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Maryland recycled more than 40 percent of its waste in 2010, when the state exceeded its voluntary waste diversion goal for the sixth straight year.
Maryland’s overall rate for waste diversion – the recycling rate plus source reduction credits – was 44.6 percent for 2010, the calendar year for which the most recent figures are available. The state’s voluntary waste diversion goal is 40 percent.
The waste diversion rate for 2010 is made up of a recycling rate of 41 percent plus a 3.6 percent source reduction credit.
The 1988 Maryland Recycling Act requires counties with populations greater than 150,000 to reduce, by recycling, the amount of the solid waste stream disposed of by 20 percent. Counties with populations of less than 150,000 are required to reduce that amount by 15 percent. Maryland State government is also required to recycle 20 percent of waste generated. Since 2011, Maryland State agencies have also implemented a law that also requires State agencies to recycle aluminum, paper, plastic and glass.
Solid waste management and waste diversion have significant effects on climate change. These issues are addressed in Maryland’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act draft plan, which is now open for comment. Consider the following greenhouse gas and energy scenarios over the life-cycle of common recyclable materials when comparing alternative solid waste management methods with landfilling. In all cases where either recycling or source reduction is used instead of landfilling, there were savings in the amount of greenhouse gases emitted or energy used. Only when combusting a material instead of landfilling it were there increases in the amount of greenhouse gases emitted or energy used.
Greenhouse Gas
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Material
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MTCO2E – Landfilled
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MTCO2E – Source Reduced
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MTCO2E – Recycled
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MTCO2E – Combusted
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Aluminum Cans
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0 **
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(8.30) **
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(13.65) **
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0.01 **
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PET Plastic Bottles
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0 **
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(2.11) **
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(1.56) **
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1.24 **
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Newspaper
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0 **
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(3.92) **
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(1.83) **
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0.39 **
|
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Glass
|
0 **
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(0.57) **
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(0.32) **
|
0.01 **
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* MTCO2E = Metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. It is a measure of carbon dioxide emissions and is equal to a unit of mass equal to 1,000 kg (2,205 lbs.).
** Values vs. the landfilling of the material. Assigns MTCO2E – Landfilled a value of 0. A negative value (i.e.,a value in parentheses) indicates an emission reduction, while a positive value indicates an emission increase compared to the landfilling of a material.
Energy
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Material
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BTU (million) – Landfilled
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BTU (million) – Source Reduced
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BTU (million) –Recycled
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BTU (million) – Combusted
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Aluminum Cans
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0 **
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(126.75) **
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(206.95) **
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0.11 **
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PET Plastic Bottles
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0 **
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(71.28) **
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(53.36) **
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(10.07) **
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Newspaper
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0 **
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(36.85) **
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(16.89) **
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(8.16) **
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Glass
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0 **
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(7.46) **
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(2.66) **
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0.00 **
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^ BTU = 1 BTU is a unit of power that is equal to the amount of energy needed to heat 1 pound of water 1 F. It is also used to describe the heat value (energy content) of fuels.
** Values vs. the landfilling of the material. Assigns BTU (million) – Landfilled a value of 0. A negative value(i.e., a value in parentheses) indicates a reduction in energy consumption, while a positive value indicates an increase in energy consumption compared to the landfilling of a material.
2010 results
The State recycled 2,731,195 tons of waste and reduced the amount of waste generated through source reduction activities by more than 246,400 tons in 2010. State agencies contributed more than 19,000 tons of recyclables (for a 23.9 percent State agency recycling rate). The metric tons of greenhouse gas savings resulting from Maryland’s waste diversion activities is the equivalent of removing more than 1.1 million passenger cars from the roadway each year, conserving more than 739 million gallons of gasoline, more than 2.7 billion cylinders of propane used for home barbeques or more than 34,000 railway cars of coal. The energy savings is the equivalent of the annual energy consumption of more than 453,000 households – or about 20 percent of the estimated number of Maryland households – or the amount of energy contained in more than 8.3 million barrels of oil or more than 391 million gallons of gasoline.
Counties across Maryland collect not only “core” recyclables, including mixed paper, glass containers, metal containers, plastic containers, white goods and yard trimmings. They also collect electronics, mercury, scrap tires, motor oil and antifreeze. Other efforts focus on the recycling and proper disposal of construction and demolition materials and household hazardous wastes from the solid waste stream.
Moving forward
House Bill 929, passed during Maryland’s 2012 General Assembly session, increases the mandatory solid waste stream reduction through recycling to 20 percent for counties with a population less than 150,000 and to 35 percent for counties with a population greater than 150,000. Additionally, the law will increase the required State government recycling rate to 30 percent. The counties will be required to implement the recycling plan by December 31, 2015, while State agencies will be required to implement their recycling plans by July 1, 2014. The bill will also institute a voluntary statewide waste diversion goal of 60 percent and a recycling goal of 55 percent by 2020. The law is effective October 1, 2012.
A study group created by 2011 legislation is now looking into issues surrounding food composting.
Information on Maryland’s waste diversion activities is available on the waste diversion page on MDE’s website.
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