SMMP Credit 6: Solid Waste Greenhouse Gas and
Air Emissions Footprint Reduction Policy
(Local Government: 1-3 points; Industry: 2-5 points)

Non-Reciprocal

 Intent:To reduce greenhouse gas, criteria air pollutants, and hazardous air pollutants (HAP) footprint of the Local Government’s or the Company’s solid waste management program.

Local Government Requirements

Tier 1: (1 point)

Adopt a policy to measure and reduce the per capita greenhouse gas OR adopt a policy to reduce other criteria air[1] pollutants and HAP footprint of the collection, recovery and disposal of waste within the jurisdiction by at least 20 percent compared with a 2015 baseline within 5 years of policy adoption. See PCD Credit 5 for specific landfill gas management requirements.

●      Require measuring and documenting GHG and toxic emissions with the best available technology that captures emissions/leakages throughout the entire system.

Tier 2: (2 points)

Adopt a policy to measure and reduce BOTH the per capita greenhouse gas AND other criteria air emissions footprint of the collection, recovery and disposal of waste within the jurisdiction by at least 25 percent compared with a 2015 baseline within 5 years of policy adoption

●       Require measuring and documenting GHG and toxic emissions with the best available technology that captures emissions/leakages throughout the entire system.

Industry Requirements

Tier 1: (2 points)

Adopt a company goal to measure and reduce the greenhouse gas footprint OR adopt a
company goal to reduce other criteria air[2]pollutants and HAP footprint of the collection, recovery and disposal of wasteby the Company by at least 20 percent compared with a 2015 baseline within 5 years of goal adoption. See PCD Credit 5 for specific landfill gas management
requirements.

●      Require measuring and documenting GHG and toxic emissions with the best available technology that captures emissions/leakages throughout the entire system.

Tier 2: (3 points)

Adopt a company goal to measure and reduce BOTH the per capita greenhouse gas AND other
criteria air emissions footprint of the collection, recovery and disposal of waste by the Company by at least 25 percent compared with a 2015 baseline within 5 years of goal adoption. See PCD Credit 5 for specific landfill gas management requirements.

●     Require measuring and documenting GHG and toxic emissions with the best available technology that captures emissions/leakages throughout the entire system.

Potential Strategies:

●      Use a metric of carbon dioxide equivalents to quantify the carbon impact of waste, assessing the emissions generated by producing and recycling materials as well as the
emissions from the disposal and/or conversion processes.


[1] Criteria air pollutants as defined by the EPA are
Ground-Level Ozone, Carbon Monoxide, Lead, Particulate Matter, Sulfur Dioxide
and Nitrogen Dioxide (https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/criteria-air-pollutants_.html).

[2] Criteria air pollutants as defined by the EPA are
Ground-Level Ozone, Carbon Monoxide, Lead, Particulate Matter, Sulfur Dioxide
and Nitrogen Dioxide (https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/criteria-air-pollutants_.html)

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