Carbon Benefits of Recycling Wood Pallets Calculator

Stephen Mitchell

Sustainability Programme Manager, Timber Development Association Project Manager, National Timber Product Stewardship Group

Waste 2012 2 nd May 2012 Opal Cove Resort Coffs Harbour, Australia

National Timber Product Stewardship Group

Researched and consulted

Our Strategy:

Timber - More Life

• Objectives: – Double recovery of post-consumer timber for reuse, recycling and renewable energy – To 1 million tonnes per annum by 2017 – Maximise positive environmental impacts of residual end-of-life timber that is landfilled

Strategy Priorities

: Timber-More Life

• Key Waste Streams: – Wood packaging (C&I) – Wood from manufacturing (C&I) Largest – Wood from demolition (C&D) – Preservative treated timber (C&D) volume • Actions: – Market development – Education / communications – Well targeted research

Wood packaging disposal Australia: • ~300,000 tpa disposed to landfill • >120,000 tpa from importing goods • 50% pallets/skids - 50% crates Sources: Hyder (2007) & Mitchell (2008). Available at www.timberstewardship.org.au

Sydney Metro Area: • ~140,000 tpa disposed to landfill Source: Disposal based survey of the commercial and industrial waste stream in Sydney done in 2008 by DECCW (now NSW EPA)

Wood packaging recovery • Good quality feedstock for reuse, recycling and renewable energy • Australia: – > 15,000 tpa repaired / reused (excl. CHEP/Loscam) – > 100,000 tpa recycled (excl. reuse) • Sydney Metro Area: – Specific quantity unknown but by far the biggest input of pos-consumer timber into organics

Why a calculator?

• Major clients of recovery operators were asking for measuring carbon emissions • Enviro Pallets had a basic tool • Need more credibility. I.E.

– LCA methodology and assumptions reviewed – NGER factors incorporated – needed other recovery options included • DECCW (now EPA) funding

Methodology • Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology in line with ISO 14044 • GHG Protocol Standard (Scope 3) • Data supplied by Enviro Pallets, Benedict Recycling, Delta Electricity, Veolia, timber industry, DCCEE (NGERs factors) • Project supported by NSW EPA

Scope of calculator • Non-pool wood pallets and packaging • Majority is one-way packaging • Compares carbon landfill disposal to: – reuse and repair – recycling for mulch and animal bedding – renewable energy generation • Options direction and input from DECCW (now NSW EPA)

System boundary

Emissions from landfilling • Transport • Compaction and covering • Anaerobic degradation – Methane generation – Some recovery and oxidation – Uses current DOCf value of 0.23 for timber – Converted to CO2e (0.67kg CO2e/kg) – O.23 DOCf now DCCEE – was USA lab result

Emissions from landfilling • DOCf value – latest research (USA lab results) • DOCf value of 0.0 for radiata pine and blackbutt timber Source: Wang et al (2011) Wood Biodegradation in Laboratory-Scale Landfills Environ. Science & Technology. Volume 45 (16), pp 6864 –6871 • Essentially means zero (0) methane generated by these woods in landfills

Wood Pallet Reuse • Disassembly of old pallets into components • Reassembly using new and old • Recycling non repairable pallets

Reuse & Repair • Minor energy usage and emissions • Reduced demand for (and transport of) new wood from sawmills • Calculator assumes one more use • Multiple benefits if reused repeatedly

Wood Packaging Reuse , Repair & Recycling Facilities – Sydney ANL/Kimbriki SITA Belrose Blacktown Waste Services SITA Seven Hills SITA Ryde CHEP ANL/SITA Eastern Creek Veolia Horsley Park SITA Elizabeth Drive ANL Badgerys Creek Brandown Enviropallets Pace Pallets Loscam Abbey Pallets SITA Chullora Veolia Greenacre Benedict SITA Auburn Bingo SITA Rockdale Glenfield SITA Artarmon DD Alexandria Advance Pallets SITA Jacks Gully Camden Soil Mix Direct Pallets SITA Lucas Heights CHEP / Loscam centres main repair Pallet repair / exchange Wood aggregation / shredding facilities

For more timber recycling services try www.BusinessRecycling.com.au

& the Directory at www.timberstewardship.org.au

Recycling - Shredding Emissions from: • Loading shredder • Shredding • Sizing (i.e. trommeling) • Loading & transport

Timber Packaging - Recycling Landscape mulch

Timber Packaging - Recycling Poultry bedding: • Australian market >950,000 m 3 per year • NSW > 350,000 m 3 per year • Growing 4% per annum • Traditional sources – sawdust, shavings, rice hulls harder to get • Shredded packaging and off-cuts used in WA and VIC • NSW trials completed at three farms • Trials and spec. supported by DECCW (now NSW EPA)

Recycling - Chicken Bedding

Timber Packaging – Renewable Energy

Wood replaces NSW black coal • Black coal emissions = 1.07 CO2-e/kWh (DCCEE)

Energy recovery Sawdust New wood Chicken bedding Chicken bedding Mulch Particleboard Energy recovery Sawdust

Results - Reuse

Results - Reuse

CO 2 e emissions by option for 100 tonnes EoL wood packaging

0 Repair & Reuse Animal bedding Mulch Renewable Energy -50 -100 -150

C0 2 e emissions

-200

(tonnes)

-250 -300 -350 -400

Results – Animal Bedding

Results – Mulch

Results – Renewable Energy

Conclusions • Calculator supports all non-landfill waste management options • Renewable energy and displacement of fossil fuel combustion is obvious very large benefit • However: “once it’s gone it’s gone” • Calculator supports reuse, recycling and renewable energy

Conclusions (cont) • Companies can: – use this data for reporting or – use parameters and assumptions in report (and their specific parameters) for their own circumstances • To help reduce their carbon footprint and increase diversion from landfill.

Next Steps • Survey of the key stakeholders completed • Updating the calculator based on feedback received: – particleboard option to be included – certificate type report • Formal launch in late May • Promotion to increase exposure and use.

Thank you Questions?

p: 02 8424 3703 e: [email protected]