10.5 Policies and measures: waste management and climate
GHG emissions from waste are directly affected by numerous policy and regulatory strategies that encourage energy recovery from waste, restrict choices for ultimate waste disposal, promote waste recycling and re-use, and encourage waste minimization. In many developed countries, especially Japan and the EU, waste-management policies are closely related to and integrated with climate policies. Although policy instruments within the waste sector consist mainly of regulations, there are also economic measures to promote recycling, waste minimization and selected waste management technologies. In industrialized countries, waste minimization and recycling are encouraged through both policy and regulatory drivers. In developing countries, major policies are aimed at restricting the uncontrolled dumping of waste. Table 10.6 provides an overview of policies and measures, some of which are discussed below.
Table 10.6: Examples of policies and measures for the waste management sector.
| Policies and measures | Activity affected | GHG affected | Type of instruments |
|---|
| Reducing landfill CH4 emissions |
| Standards for landfill performance to reduce landfill CH4 emissions by capture and combustion of landfill gas with or without energy recovery | Management of landfill sites | CH4 | Regulation |
| Economic Incentive |
| Reduction in biodegradable waste that is landfilled. | Disposal of biodegradable waste | CH4 | Regulation |
| Promoting incineration and other thermal processes for waste-to-energy |
| Subsidies for construction of incinerator combined with standards for energy efficiency | Performance standards for incinerators | CO2 | Regulation |
| | CH4 | |
| Tax exemption for electricity generated by waste incineration with energy recovery | Energy recovery from incineration of waste | CO2 | Economic incentive |
| CH4 | |
| Promoting waste minimization, re-use and recovery |
| Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) | Manufacture of products | CO2 | Regulation |
| Recovery of used products | CH4 | Voluntary |
| | Disposal of waste | Fluorinated gases | |
| Unit pricing / Variable rate pricing / Pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) | Recovery of used products | CO2 | Economic incentive |
| Disposal of waste | CH4 | |
| Landfill tax | Recovery of used products | CO2 | Regulation |
| Disposal of waste | CH4 | |
| Separate collection and recovery of specific waste fractions | Recovery of used products | CO2 | Subsidy |
| Disposal of waste | CH4 | |
| Promotion of the use of recycled products | Manufacturing of products | CO2 | Regulation |
| | CH4 | Voluntary |
| Wastewater and sludge treatment |
| Collection of CH4 from wastewater treatment system | Management of wastewater treatment system | CH4 | Regulation |
| | Voluntary |
| Post-consumer management of fluorinated gases |
| Substitutes for gases used commercially | Production of fluorinated gases | Fluorinated gases | Regulation |
| | Economic incentive |
| | Voluntary |
| Collection of fluorinated gases from end-of-life products | Management of end-of-life products | Fluorinated gases | Regulation |
| | Voluntary |
| JI and CDM in waste management sector |
| JI and CDM | Landfill gas and biogas recovery | CO2 | Kyoto mechanism |
| CH4 | |