solid waste and smart cities
DESCRIPTION
Presentation by Cal Cunningham at the NC Clean Tech Summit, a partnership of the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Center for Sustainable Enterprise, Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster, Strata Solar, and the UNC Institute for the EnvironmentTRANSCRIPT
Solid Waste and Smart Cities
Cal Cunningham
NC Clean Tech Summit
February 2014
Copyright © 2014 WasteZero2
Solid Waste Is the Financial and Environmental Disaster That Nobody Is Talking About.
Copyright © 2014 WasteZero3
We’re Throwing Away a Massive Amount of Community Resources…
Natural Resources
BTUs/ Energy
Carbon Emissions
Paper
• 59 billion lbs.
• 500 million trees
• 3.5 quadrillion BTUs (5% of total US energy consumption)
• Enough energy to power 25% US homes for an entire year
• Energy equivalent of 26 billion gallons of gasoline
• 275 million metric tons of carbon dioxide
• Equivalent of emissions from 1 in every 5 cars in the US
• Require 225 million acres of forest to sequester this much (more than all of the US national forests combined)
Plastic
• 63 billion lbs.
• 513 million barrels of oil
Aluminum
• 6 billion lbs.
• 837 billion cans
Copyright © 2014 WasteZero4
…and We’re Throwing Away Money.
TOTAL: $384 Billion
MSW Management Expenses
$100 Billion
Energy Opportunity Cost
$100 Billion
+
$200 Billion
Avoidable Costs
Recycling Jobs Payroll
$34 Billion
Remanufacturing Revenue
$100 Billion
+
+
Value of Materials
$50 Billion
Unrealized Revenue
$184 Billion
Copyright © 2014 WasteZero5
Solid Waste Is “The Last Unmetered Utility.”
Electricity Gas
WaterTrash
Metered Unmetered
Communities should be metering their trash just like they meter their other utilities.
Copyright © 2014 WasteZero6
1,100 lbs.
900 lbs.
500 lbs.
0
250
500
750
1000
1250
HistoricDisposal Rate
Current National Average
With WasteZeroTrash Metering™
Annual Pounds per Capita of US Household Solid Waste Disposed
(without intervention) (with intervention)
Trash Metering Is a Smart Move for Cities.
Copyright © 2014 WasteZero7
Cities That Meter Their Trash Reduce It.
MALDEN, MASS.52% DECLINE IN SOLID WASTE OVER 5 YEARS
CUMBERLAND, MAINE
43% DECLINE IN SOLID WASTE OVER 8 YEARS
DARTMOUTH, MASS.59% DECLINE IN SOLID WASTE OVER 6 YEARS
SANFORD, MAINE
41% DECLINE IN SOLID WASTE IN 3 MONTHS