Waste Management - Excellent Strategy

Waste Management is the largest garbage hauler and landfill operator in North America. This blog previously relayed the announcement that over the next 5 years WM plans to invest approximately $400 million to convert landfill gas to electricity. We now learn from Green Car Congress that this forward-looking company plans to do something more with the methane retrieved from landfill gas than combustion in gas turbines to produce electricity. Waste Management of Seattle has introduced the first of 106 new CNG waste collection trucks for its fleet.
Generally I am pro bio-gas, given that the optimized diversion of manure to bio-gas production by means of anaerobic digestion results in a negative value for production and is the only alternative fuel to do so in the Zah study. On the other hand, I have been cautious about endorsing the use of LFG (Land Fill Gas). Likewise, I have been critical of powering vehicles with CNG (Compressed Natural Gas).


Bio-gas, a.k.a., renewable natural gas, is a versatile energy source. Anaerobic digestion is a way to process manure that can reduce odor and water quality issues.

Nevertheless, with the double jeopardy of climate change and peak oil, it would seem that WM has a winner if it can ensure clean, efficient means of producing such fuels and ensuring that there combustion produces very low amounts of GHG emissions. How much of a winner then will depend upon future federal incentives and the cost of petroleum. If oil prices remain unexpectedly low and federal incentives withheld, then WM might forestall development since bio-gas is in the middle of the pack in terms of cost, efficiency, import dependency, fuel price sensitivity and proved reserves. While such scenarios are possible, it is much more likely than oil prices will rebound and there will be federal incentives consistent with IPCC recommendations for which Waste Management qualifies.
WM operates 281 landfills in North America; 100 already have some form of methane-to-energy capabilities; and, last June plans were announced for landfill gas-to-energy facilities at 60 additional sites. If the sooner that oil prices rebound, the greater the economic incentive for WM to invest in multi-step upgrading of land fill gas.



According to the Environmental Protection Agency, landfills are the largest source of methane emissions in the United States, accounting for 34 per cent of such releases. Methane is one of several non-CO2 gases that contribute to global climate change and chemically 20 times more hazardous that carbon dioxide

The trucks use Autocar chassis and McNeilus (an Oshkosh Corporation) bodies. McNeilus expects to deliver the remaining CNG vehicles to Seattle in late March 2009. McNeilus is also providing 40 CNG refuse trucks to Cleanscapes, the other contractor for refuse collection in Seattle under recently awarded contracts.
Waste Management is putting the new trucks into service as they arrive and has a dozen already on the job in Seattle. The full complement of 106 CNG trucks will be in service when Waste Management begins its new collection contract with the city of Seattle on 30 March. Construction on the fueling depot is scheduled to be complete in April. The station will service the new fleet and also be open to the public.
Waste Management is investing $29 million in the new vehicles and an additional $7.5 million to build the fueling station. The new trucks are six times cleaner than diesel engines manufactured in 2007 and meet the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2010 emission standards for oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and PM.
An independent environmental review produced by Gladstein, Neandross & Associates, a environmental consulting firm, determined Waste Management’s equipment upgrade will reduce smog-causing NOx by 97 percent, toxic diesel particulate matter by 94% and greenhouse gas by 20%, over current levels. Switching to advanced CNG vehicle operations will provide significant environmental, public health and community benefits to the region. The collection trucks also will reduce noise pollution.
Within five years all 180-collection trucks in Waste Management’s Seattle-based fleet will be fueled by CNG.
Background. Waste Management (WM) has been providing services under contract with Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) for twenty years. The other waste collection provider under the current set of contracts, which end in March 2009, is Allied Waste, Inc. Following a number of problems with Allied Waste, SPU issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for solid waste collection and transfer services across four geographic sectors, rather than the current two, in February 2007. Waste Management, Allied Waste and Seattle-based newcomer CleanScapes submitted proposals; SPU chose WM and Cleanscapes.
The 10-year contracts required CleanScapes and Waste Management to purchase all new collection trucks before beginning service in April 2009. All collection trucks are required to meet 2007 Federal Diesel Engine Requirements or to operate on CNG or LNG. Waste Management runs its current collection fleet on diesel. Both WM and Cleanscapes are using CNG under the new contract.

Image credit: Environment Ministry Of Canada, Quebec
At its South Seattle operations headquarters Waste Management of Seattle broke wind ground on its new compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station.
By developing WM also prepares for future eventualities. Upgraded bio-gas can be used to generate electric power that could be used on site, for grid-able hybrid vehicles (to include bio-gas range extended electric vehicles, and sold. Even though there are greater efficiencies to using electric drive, plus heat recovery sent back to gas conditioning and anaerobic digestion processes, much depends upon the cost of batteries. Although a less ubiquitous infrastructure than the Grid, connection to the natural gas infrastructure is another strategic advantage to bio-gas development.
…rise in the use of landfill gas can be attributed to a variety of factors. Higher energy prices make landfill gas cost-competitive, especially compared to other sources of renewable energy. Second, utilities are looking for new sources of renewable energy to meet renewable portfolio standards, and landfill gas is especially valuable to them because it provides base load power. There’s also a real demand from consumers for greener energy and many of them are taking part in voluntary programs and are willing to pay more for power derived from renewable sources.

Wes Muir, Director of Communications for Waste Management, Inc,

Other AG Posts Possibly Related :
• First of Its Kind
• Bio-gas Pros… and Cons
• A Tip for Town Managers / Supervisors
• Another Plug-in Hybrid Retrofit Kit

Biogases - Alternative energy sources

The term "biogases" refers to gases created by the anaerobic fermentation of biological materials. Their main constituents are methane and carbon dioxide.
Considerable quantities of biogases are produced by :
• anaerobic fermentation of agricultural and organic waste (biogas),
• sludge digestion in the tanks of sewage treatment plants (sewage gas),
• organic residues in garbage tips (landfill gas).

Biogas



Disposal and treatment of biological waste represent a major challenge for the waste industry. For a wide range of organic substances from agriculture, foodstuff or feed industries, anaerobic fermentation is a superior alternative to composting.
Biogas - a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide - is created during anaerobic fermentation and serves as a high-energy fuel that can be used as a substitute for fossil fuels. Biogas-fueled gas engines improve waste management while maximizing the use of an economical energy supply.
Biogas results from anaerobic fermentation of organic materials. As a metabolic product of the participating methane bacteria, the prerequisites for its production are a lack of oxygen, a pH value from 6.5 to 7.5 and a constant temperature of 15 to 25°C (psychrophile), 25 to 45°C (mesophile) or 45 to 55°C (thermophile). The fermentation period is approximately 10 days for thermophiles, 25 to 30 days for mesophiles and 90 to 120 days for psychrophile bacteria. The fermentation systems of today operate largely within the mesophile temperature range.

Sewage Gas



The anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge involves fermenting the sludge in tanks at a temperature of 90 to 93 °F (32 to 34 °C) for about 25 days. The thermal energy generated by a combined heat and power (CHP) unit preheats the sludge and keeps the temperature of the digestion tank constant.
The resulting biogas normally consists of 50 to 60 percent methane, 30 to 40 percent carbon dioxide and small quantities of residues. The gas is compressed and purified if it contains larger amounts of contaminants, and stored temporarily in a gasometer from which it is fed to a CHP unit at constant pressure. A gas engine transforms the energy stored in the biogas into mechanical and thermal energy. It also powers a synchronous generator, which in turn generates electrical energy for the operation of the sewage treatment plant.

Landfill Gas - Producing Usable Energy from Garbage



Landfill gas is created during the decomposition of organic substances and consists of methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen (N2). Uncontrolled venting of landfill gas hampers or prevents rapid, scheduled recultivation of a landfill site. To prevent this and to avoid offensive smells, smouldering fires or the migration of gas, the gas must be continuously extracted under controlled conditions. With a calorific value of about 5 kWh/m3N, landfill gas constitutes a high-value fuel for gas engines that can be effectively used for power generation.

Landfill gas is an alternative form of fuel to fossil fuels in the production of electricity. With landfill sites all over the UK, there is a large resource available.
Landfill Gas (LFG) is the product of the degradation of biodegradable waste and it is typically made up of about 50% methane (although this can reach about 65%), with the remainder mainly carbon dioxide plus small amounts of other gases. Both methane and carbon dioxide are ‘greenhouse gases’ contributing to global warming, so their use in this case as fuel reduces their release into the atmosphere. LFG is also a danger to the local environment causing problems for local vegetation, potential fires and explosions and even asphyxiation if released into a building.



Under optimum conditions one tonne of biodegradable waste can produce between 200 and 400 cubic metres of landfill gas. Due to the use of greenhouse gases and the fact that this energy source displaces the use of fossil fuels, landfill gas is deemed to be a ‘green energy’. The landfill gas is extracted from the site and burnt in order to produce electricity. Currently, 48% of Great Britain’s renewable gas and electricity production comes from landfill gas.
Landfill gas can also be used for direct firing (e.g. in brick kilns or for producing steam in boilers) or for direct heating (e.g. in horticultural greenhouses). Again, this reduces the amount of gas released into the atmosphere and can provide an income stream once the landfill site is full.

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Landfill Gas Capture

Methane is a primary component of landfill gas and a potent greenhouse gas when released to the atmosphere. 20 times more damaging than CO2. Reducing methane emissions by capturing landfill gas and using it as an energy source can yield substantial energy, economic, and environmental benefits. Each day millions of tons of municipal solid waste are disposed of in landfills around the world. landfill gas is created as a natural byproduct of decomposing organic matter, such as food and paper, disposed of in these landfills. landfill gas consists of about 50 percent methane (CH4), the primary component of natural gas, about 50 percent carbon dioxide (CO2), and a trace amount of non-methane organic compounds. Globally, landfills are the third largest anthropogenic (human-induced) emission source, accounting for about 12 percent of global methane emissions or nearly 750 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent (MMTCO2E). Below is a chart of world landfill gas production by country as of 2007.


Figure 1: World Landfill Gas Production By Country As Of 2007


Figure 2 : World Landfill Gas Production By Country As Of 2007

Recycling Waste

The chemical industry continues to find creative ways of recycling and reusing waste streams. Dow recently began operating a novel system for reusing municipal wastewater at the Terneuzen site in the Nether-lands. In collaboration with local authorities and a local water pro-ducer, this site accepts more than 2.6 million gallons of municipal household wastewater every day. The local water producer removes residual contaminants, and Dow then uses more than 70 percent of this water to generate high-pressure steam. After the steam is used in production processes, the water is again used in cooling towers until it finally evaporates into the atmosphere.
This is the first time municipal wastewater is being reused on such a large scale in the industry. Three million tons of water per year was previously discharged into the North Sea after a single use. Now this water is recycled for two more applications and has resulted in 65 percent less energy use at this facility compared to the alternative option of desalinating seawater. The reduction in energy use is the equivalent of lowering carbon dioxide emissions by 5,000 tons per year. This concept can be applied at other locations around the world.
Another unique case of recycling is the use of landfill off-gas (Figure 2). Instead of using natural gas, Dow has piped methane off-gas from a local landfill to its Dalton, Georgia, latex manufacturing plant. The gas is used as fuel to generate steam for the production of latex carpet backing. This site is expected to use approximately 160 billion BTUs per year of landfill gas (the energy equivalent of 1.4 million gallons of gasoline) that would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere.


FIGURE 3 : Recycling landfill off-gas for energy in Dalton, Georgia.
(1) Landfill waste is structured. (2) Anaerobic bacteria decompose the municipal solid waste. (3) Methane off-gas is generated. (4) A system of pipes and blowers collects gas and delivers it to a central location. (5) Gas is used as fuel to make steam. (6) Steam is used by the Dow emulsion polymers plant to manufacture latex carpet backing.

Municipal landfills are the largest source of human-generated methane emissions in the United States. As a greenhouse gas, methane has more than 20 times as much global warming potential as carbon dioxide. By capturing and burning methane, the Dalton facility will reduce the use of fossil fuels and will reduce methane emissions from the landfill. The reduction of greenhouse gases is equivalent to 24 million pounds of carbon dioxide per year.

Landfill Gas

Produced by the biological decomposition of waste placed in a landfill site, LFG represents both an environmental liability and a unique renewable energy resource. Landfill gas - composed primarily of carbon dioxide and methane - also commonly contains additional trace constituents such as hydrogen sulphide, mercaptans, vinyl chloride, and numerous other volatile organic compounds. Concerns that are often associated with LFG relate to odours, air quality impacts and explosion hazards. If released to the atmosphere untreated, LFG is also a potent greenhouse gas contributing to global climate change. Collection of LFG to control impacts also results in the creation of a source of green energy. The methane component of LFG contains energy that can be used to generate electricity, heat buildings, fuel industrial processes, or run vehicles. Utilization of energy from LFG not only aids in the control of local environmental impacts, but also avoids consumption of fossil fuels that would otherwise be required to generate an equal amount of energy. Collection and utilization of LFG represents a very significant opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere.


Figure 4: Landfill Gas Collection & Utilization System

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Waste to Energy

Waste to Energy
>Agriculture Biogas Recovery
>Plasma Gasification
>Landfill gas
>Current and Future Applications


Agriculture Biogas Recovery


Biogas recovery systems at livestock operations can be a cost-effective source of clean, renewable energy that reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Because of its high energy content, biogas can be collected and burned to supply on-farm energy needs for electricity or heating. In 2005, about 100 systems were operational or under construction in the United States, and another 80 in the planning stages. However, biogas recovery systems are estimated to be technically feasible at about 7,000 dairy and swine operations in the U.S. These facilities offer a substantial business opportunity to increase farm income.


What is Plasma Gasification?


Plasma gasification is a new garbage disposal solution using plasma technology. This process of garbage disposal is self-sustaining and converts garbage into electricity. Although plasma technology has been around for years, its application to garbage disposal was never seriously considered because the conventional approach of using landfills was less expensive (even with tipping fees and transportation costs). It was only recently - with landfills in scarce supply and with fuel costs on a constant rise - that the plasma gasification process has merited deeper consideration.

Plasma Technology

The basics of plasma technology are straightforward. A high-voltage (650-volt) current is passed between two electrodes to create a high-intensity arc, which in turn rips electrons from the air and converts the gas into plasma or a field of intense and radiant energy.

This is the process behind fluorescent and neon lighting where low voltage electricity passing between electrodes in a sealed glass tube containing an inert gas excites the electrons in the gas. The gas releases radiant energy and electric arc welding or cutting; this electricity passing between electrodes creates plasma that can melt metal.

Plasma Gasification


First, garbage is fed into an auger, a machine which shreds it into smaller pieces. These are then fed into a plasma chamber - a sealed, stainless steel vessel filled with either nitrogen or ordinary air. A 650-volt electrical current is passed between two electrodes; this rips electrons from the air and creates plasma.

A constant flow of electricity through the plasma maintains a field of extremely intense energy powerful enough to disintegrate the shredded garbage into its component elements. The byproducts are a glass-like substance used as raw materials for high-strength asphalt or household tiles and "syngas".

Syngas is a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide and it can be converted into fuels such as hydrogen, natural gas or ethanol. Syngas (which leaves the converter at a temperature of around 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit) is fed into a cooling system which generates steam. This steam is used to drive turbines which produce electricity - part of which is used to power the converter, while the rest can be used for the plant's heating or electrical needs, or sold back to the utility grid.

Therefore, aside from the initial power supply from the community's electrical grid, the whole machine can produce the electricity it needs for operations. It also produces materials that can be sold for commercial use so, at some point, the plasma gasification system will generate profit for its users.

Landfill gas (LFG)


Municipal solid waste landfills are the second largest source of human-related methane emissions in the United States, accounting for approximately 23 percent of these emissions in 2007. At the same time, methane emissions from landfills represent a lost opportunity to capture and use a significant energy resource. Landfill gas (LFG) is created as solid waste decomposes in a landfill. This gas consists of about 50 percent methane (CH4), the primary component of natural gas, about 50 percent carbon dioxide (CO2), and a small amount of non-methane organic compounds.

Instead of allowing LFG to escape into the air, it can be captured, converted, and used as an energy source. Using LFG helps to reduce odors and other hazards associated with LFG emissions, and it helps prevent methane from migrating into the atmosphere and contributing to local smog and global climate change.

Landfill gas is extracted from landfills using a series of wells and a blower/flare (or vacuum) system. This system directs the collected gas to a central point where it can be processed and treated depending upon the ultimate use for the gas. From this point, the gas can be simply flared or used to generate electricity, replace fossil fuels in industrial and manufacturing operations, fuel greenhouse operations, or be upgraded to pipeline quality gas.

The generation of electricity from LFG makes up about two-thirds of the currently operational projects in the U.S. Electricity for on-site use or sale to the grid can be generated using a variety of different technologies, including internal combustion engines, turbines, microturbines, Stirling engines (external combustion engine), Organic Rankine Cycle engines, and fuel cells. The vast majority of projects use internal combustion (reciprocating) engines or turbines, with microturbine technology being used at smaller landfills and in niche applications.

Directly using LFG to offset the use of another fuel (natural gas, coal, fuel oil) is occurring in about one-third of the currently operational projects. This direct use of LFG can be in a boiler, dryer, kiln, greenhouse, or other thermal applications. It can also be used directly to evaporate leachate. Innovative direct uses include firing pottery and glass blowing kilns; powering and heating greenhouses and an ice rink; and heating water for an aquaculture (fish farming) operation. Current industries using LFG include auto manufacturing, chemical production, food processing, pharmaceutical, cement and brick manufacturing, wastewater treatment, consumer electronics and products, paper and steel production, and prisons and hospitals, just to name a few.

Current and Future Applications


The benefits of the system are evident. It is self-sustaining after the initial electrical charge is used; it is environmentally friendly; and it produces materials that have commercial applications or use and thus can generate profit.

Aside from disposing of newly-produced garbage, the system can also be used to dispose of accumulated landfill garbage so land reclamation is entirely possible. Another application planned is using the syngas as a base for producing hydrogen in commercial quantities, which will be used as fuel for hydrogen-powered vehicles.

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How to Cut Down on Plastic Waste Products

Everyone's looking to live green. Recycling plastic products and choosing other packaging alternatives will cut down on plastic waste. Combining the two ideas would make a tremendous difference in the amount of plastic materials that are cluttering up our landfills and harming our birds, animals and even our food supplies.

Go green to save the earth.

1.Step 1
Shop with tote bags that you can use for years and forgo those cheap plastic bags. They strangle birds and are eaten by various animals which often kills them. Since they are made from petroleum products, when they are buried in landfills or eaten by animals that become food, they are also poisoning our food supplies. Sturdy tote bags with strong handles will carry your groceries much more efficiently and will also help you to cut back on plastic waste.

2.Step 2
Donate your plastic bags to the local animal shelter or vet for cleaning. Take them to a private thrift store or resale shop or to churches that have food pantries or clothing giveaways. Use them in small wastebaskets throughout the house and keep a small stash of them in the car.

3.Step 3
Reuse bigger items in the yard. Saving the handle and the bottom of the jug, cut milk jugs to use for pouring liquid fertilizers. Poke holes in the bottom and use it to spread grass seeds, fertilizer and other dry goods outdoors. Let kids play with the cut plastic jugs like shovels in the sandbox or at the beach.

4.Step 4
Recycled plastic coffee containers are great for dry food storage, for painting, for holding building blocks or crayons for children and for holding garbage that will go into the compost heap. Put the lid on and cut an X in the middle of the lid. Now you can store your grocery store bags. You can also store rags in them. Wet small rags in a solution of water and household cleaner such as pine or ammonia or even vinegar and wring out and then store the rags inside the canister to be pulled out when needed for quick clean ups. You can also store rolled up extension cords in these, extra phone cords and things that tangle easily.

5.Step 5
Use small plastic containers with lids to store nails, screws and other small workshop items. They're also great for small paint jobs, or for small amounts of leftovers in the fridge or freezer. With a little potting soil, you can use them to grow starter plants and they're also good to use for banks. Just make a slit in any sized container and fill it with change.

6.Step 6
Buy less plastic. Opt for packaging that is more environmentally friendly, such as paper or cardboard. If you can only find plastic buy the item that uses the least or buy large containers to have one to reuse rather than many small ones. Look at the packaging to see if it can be used after the product is gone as well. Always look at the packaging to see if it can be used after the product is gone as well. Always try to buy things that state they’re made from recycled materials, too. For more ideas, visit Green Boot Camp online. The URL is listed below. With a little forethought, it's easy to cut way down on plastic waste and do your part to help the environment.









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