Waste-to-Energy (WTE) with Carbon Capture
Description: Waste-to-energy plants burn municipal waste to generate electricity or heat, reducing landfill waste. When combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, these plants can capture the CO₂ produced during incineration, achieving carbon-negative outcomes.
Carbon Credit Conversion: The amount of CO₂ captured and stored can be quantified and converted into carbon credits.
Example:
Oslo’s Klemetsrud WTE Plant (Norway): This facility is working on integrating carbon capture to become carbon negative, potentially generating significant carbon credits through its emissions reduction (Climate Change AI)(Climate-KIC).
Anaerobic Digestion (AD) of Organic Waste
Description: Organic waste (e.g., food waste, agricultural residues) is broken down by microorganisms in the absence of oxygen in anaerobic digesters. This process produces biogas (a renewable energy source) and digestate (which can be used as a fertilizer). The biogas can be burned for energy, displacing fossil fuels, and the digestate can improve soil carbon storage.
Carbon Credit Conversion: Carbon credits are earned by reducing methane emissions (which would otherwise occur from decomposing organic waste in landfills) and generating renewable energy.
Example:
BioCycle AD Projects: Anaerobic digestion projects globally are converting food and organic waste into biogas, avoiding methane emissions and creating energy. Carbon credits are issued based on the volume of methane captured and energy generated (Climate Change AI).
Landfill Gas Capture and Utilization
Description: Landfills release significant amounts of methane (a potent greenhouse gas). Landfill gas capture systems collect methane before it escapes into the atmosphere, and it can be either flared or used as a renewable energy source.
Carbon Credit Conversion: By capturing and utilizing methane, these projects reduce greenhouse gas emissions, generating carbon credits.
Example:
Bionergia Landfill Gas Project (Brazil): This project captures methane from landfills and converts it into energy. The project generates carbon credits based on the amount of methane captured and used (Mitigation Action Facility).
Waste Management’s Landfill Gas Projects (USA): These projects collect methane from landfills and convert it into electricity, avoiding CO₂ equivalent emissions that can be traded as carbon credits (Climate-KIC).
Recycling and Material Recovery
Description: Recycling projects focus on diverting waste from landfills and reducing the need for raw material extraction, which is typically energy-intensive. Recycling materials like aluminum, plastics, and paper reduces the overall carbon footprint of manufacturing processes.
Carbon Credit Conversion: Carbon credits can be issued for the emissions saved by recycling materials instead of producing them from raw resources.
Example:
Plastic Bank (Global): This social enterprise collects and recycles ocean-bound plastic, reducing both pollution and the carbon footprint associated with producing new plastic from virgin materials. These efforts can be converted into carbon credits through various voluntary carbon markets(Climate Action)(Research and innovation).
Composting Projects
Description: Composting organic waste (such as food scraps and garden waste) produces compost, which improves soil health and carbon sequestration in soils. Composting also avoids methane emissions that would occur if organic waste decomposed anaerobically in landfills.
Carbon Credit Conversion: Projects can earn carbon credits by avoiding methane emissions and improving soil carbon sequestration through compost application.
Example:
CarbonCycle Composting Projects (USA): These projects collect organic waste and convert it into compost, avoiding landfill emissions and promoting carbon storage in soils (Climate-KIC).
Waste Biomass to Biochar
Description: Biochar is a stable form of carbon produced by pyrolyzing organic waste (such as forestry and agricultural residues) at high temperatures in the absence of oxygen. Biochar can be used as a soil amendment, where it stores carbon for hundreds or thousands of years.
Carbon Credit Conversion: Biochar projects generate carbon credits based on the volume of CO₂ sequestered in the biochar that is applied to soils.
Example:
Carbofex (Finland): Converts waste biomass into biochar, which is then applied to soils, providing long-term carbon sequestration. The carbon stored in the biochar is quantified and sold as carbon credits (Research and innovation)(Climate-KIC).
Industrial Waste Heat Recovery
Description: Waste heat from industrial processes is captured and reused to generate energy, reducing the need for fossil fuel-based energy. This reduces the overall carbon footprint of industrial operations.
Carbon Credit Conversion: Credits are generated based on the amount of CO₂ emissions avoided by reusing waste heat instead of generating new energy from fossil fuels.
Example:
Ormat Technologies’ Waste Heat Projects (Global): Captures waste heat from industrial plants and converts it into electricity. This process avoids CO₂ emissions and creates tradable carbon credits (Mitigation Action Facility).
These waste processing projects not only contribute to negative carbon emissions but also provide a pathway for generating and trading carbon credits, creating financial incentives for waste reduction and sustainable resource management.