The document discusses several topics related to solid waste management in Iowa: 1) A proposed "Hub and Spoke" recycling system that would create centralized processing facilities to increase recycling participation and efficiency. 2) A Derelict Building Grant Program that provides funds for communities to remove or renovate abandoned structures, improving safety and economic development. 3) Issues around food waste, which accounts for a large portion of materials in landfills despite the resources required to produce food. 4) Different waste conversion technologies that can generate energy from solid waste like incineration, gasification, anaerobic digestion, and bioreactor landfills.

1. New Frontiers in Solid Waste
Hub and Spoke Recycling System
Derelict Building Grant Program
Food Waste and Wasted Food
Waste to Energy

2. Hub and Spoke Recycling System
Centralized Processing
and Marketing
Dispersed
Collections
Dispersed
Collections Dispersed
Collections
Dispersed
Collections

3. Hub and Spoke System
Benefits
• Creates economies of scale
• Avoids duplicative recycling infrastructure
• Develops regional partnerships
• Enhances revenue potential
• Decreases transportation distances
• Increases recycling participation and
material recovery

4. Hub and Spoke Recycling System
Iowa situation
• Established infrastructure and investment
• Under served areas of the state
• Investment may be needed to upgrade
identified hubs
• Potential job creation
• HF 643 – Hub and Spoke Recycling Study

5. Derelict Building Program

6. Derelict Building Program
What is the Derelict Building Program?
• Community beautification program
• Economic development program
• Health and safety program

7. Derelict Building Program
Established to provide grant assistance to:
• Iowa communities and counties (population
of 5,000 or less)
• address publically owned derelict structures
through deconstruction and removal or
renovation

8. Derelict Building Program
Derelict Buildings
• Impairs economic development
• Fire hazard
• Attracts illegal dumping
• Vandalism
• Environmental and health and safety issues
• Visually detracts from the surrounding area

9. Progress so far…
Grant Round
2011
Grant Round
2013
Grant Round
2014
Total
Applicants 39 37 40 116
Projects Selected 15 19 20 54
Request Amount $1,224,505 $1,394,400 $1,854,598 $4,473,503
Reimbursed Amount $457,333 $329,255 $292,507 $1,079,094
Applicant Match $319,678 $340,744 $299,272 $959,694
# of Projects Involving:
Asbestos Inspection/Abatement 10 12 17 39
Deconstruction 9 7 11 27
Renovation 1 4 7 12
C&D Tons Generated 10,944 5,409 17,497 33,850
C&D Tons Reused/Recycled 9,318 4,959 16,114 30,391
Tons of Asbestos Contaminated
Materials Abated 68.8 107.3 103 279
Landfill Diversion Savings $407,497 $264,063 $295,160 $966,720
% of C&D Diverted from Landfill 85% 92% 92% 90%

10. City of Slater

11. City of Slater

12. City of Slater

13. City of Slater

14. City of Slater Results
• Renovation project generated 169 tons of C&D waste
• Project diverted 116 tons (68%) from the landfill for
reuse and recycling
• Project saved City $5,488 in landfill fees
• City provided $100,000 in cash match
• DNR provided $58,000 for renovation activities and
asbestos abatement
• City sold building as an anchor building on Main Street
• Project received 1000 Friends of Iowa’s 2014 Best
Development Award for a commercial/residential
project

15. Food Waste

16. Food Waste
From a NRDC report:
• Getting food from the field to our table uses
– 10% of the total US energy
– 50% of US land
– 80% of all freshwater consumed in the US
• With this level of inputs
– 40% of the food in the US goes uneaten
– 96% of food waste is landfilled
– 23% of US methane emissions comes from landfilled food

17. Food Waste
• The “average” American eats 4.7 lbs of food each day
• The “average” American wastes over 225 pounds of
edible food each year
Yet at the same time:
• 1 in 8 Iowans are food insecure
• 1 in 5 Iowa children does not
have enough to eat

18. Food Waste
Food Waste Step by Step
• Farming
‐ ~ 7% of produce is stranded in the field
• Post-harvest and packing
‐ Produce is culled to meet standards for size, color and weight
• Processing and distribution
‐ Technical malfunctions and rejected loads
• Retail and grocery stores
‐ Overstocking and sell by dates
• Food Service and restaurants
‐ Overstocking and portion size
• Households
‐ Food is inexpensive and readily available and expiration date confusion
• Disposal
‐ 97% of food waste is landfilled, 23% of US methane emissions comes from
landfilled food

19. Food Waste
Addressing Food Waste – Projects and Partnerships
• Eat Greater Des Moines
– App development to facilitate connection between
food donors, transporters, and donation recipients
– Pilot project in Des Moines area
– Statewide application if successful
• Iowa Food Bank Association
– Pass through grant to local food pantries
– Funding assistance for refrigerators and freezers
– Increased ability to accept and use perishable food
donations

20. Food Pantry Grants

21. Food Waste
• Industrial, Commercial and Institutional Food Waste
Study
– Investigating the amount, type and frequency of
food waste generation
– 10 generator categories (i.e. food processors,
institutions, K-12 schools, supermarkets, hospitals,
restaurants, etc.)
– Map food waste generator locations and existing
food waste management infrastructure

22. • Big Ox Energy
– An anaerobic digestion facility in NE Iowa
– Depackaging system
• ISU Human Sciences Extension and Outreach
– Partnering with ISU’s SNAP-Ed Program and Eat
Greater Des Moines
– Assisting Iowans understand and implement smart
meal choices
– Accessibility to healthy foods
Food Waste

23. Food Waste Hierarchy

24. Waste Conversion Technologies

25. Waste to Energy (WtE)
• The process of generating energy from solid
waste
• 4 basic technology/facility types
– Incineration
– Gasification
– Digestion
– Bioreactor

26. Waste Conversion Technology
Incineration
• Combustion of solid waste
• Energy product is high heat /steam
• Reduces original solid waste volume by 80%
• Sorting out non-combustibles reduces residuals
• Residuals: ash and slag
– ash and slag are often landfilled
– beneficial use applications - once tested for toxicity
levels

27. Waste Conversion Technology
Pyrolysis:
• thermal decomposition of biomass (organics)
• occurs in the absence of oxygen
• products of biomass pyrolysis include:
– biochar
– bio-oil
– combustible gases including methane, hydrogen,
carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide

28. Waste Conversion Technology
Plasma Arc:
• Extreme heat - 5,000 to 8000 F
• Sorting of waste is not necessary
• Because of the high temperatures, organics and
inorganics are broken down into its basic elemental
components
• converts the waste into fuel gas and an inert slag

29. Waste Conversion Technology
Anaerobic Digestion
• Sorting out inorganics required
• Decomposition of food and other organics in the
absence of oxygen
• GHGs are recovered to produce energy (methane
and carbon dioxide)
• Resulting liquid very high in nutrient value
• Resulting digestate provides additional nutrient value
and water holding when land applied

30. Waste Conversion Technology
Bioreactor Landfills
• Leachate is:
–Collected
–Treated
–Reintroduced into the landfill
• GHG are recovered and used to produce
electricity

31. Waste Conversion Technology
• Emissions
• Impact on recycling
• Expensive to construct
• Impact on solid waste agencies
• Alternative energy benefit
• Reduced GHG release

32. Tom Anderson
tom.anderson@dnr.iowa.gov
515-725-8323
Thank You