In this newsletter we’d like to highlight some information about the positive impact that composting can have on greenhouse gas emissions. The following is an excerpt from a fact sheet published by the U.S. Composting Council entitled: “Greenhouse Gases and the Role of Composting: A Primer for Compost Producers”:

Greenhouse Gases and the Role of Composting

How do organic discards contribute to greenhouse gases (GHGs)?
By definition, all organic discards contain carbon. When they decompose naturally under aerobic conditions the CO₂ they give off is part of the natural short-term carbon cycle. Since this is part of the natural flux of CO₂ it is not considered in GHG computations. However, when those organic discards are placed in an anaerobic environment, the decomposers will convert and release the carbon as methane and other volatile organic compounds which can contribute to global climate change. Organic discards that are high in nitrogen, such as food scraps, manures and grass clippings, under wet and oxygen-limited conditions, can also produce N₂O during decomposition, which is roughly 300 times worse than carbon dioxide.

How does composting effect Global Climate Change?
To understand what effect composting has, we have to break the composting system into three components: the feedstocks, the composting process, and how the compost product is used. Composting will have an impact based on what might have happened to the feedstocks if they were not composted, how the composting operation is run, and what happens to the compost. Positive impacts include emissions avoidance and carbon sequestration. Negative impacts result from emissions from the diesel powered processing equipment used to process feedstocks. The net effect is determined by adding up the benefits and detriments of each component.

Part 1: Feedstocks
If material that would otherwise end up producing methane or nitrous oxide is composted instead, this results in avoided emissions. Some common situations where this might apply include food wastes that are going to landfills and manures that get stored in uncovered lagoons. For example, every metric dry ton of food that goes to a landfill may generate .25 metric tons of methane in the first 120 days. Thus composting this food waste reduces emissions by the equivalent of up to 6 metric tons of CO₂. By the same token, if grass clippings that were going to a composter were redirected to a landfill, that would result in increased methane emissions at the landfill (up to about 2 tons of CO₂ equivalents for every ton of grass, depending on how the landfill is managed).

Transportation costs also have to be taken into account. If the composting facility is closer than the landfill (as is often the case, as landfills become more regional and take trash from further afield), then less energy will be used in transporting the waste, another benefit. On the other hand, if the food collection required more vehicle trips (or vehicle miles or use of less efficient vehicles) than would have been otherwise, then that would result in increased emissions, reducing the total avoidance. However, since methane is so much more damaging than CO₂, the vehicle “costs” are usually far outweighed by the benefits of methane reduction. For example, a long haul truck can carry about 30 wet tons of material. At 20% solids, that is 6 dry tons of food waste. For a 200 mile round trip the truck will emit 327 kg of CO₂. The total CO₂ equivalent of methane avoided by composting is 36 MG or 36,000 kg. That truck would have to drive back and forth from LA to New York City seven times before the emissions outweighed the avoidance!

Part 2: Composting Process
The EPA recognizes that well-run composters emit little methane and N₂O from the biological process of composting, so have little impact in GHG. Of course, the compost process uses diesel fuels to run grinders, turners, front-end loaders and the like. The burning of this fuel creates GHG emissions, as does electricity used to operate blowers, pumps, etc. If the energy comes from bio-based fuels, like biodiesel or methane fired generators, or other renewable energy sources, those emissions would be reduced from a GHG accounting perspective (because the carbon emitted is coming from the short term carbon cycle and replacing the carbon from fossil fuels, which is coming out of long term storage).This is not to say the composting itself can’t have GHG emissions. Both methane and nitrous oxide have been observed coming from compost piles. Methane forms under anaerobic conditions, often found at the bottom of piles. In the real world this probably happens frequently, but the methane is then oxidized as it reaches more aerobic portions of the pile and before leaving the pile. N₂O formation is less well understood, occurring closer to the surface where oxygen is limited but not absent and where nitrogen is in excess. The CO₂ released during composting is considered biogenic, not anthropogenic, so is not considered in greenhouse gas calculations. Good composting practices that balance the carbon:nitrogen ratio and provide adequate aeration and moisture will minimize GHG emissions.

Momentum Recycling welcomes two new staff members: Mary Rogers and Joe Bravo.

Mary Rogers joined Momentum Recycling in February of 2011 and has brought a wealth of experience with her. After moving to Utah three years ago seeking accessibility to the mountains and a city with a small town feel, Mary began working with the ReDirect Guide helping consumers find green-certified businesses. From there, Mary joined Momentum Recycling to continue with her goal of making a positive impact on her community. Mary also volunteers for Salt Lake City Green Drinks, bringing local people in the environmental field together once a month to discuss all things Green in our community.

We are lucky to have Mary working with us! Her skills in Sales, Marketing and Education are a perfect fit for Momentum Recycling. Mary says her job at Momentum is a happy marriage of all her talents. We agree!

Joe Bravo has been with Momentum Recycling for about two months now, and we are thrilled to welcome him. Joe has lived in Utah since 1995, but grew up in Maracaibo, Venezuela. He has worked in the rental car industry and retail store security since 1999. Making the switch to Momentum has been a plus for Joe. He enjoys interacting with Momentum’s clients and the high energy required of him as a member of our operations team.

In addition to enjoying his work, Joe believes in the importance of recycling and its benefits for individuals and organizations. He believes that it is important to educate others about Momentum’s recycling services and to help keep materials out of the landfills. Momentum is fortunate to have Joe join our team.

We are excited to have Mary and Joe’s skills, experience and passion on our team!

Property managers and owners of apartments and condominiums are hard at work in our community minimizing their impact on the environment. Nowadays more and more of us live in smaller, shared living spaces and convenience is often the name of the game. Owners and facility managers of multi-tenant complexes need to work extra hard to make recycling accessible and efficient for their tenants.

Momentum Recycling would like to applaud The Metro Condominiums in downtown Salt Lake City for being one of the most sustainably built condominium complexes in Salt Lake City. Of particular interest are the recycling chutes which were incorporated into the design on each floor of the complex; regularly scheduled collections for mixed recyclables and glass; and recycling signage posted throughout the complex.

Metro has observed that current residents have significantly increased their participation in the recycling program since the start of their program. Metro Condominiums has diverted over 65,000 lbs of mixed recyclables, 600 lbs of green waste and over 7,000 lbs of glass from the landfill. Tenants clearly value the opportunity to recycle in their place of residence and many consider it a major factor in determining where they choose to live.

Momentum is pleased to be a sponsor, along with the Utah Recycling Alliance and the Salt Lake City Corporation, of the 1st Annual America Recycles Day Zero Waste Awards and Film Screening, happening November 9th.

We will be recognizing local businesses, non-profits and government agencies which have set the standards for zero waste in the Salt Lake Valley. The evening will kick off with a presentation of Zero Waste Awards, followed by a screening of Bag It and a panel discussion.

A $5 admission includes one free drink ticket (Uinta Brewing Company), the awards ceremony, the movie screening and an evening of Zero Waste revelry. For the creative and bold among you, come in a costume made from recycled materials and get a discounted entry.We look forward to seeing you there!

For information on the event, including how to nominate an organization for an award, click here.

At Momentum, we measure success in terms of diversion rates. The table and graph below show the growth we have experienced in collections. We're thrilled to announce that, as as we near the end of 2011, we've diverted over 5 million pounds of recyclable material away from the landfill! Hats off to all of our dedicated and conscientious clients for making this amazing contribution to our community.

Actual Collections
Material:	3rd Quarter 2011	All Time Totals
Mixed Recyclables1	117 tons (233,340 lbs.)	824 tons (1,647,560 lbs.)
Glass2	113 tons (226,800 lbs.)	675 tons (1,350,150 lbs.)
Green Waste3	263 tons (526,180 lbs.)	1,277 tons (2,553,629 lbs.)
TOTAL	493 tons (986,000 lbs.)	2,536 tons (5,072,000 lbs.)

¹Mixed Recyclables = paper, cardboard, plastics 1-7, metals. These figures are derived from weigh-ins which occur at Rocky Mountain Recycling.
²Glass weights are determined by multiplying the standard weight of a glass bin by the number of full bins we collect.
³Green Waste = fruit and vegetable scraps, yard waste, coffee grounds. These figures are derived from weigh-ins which occur at the Composting Facility at the Salt Lake Valley Landfill.

As a mission-driven company, one of our founding principles has been to build awareness of, and commitment to, recycling and other sustainability measures among clients and the greater community. Below you’ll find some recent examples of our work in this area:

• Earth Day Educational Efforts: Momentum participated in several Earth Day events with the intent of educating Salt Lake County residents about recycling. Momentum had booths and provided recycling information at the following locations: Whole Foods (Trolley Square, Sugarhouse, Highland Stores), Alta Ski Area, Varian Medical Systems and the Tracy Aviary.
• Repertory Dance Theater’s Dancing the Green Map: Momentum provided free recycling for the Green Drinks event promoting the RDT’s Dancing the Green Map performance at the Rose Wagner Theater.
• McGillis School Auction: Momentum Recycling donated recycling collection to McGillis for their annual auction, which serves as a fundraiser for the school. McGillis diverted over 500 pounds of glass from the landfill.
• Whole Foods Trolley Square Waste Sort: In an effort to determine which recyclable materials are commonly placed in the store’s garbage compactor, Whole Foods Trolley Square management and employees, together with Momentum Recycling representatives, were present when the compactor was dropped at the Allied Waste transfer station. Our group sorted through the garbage, pulling out mixed recyclables, green waste and glass, which should have been placed in the recycling bins. While the process revealed the Whole Foods employees do an outstanding job of diverting recyclables away from the wasted stream, there were some important takeaways from the experience.
• Red Butte Garden’s Concert Series: This is the third consecutive year that Momentum has worked with the Red Butte Garden’s Concert Series to divert glass from the garbage stream. This year, our diversion efforts resulted in roughly 14.7 tons of glass recycled!
• City Weekly’s Utah Beer Festival: During the City Weekly’s Utah Beer Festival Momentum collected glass amounting to approximately 1,600 lbs.
• Summer Outdoor Retailer Convention 2011: Momentum also partnered with Utah Food Services for 2011’s Summer Outdoor Retailer Convention. Momentum diverted over 1.5 tons of glass, 600 lbs of green waste, and 675 lbs of mixed recyclables from the Outdoor Retailer Convention.
• Educational Programs for Clients: As part of our basic customer service, Momentum conducts free "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Educational Seminars" for all new clients. In the past quarter, we've conducted over a dozen of these seminars, helping businesses and their employees understand more clearly how to maximize their diversion rates.
• Promote Your Recycling Efforts: Get a Momentum Window Cling or Point of Sale Sign Now! Both of these signs are designed to inform customers about Momentum clients’ commitment to recycling. We see this as a great opportunity to improve awareness about recycling opportunities among the general public, as well as a fantastic opportunity to promote our clients’ dedication to the pursuit of zero waste. Let Jeff (jeff@momentumrecycling.com) know if you are interested in having a window cling or a point of sale sign. Show your customers and clients that you support zero waste efforts in the community and get your window cling today!
• Cross Fertilization between Clients and End-Users: As part of our mission, Momentum Recycling works to "close the loop" on recycling in our community. We organize events to bring recycling stakeholders in our community together for an on-going dialogue about zero waste and the local initiatives which have been introduced in support of this goal.
• During the first quarter of 2011, Momentum facilitated a site visit to Rocky Mountain Recycling. Larry Gibbons, Business Development Manager, met with us to talk about the Material Recovery Facilities’ operations and what happens to the recyclables once they are delivered to Rocky Mountain.
• During the second quarter, Momentum organized a trip down to Nephi to see Fibertek’s glass plant. Fibertek provided a tour of the facility, which was recently bought by Owens Corning, and explained how the glass collected from Momentum’s clients is used in the fiberglass insulation manufacturing process.
• Momentum Recycling will be offering more tours of other end users’ facilities, as well as tours of client facilities, in the near future with the next one occurring in November to Varian Medical Systems. Stay tuned for more information on places & dates!