Moving Up the Waste Hierarchy: Modeled Emissions Reductions from Applying Sustainable Waste Management Practices in the United States Available to Purchase

More sustainable waste and materials management and implementation of the Waste Hierarchy could achieve significant reductions in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions across the economy through reductions in waste generation and increases in recycling, composting, and anaerobic digestion. For wastes remaining, landfilling is minimized, especially for biodegradable wastes, and energy recovery is prioritized. With a 35% reduction in per capita municipal solid waste generation, an increase in the overall recycling rate from 27% to 65%, inclusive of composting and anaerobic digestion with digestate reuse, and energy recovery and landfilling rates of 20% and 15% respectively, the U.S. could reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions relative to business-as-usual practices by approximately 700 million metric tons per year by 2050. This level of reduction would contribute roughly 8% of the overall net GHG reductions required to meet a target of net zero GHG emissions by 2050, the level required to ensure that global temperature increases are kept below 1.5°C relative to pre-industrial levels to stem the most severe impacts of climate change. These reductions result from avoided landfill methane emissions, as well as displaced fossil-fuel fired grid connected electricity, and avoided emissions from recycling and waste reduction.