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We tend to think of the price tag as the cost of an item, but many of us also have at least some awareness of the environmental costs of our consumer behaviors. In the materials management field, which includes waste reduction, waste diversion, and managing waste and recycling, we commonly think a lot about the environmental cost of consumer goods when their useful life comes to an end.
One cost of waste that is often focused on is the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated by the end-of-life management method: disposal, recycling, composting, etc. Perhaps surprisingly, GHG emissions from waste collection and disposal are not typically captured in sector-based GHG inventories (e.g., transportation, energy, etc.).
More significantly, conventional GHG emissions inventories do not capture supply chain emissions from when products were made and then likely imported. In the case of MA, emissions from manufacturing and shipping products into our state from other states and countries are not currently included in the MA emissions inventory. According to a 2024 EPA analysis, the current Northeast US GHG emissions inventory is essentially underreporting GHGs by 40-60% because it does not account for products and materials made outside of and shipped into our region.
The problem with this lack of information is that it leaves us with an incomplete picture of the true amount of GHG emissions for which our region is responsible. Without this information, governments and citizens do not have access to information needed to inform policy and positive change relating to consumption. The primary focus for many years has instead remained on the energy and transportation sectors, where numerous local actions have been identified to mitigate emissions.
However, there is growing attention locally and beyond to better understand and measure the environmental costs of our consumption behaviors. Creating consumption-based GHG inventories is a critical step to help reduce GHG emissions and reach reduction targets.
The statewide non-profit coalition, MassRecycle, released a report about the importance of consumption-based GHG analyses. The report outlines a set of strategies for Massachusetts to mitigate the growth in consumption-based GHGs and to improve climate resilience in the recycling and waste sector.
Finally, to learn more about the City of Newton’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) 2.0, which is anticipated to be released at the end of 2025, please refer to the City of Newton’s Climate Action website or reach out to climateplanning@newtonma.gov.
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