Last reviewed on 12-01-2023

Documentation of California's Greenhouse Gas Inventory (2023 Edition - Last updated on 12-1-2023)

♦ Category: Waste

IPCC: 4B - Biological Treatment of Solid Waste
Sector: Industrial : Solid Waste Treatment : Composting

♦ Activity: Feedstock processed -

♦ Greenhouse gas: Nitrous oxide ( N2O )

► Year 2010 —

● Greenhouse gas emission estimate —

Amount: 274.53 tonnes of N2O Emitted (81,809 tonnes CO2 Eq.)
Basis: Calculation
Calculation: [Feedstock Processed]*[Composting N2O emission factor]*[Short ton to kilogram conversion]
Reference: IPCC (2006). 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, Eggleston H.S., Buendia L., Miwa K., Ngara T., and Tanabe K. (eds). Vol.5, Chap. 4: Biological Treatment of Solid Waste. Published: IGES, Japan. Accessed online at: http://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2006gl/pdf/5_Volume5/V5_4_Ch4_Bio_Treat.pdf

● Activity level used in calculations —

Activity: Feedstock processed = 4,034,834 ton
Basis: Compilation
Reference: CARB (2016). Technical support document on GHG inventory methodologies for the 2000-2014 inventory. See Discussion of emissions from composting of greenwaste available at: https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/cc/inventory/pubs/reports/2000_2014/ghg_inventory_00-14_technical_support_document.pdf

● Parameters and Constants used in calculations —

Parameter: Composting N2O emission factor = 0.075 g / kg
Reference: CARB (2017). Method for estimating greenhouse gas emission reductions from diversion of organic waste from landfills to compost facilities. California Air Resources Board. Available online at: https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/sites/default/files/classic/cc/waste/cerffinal.pdf
Constant: Short ton to kilogram conversion = 907.1847 kg / ton
Reference: NIST (2008). Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SI). Ambler Thompson & Barry N. Taylor (Ed.). NIST Special Publication 811, 2008 edition. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD. http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/pdf/sp811.pdf
Constant: Global warming potential of N2O = 298
Reference: IPCC (2007). Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Solomon S., Qin D., Manning M., Chen Z., Marquis M., Averyt K.B., Tignor M., and Miller H.L. (eds.). http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/publications_ipcc_fourth_assessment_report_synthesis_report.htm

● Greenhouse gas emitted per unit activity (derived from values listed above) —

Amount: 68 g of N2O per ton
20,276 g (i.e. 20.28 kg) of CO2eq. per ton