toffol ua nasa space...
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Determining GHG Emissions from Composting at
the University of Arizona
Emily ToffolUA NASA Space Grant Intern
UA Office of Sustainability
Joe Abraham, PhDUA Office of Sustainability
AASHE 2012 Annual Conference October 16, 2012
Outline• Introduction & background• Research questions• Data• Methods• Results• Lessons learned & next steps
UA Snapshot• Approx 39,000 Students & 15,000
Employees• 175 buildings ~ 9M gross sqft (Main
Campus)
UA Snapshot• AAU Member Institution (“Research 1”)• $586M in R&D Expenditures (2011-12)
Around the State
Tucson Area
Arizona’s Land Grant Institution
Arizona/NASA Space Grant• NASA created National Space
Grant College and Fellowship Program 1989
• Provides experiences for and attracts and attains students in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
Compost Basics
Student-Run Compost Program
Compost Ingredients
Collection and Processing
Why Inventory GHG Emissions?
• UA is an ACUPCC signatory
• ~2% of total GHG emissions come from solid waste (4,200 MT CO2e)
• An inventory is first step in quantifying reductions
Research Questions• How effective is the Compost Cats
program at reducing emissions due to organic waste?
• How can the Compost Cats better monitor their emission reductions?
• How can Compost Cats reliably inform business partners of their GHG reductions?
Inventory Methods
• Climate Action Reserve (CAR) Organics Composting Protocol
• Developed and reviewed by industry experts, federal agencies, and environmental organizations.
• Established for Western Climate Initiative cap and trade program and other voluntary markets
climateactionreserve.org
Determining Emission ReductionsBusiness-as-Usual Emissions Compost Project EmissionsVS
Waste Transportation
Waste Processing
Composting: Aerobic
Decomposition
Waste Transportation
Landfill: Anaerobic
Decomposition
Processing Green
Waste into Fuel Pellets
Combustion for Energy
Manure Spread on Farmland
= MT CO2e reduced
Calculations
Calculator Tool
• Enter sources (lbs), returns emission reductions
• Consistent with process and protocol• Easy to use
ResultsAverage Weekly Project v. Business-as-Usual Emissions: Mt CO2e
Mt C
O2e
• Using established protocol = credibility• Research was challenging but not
impossible• Emission reductions are negligible (<
1%)• Custom calculator is really handy but
requires updating…
Lessons Learned
New Sources Since Inventory
Post-consumer waste Soiled animal bedding Residence hall composting
New Composting Location More Fuel-Efficient Truck
Process Changes Since Inventory
Future Plans for Compost Cats
• Bagging compost for local retail• Expand collection– UA fraternities & sororities– More local restaurants– More local grocery stores
