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Waste Reduction Model (WARM)

NEW VERSION: Updated March 2015

(Version 13, 3/15)

EPA created WARM to help solid waste planners and organizations track and voluntarily report greenhouse gas emissions reductions and energy savings from several different waste management practices. The Web-based version of WARM was last updated March 2015.

Use this worksheet to describe the baseline and alternative MSW management scenarios that you want to compare. Please follow the steps below to enter your material tonnage information in the input boxes in the tables, and select appropriate landfill and waste transport characteristics. For information on the definition of each of the WARM material types as well as data source and year of underlying life-cycle data, please see the WARM materials definitions list.

Tips:
Steps 1 and 2. Baseline and Alternative Scenarios
Baseline Scenario Alternative Scenario
Material Tons Recycled Tons Landfilled Tons Combusted Tons Composted Tons Generated Tons Source Reduced Tons Recycled Tons Landfilled Tons Combusted Tons Composted
Aluminum Cans N/A 0 N/A
Aluminum Ingot N/A 0 N/A
Steel Cans N/A 0 N/A
Copper Wire N/A 0 N/A
Glass N/A 0 N/A
HDPE N/A 0 N/A
LDPE N/A N/A 0 N/A N/A
PET N/A 0 N/A
LLDPE N/A N/A 0 N/A N/A
PP N/A N/A 0 N/A N/A
PS N/A N/A 0 N/A N/A
PVC N/A N/A 0 N/A N/A
PLA N/A 0 N/A
Corrugated Containers N/A 0 N/A
Magazines / Third-class mail N/A 0 N/A
Newspaper N/A 0 N/A
Office Paper N/A 0 N/A
Phonebooks N/A 0 N/A
Textbooks N/A 0 N/A
Dimensional Lumber N/A 0 N/A
Medium-density Fiberboard N/A 0 N/A
Food Waste (non-meat)1 N/A 0 N/A
Food Waste (meat only)1 N/A 0 N/A
Yard Trimmings N/A 0 N/A N/A
Grass N/A 0 N/A N/A
Leaves N/A 0 N/A N/A
Branches N/A 0 N/A N/A
Mixed Paper (general) N/A 0 N/A
Mixed Paper (primarily residential) N/A 0 N/A
Mixed Paper (primarily from offices) N/A 0 N/A
Mixed Metals N/A 0 N/A
Mixed Plastics N/A 0 N/A
Mixed Recyclables N/A 0 N/A N/A
Food Waste1 N/A 0 N/A
Mixed Organics N/A 0 N/A N/A
Mixed MSW N/A N/A 0 N/A N/A N/A
Carpet N/A 0 N/A
Personal Computers N/A 0 N/A
Clay Bricks N/A N/A N/A 0 N/A N/A N/A
Concrete 2 N/A N/A 0 N/A N/A N/A
Fly Ash 3 N/A N/A 0 N/A N/A N/A
Tires 4 N/A 0 N/A
Asphalt Concrete N/A N/A 0 N/A N/A
Asphalt Shingles N/A 0 N/A
Drywall N/A N/A 0 N/A N/A
Fiberglass Insulation N/A N/A N/A 0 N/A N/A N/A
Vinyl Flooring N/A N/A 0 N/A N/A
Wood Flooring N/A N/A 0 N/A N/A

Please enter data in short tons (1 short ton = 2,000 lbs.)
Please refer to the User's Guide if you need assistance completing this table.
1 Excel version of WARM allows users to assess energy and environmental impacts for more detailed food waste types.
2 Recycled concrete used as aggregate in the production of new concrete
3 Recycled fly ash is utilized to displace Portland cement in concrete production.
4 Recycling tires is defined in this analysis as using tires for crumb rubber applications and tire-derived aggregate uses in civil engineering applications.

Step 3. Landfill Characteristics

The emissions from landfilling depend on whether the landfill where your waste is disposed has a landfill gas (LFG) control system. If you do not know whether your landfill has LFG control, select "National Average," which calculates emissions based on the proportions of landfills with LFG control in 2012. If your landfill does not have a LFG system, select “No LFG Recovery.” If a LFG system is in place at your landfill, select “LFG Recovery” and click one of the indented buttons to indicate whether LFG is recovered for energy or flared. Note that the Web-based WARM calculator assumes that the “LFG Recovery” option includes bulk MSW decay rates for national average landfill moisture conditions and “typical” landfill gas collection system operation. These assumptions are the default assumptions in the WARM Excel version.

Step 4. Waste Transport Characteristics

Emissions that occur during transport of materials to the management facility are included in this model. You may use default transport distances, 20 miles, or provide information on the transport distances for the various MSW management options.

Management Option Distance (miles)
Landfill
Combustion
Recycling
Composting
Step 5. Results Output

View Emission/Energy Factors based on your selection above.

The following inputs are optional and may be used to customize your summary report.

Organization:
Name:
Reporting Period: / /  To  / /


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