# Presentation: 862356

## Allocating Municipal Solid Waste to Renewable and Non-renewable EnergyMarie LaRiviere_x000b_Marie.LaRiviere@eia.doe.gov202.586.1475

- ASA Presentation
- April 20, 2007
- Washington, DC

## Overview

- EIA historically classified all MSW as renewable
- Concerns raised that not all MSW components are renewable
- Calculated shares of MSW heat content from renewable and non-renewable materials
- Heat content of MSW is increasing
- More combustion of non-renewable materials
- More recycling of renewable materials

- MSW Split:  April 20, 2007

## EIA Renewable Energy Definition	

- “Energy resources that are naturally replenishing but flow-limited. They are virtually inexhaustible in duration but limited in the amount of energy that is available per unit of time.
- Renewable energy resources include biomass, hydro, geothermal, solar, wind, ocean thermal, wave action, and tidal action.”

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- MSW Split:  April 20, 2007

## Contents of MSW

- Renewable
- Textiles
- Yard Trimmings
- Food Waste
- Wood
- Leather
- Paper &Paper Products
- Newsprint
- Containers & Packaging
- Office Paper

- Non-Renewable
- Plastics
- PET
- HDPE
- PVC
- LDPE/LLDPE
- PP
- PS
- Rubber

- MSW Split:  April 20, 2007

## Average Heat Content of MSW Components

- MSW Split:  April 20, 2007

## What can we do with MSW?

-           Landfill               Recycle             Combust                  Compost

- MSW Split:  April 20, 2007

## MSW Disposal (percent)

**Source**: EPA, 2005.

- MSW Split:  April 20, 2007

**Notes:**
Data Source: Place holder data.

## Separate the total weight of discarded MSW into renewable and non-renewable fuel groups 

Multiply the Btu per ton factors by the total number of tons of each materials group 
provides a total weighted Btu per ton value for an average ton of MSW

Calculate the renewable and non-renewable shares of MSW heat content

Repeat for all data years, and interpolate linearly for non-data years

- Multiply the Btu per ton factors by the total number of tons of each materials group
- provides a total weighted Btu per ton value for an average ton of MSW
- Calculate the renewable and non-renewable shares of MSW heat content
- Repeat for all data years, and interpolate linearly for non-data years

- Methodology

- MSW Split:  April 20, 2007

## Assumptions

- MSW input materials were classified as renewable or non-renewable according to their predominant composition
- The data provided by EPA are available only at the national level and were assumed to represent all MSW
- “Other Plastics” was assigned a heat content equal to the average heat content of all plastics
- Unassigned “Other” is divided evenly between the renewable and non-renewable groups
- Btu values of glass and metal were set at zero
- Unspecified Btu values were assumed to represent higher heating values

- MSW Split:  April 20, 2007

## Caveats

- The composite MSW HHV by year is not representative of the MSW HHV reported by EIA respondents.
- Btu values were obtained from best available sources and may have been developed using different procedures.
- EPA did not collect data for all years shown.  Non-data years were interpolated.

- MSW Split:  April 20, 2007

## Results

- Sources: EPA 2005 and EIA calculations

- Heat Content of MSW (million Btu per ton)

- MSW Split:  April 20, 2007

## MSW Heat Content by Materials Group (percent)

- Source: EPA 2005 and EIA Calculations

- MSW Split:  April 20, 2007

## Why?

- Increasing amount of plastics in MSW
- Increased production without increased recycling
- Decreasing amount of paper & paper products in MSW
- Increased recycling

- MSW Split:  April 20, 2007

## Applications

- EIA MSW consumption data from 2001 onward will be split into renewable and non-renewable components

- Historical trends in heat content may be extended to forecast the MSW split in NEMS

- MSW Split:  April 20, 2007

## Sources	

- Bahillo, A. et al.* Journal of Energy Resources Technology,* “NOx and N2O Emissions During Fluidized Bed Combustion of Leather Wastes.”* * Volume 128, Issue 2, June 2006. pp. 99-103.
- Energy Information Administration.  *Annual Energy Review 2005*.  “Renewable Energy Consumption by Source, Selected Years, 1949-2005.”  Washington, DC, 2006.
- Energy Information Administration. *Renewable Energy Annual 2004*.  “Average Heat Content of Selected Biomass Fuels.” Washington, DC, 2005.
- Environmental Protection Agency.  *Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 2005 Facts and Figures*.  Also, years 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003.  Published at _[http://www.epa.gov/msw/msw99.htm](http://www.epa.gov/msw/msw99.htm)__[ Accessed December 2006](http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/msw99.htm. Accessed December 2006)_.
- Penn State Agricultural College Agricultural and Biological Engineering and Council for Solid Waste Solutions.  Garth, J. and Kowal, P*. Resource Recovery, Turning Waste into Energy, *University Park, PA, 1993.* *
- Rubber Manufacturer’s Association.  *Scrap Tire Characteristics*.   _[http://www.rma.org/scrap_tires/scrap_tire_markets/scrap_tire_characteristics/](http://www.rma.org/scrap_tires/scrap_tire_markets/scrap_tire_characteristics/)_.  Accessed February 2007.
- Utah State University Recycling Center Frequently Asked Questions.  Published at _[http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:yaqs7psFy4MJ:www.usu.edu/recycle/FAQs.htm+plastics+btu&hl=](http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:yaqs7psFy4MJ:www.usu.edu/recycle/FAQs.htm+plastics+btu&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=5)__[en&gl](http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:yaqs7psFy4MJ:www.usu.edu/recycle/FAQs.htm+plastics+btu&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=5)__[=](http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:yaqs7psFy4MJ:www.usu.edu/recycle/FAQs.htm+plastics+btu&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=5)__[us&ct](http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:yaqs7psFy4MJ:www.usu.edu/recycle/FAQs.htm+plastics+btu&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=5)__[=](http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:yaqs7psFy4MJ:www.usu.edu/recycle/FAQs.htm+plastics+btu&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=5)__[clnk&cd](http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:yaqs7psFy4MJ:www.usu.edu/recycle/FAQs.htm+plastics+btu&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=5)__[=5](http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:yaqs7psFy4MJ:www.usu.edu/recycle/FAQs.htm+plastics+btu&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=5)_. Accessed December 2006.

- MSW Split:  April 20, 2007

## Thank you

- Energy Information Administration
- www.eia.doe.gov
- Marie LaRiviere
- Marie.LaRiviere@eia.doe.gov
- 202.586.1475

- MSW Split:  April 20, 2007