Municipal Waste, Recycling, and Waste to Energy Coby Skye County o f L o s Angeles Department of Publ ic Works Environmental Programs Division May 18, 2016 1
The County’s Role in Waste Management • • • • •
Advise the Board of Supervisors on Solid Waste Issues Permit Solid Waste Facilities Coordinate Trash Collection For Unincorporated Areas Conduct long-term planning Implement Waste Reduction Programs
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Key Legislative Mandates AB 939 (1989)
AB 341 (2011)
• Requires each County to identify a minimum of 15 years of estimated disposal capacity
• Requires commercial sector to recycle
AB 32 (2006)
AB 1826 (2014)
• Requires California to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by 2020
• Adopted a Statewide 75% “recycling” goal by 2020
• Requires commercial entities to recycle their organic waste (food, wood, green waste, contaminated paper)
• Waste sector is required to achieve net carbon neutral sector-wide 3
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New Waste Management Paradigm
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What are Conversion Technologies? • Processes capable of converting postrecycled residual solid waste into useful products and chemicals, green fuels, and renewable energy • May be thermal, chemical, or biological, but are not incinerators
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Thermal Pyrolysis • Thermal processing of waste in the absence of oxygen • Produces syngas and bio-oil • Leaves a solid residue called biochar Gasification • Thermal processing of waste using heat in the near absence of oxygen • Convert organic materials directly into syngas
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Thermal Thermal depolymerization • Use of heat, steam & pressure to break down complex organic molecules into simpler molecules • Produces light crude oil • Thermal technologies are robust and can generally handle a wide variety of feedstocks – best for plastics
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Incineration vs. Conversion Process
Products
Incineration Excess air provides for combustion Produces heat from combustion of waste
Conversion Limits air or oxygen to provide for thermo/chemical reactions Provides mechanisms to create fuels, chemicals, and other products from the waste. The fuels can be cleaned and processed before being used for fuels or energy.
Residuals Ash and flue Low emissions. Generally leave no ash residue gas -- thermal CTs may leave an inert ash residue that is not hazardous. 9
Biological Anaerobic digestion • Bacterial breakdown of organic materials in the absence of oxygen • Produces biogas and solid residual digestate Aerobic digestion • Composting
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Biological Fermentation • Conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols using yeasts/ bacteria under anaerobic conditions • Biodegradable feedstocks with higher moisture content are preferable for biological technologies – best for organics and food waste
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Chemical Acid hydrolysis • Chemical decomposition of waste using acid and water to split chemical bonds • Produces ethanol Cracking • Complex organic molecules are broken down into simpler molecules by the breaking of carbon-carbon bonds • Used to upgrade syngas and crude oil into fuel
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Chemical Fischer-Tropsch • Converts carbon monoxide and hydrogen derived from methane or biomass into liquid hydrocarbon fuels Chemical processes are most suitable for cellulosic and green waste
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Mechanical , Processing, and/or Combination • Autoclaving is the application of high pressure steam to sterilize and stabilize waste materials • Shredding, grinding, wet sorting, sizing, separating, are also forms of processing technologies • Almost all conversion technologies require feedstock to be pre-processed – this is a critical step, and considered “fuel” prep • Many technologies combine processes 14
Successful CTs throughout the World – North America
Enerkem Biofuels, Alberta
Harvest Power, Florida
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Successful CTs throughout the World – Asia
Interstate Waste Technologies, Japan
Arrow Bio, Israel
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Successful CTs throughout the World - Europe
Entech, Poland
Organic Waste Systems, Netherlands 17
Environmental Benefits • Reduce dependence on landfilling and waste exportation • Locally produce renewable energy and green fuels • Increase recycling • Reduce emissions
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Additional Benefits • Projects are green job creators • Public-private partnerships reduce risk and save taxpayers’ money • Conversion technologies can be cost competitive with other alternatives, such as waste-by-rail • Localize ways to achieve zero waste without depending on international recycling market 19
Environmental Studies University of California Energy Biosciences Institute • Large-scale conversion of plant sugars/cellulose to biofuels • Increase concentration of fuel produced to reduce cost and increase demand UC Riverside for the BioEnergy Producer’s Association • Evaluation of Emissions from Thermal Conversion Technologies Processing Municipal Solid Waste and Biomass
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Environmental Studies
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Environmental Studies
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Comparative Analysis • Comparative Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Analysis white paper quantifies the benefits of alternative waste conversion technologies compared to traditional landfilling • Results from the white paper support the use of conversion technologies as part of an integrated waste management approach 26
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Comparative Analysis •The baseline scenario produces approximately net 1.64 million MTCO2e over 125 years •The alternative scenario produces approximately net -0.66 million MTCO2e over 125 years
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The County’s Role in Conversion Technology • Evaluate and promote the development of conversion technologies • Incorporate conversion technologies into solid waste management paradigm • Support state and federal legislation
• Through landfill permit conditions provide funding and support for facility development 30
Advancement Toward CTs • • • • •
Conversion Technology Services Contract Technology Vendor Database Co-digestion at County Sanitation Districts WWTP Potential AD at County Jail Facility Partnership in supporting AD at Materials Recovery Facility in Riverside County
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Joint Water Pollution Control Plant Carson, CA 32
Pitchess Detention Center Castaic, CA 33
CR&R Materials Recovery Facility Perris, CA 34
Challenges • Lack of diversion credit for CT projects • Difficult to finance without a dedicated waste stream • Difficult to site and permit • Legislative barriers
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Solution and Our Plan • Stakeholder engagement and collaboration with private industry • Major changes in collection, operation, and infrastructure • Pilot projects at County facilities • Roadmap initiatives • Sustainable funding sources and incentives • Measuring progress and establishing targets • Legislation
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For more information… Please visit the County’s conversion technology website at www.SoCalConversion.org and Public Work’s website for waste management www.CleanLA.com • Subscribe to our conversion technology e-newsletter to receive • latest updates on upcoming conferences and events • Conversion technology news • Information about the County of Los Angeles’ Southern California Conversion Technology Conference, taking place July 29 in Alhambra
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Questions?
Coby Skye, PE, MPA
[email protected] (626) 458-3550
For more information, visit www.CleanLA.com www.SoCalConversion.org 38