U.S. Environmental Protection Agency WARM Model: WAste Reduction Model

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency WARM
Model WAste Reduction Model

• Timonie X. Hood
• U.S. EPA Region 9
• California Resource Recovery Association
  Conference,
• August 4, 2008

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Overview

• What is the WARM Model 8?
• WARM Model Uses
• WARM Model Opportunities for Improvement

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WARM Model Materials IncludedRecyclables
Compostables Building Materials


Aluminum Cans Branches Carpet
Clay Bricks Concrete Copper Wire
Corrugated Cardboard Dimensional Lumber Fly Ash
Food Scraps Glass Grass
HPDE LDPE Leaves
Magazines/ 3rd -Class Mail Medium-Density Fiberboard Mixed Metals
Mixed MSW Mixed Organics Mixed Paper (general)
Mixed Paper (primarily from offices) Mixed Paper (primarily residential) Mixed Plastics
Mixed Recyclables Newspaper Office Paper
Personal Computers PET Phonebooks
Steel Cans Textbooks Tires
Yard Trimmings    

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WARM Model BackgroundOnline and Excel
Spreadsheet Calculator

• Streamlined Lifecycle Analysis
• Compares greenhouse gas impacts of material
  management alternatives
• Source Reduction Prevention, Reuse
• Recycling
• Composting
• Landfilling
• Assumes default 75 landfill gas recovery rate
• Excel version can set adjusted/actual landfill
  gas recovery rate
• Incineration
• Includes transportation impacts
• 20 mile distance assumption
• User defined inputs tons of materials
• Enter Baseline Scenario and Alternative(s)

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WARM Considers

• MOST EMMISSIONS Energy consumption needed to
  make, transport, use and dispose of material
• CH4 emissions from landfills
• Non-energy-related manufacturing emissions
• CO2 and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from waste
  combustion
• Carbon sequestration

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Greenhouse Gas Sources Sinks Associated with
the Material Life Cycle
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WARM Model Caveats

• Emission results are relative to alternative
• scenarios
• Factors do not reflect use phase emissions
• Not all waste management practices are
• included (e.g., anaerobic digestion)
• Model is based on national assumptions (energy
  mix, production impacts, etc.)

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WARM Model Outputs

• Simple online report
• Conveys current material waste management
  practices, proposed changes, or zero waste plans
  in climate impacts
• Metric Tons of Carbon Equivalent (MTCE)
• Metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2E)
• Units of Energy (million BTU)
  Equivalent
  to...
• - Passenger Cars Removed from the Road/Year
• - Barrels of Oil
• - Gallons of Gasoline
• - Household Annual Energy Consumption
  
  (Excel Version Only)
• USES Climate Plans, Outreach, Program Priorities

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WARM Model Opportunities

• Additional research
• Landfill and organics/composting emissions
• Real world research/data
• Landfill Gas Recovery rates assumptions/improve
  user flexibility
• Incineration
• Analysis from a single processing facility
• Add additional materials
• Detailed information on assumptions
• www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/waste/report
  s.html

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Additional Information

• WARM Model SEARCH EPA WARM
• http//epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/waste/calculator
  s/Warm_home. html
• West Coast Waste Prevention, Recovery, and
  Disposal Webinars
• http//www.epa.gov/Region10/westcoastclimate.htm
• Timonie Hood
• U.S. EPA Region 9
• [phone]
• hood.timonie_at_epa.gov