SWANA Offsets Carbon Emissions From 2008 Events

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) is taking a strong step toward further reducing SWANA’s impact on the environment by purchasing carbon emission offsets for the association’s events. Carbon offsets, which are measured as carbon dioxide equivalents, are a financial instrument that offset greenhouse gas emissions from a particular activity.

“SWANA is known as an organization that informs its members about how to be stewards of the environment. By purchasing these offsets, we’re leading by example,” noted John Skinner, SWANA Executive Director and CEO.

SWANA purchased 100 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents through the Chicago Climate Exchange from the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority (LCSWMA) in Pennsylvania. The offsets were generated from LCSWMA’s facilities that recover and use landfill gas as a renewable energy source. ancaster’s landfill gas SWANA calculated and offset the carbon dioxide equivalent emissions that were generated from staff transportation, meeting space infrastructure and lodging at all 2008 events. SWANA events that are carbon neutral include the Senior Executive Seminar, the “Thinking Outside the Blue Box” Conference, 31st Annual Landfill Gas Symposium, the SWANA Spring Training Center, the North American Waste-to-Energy Conference and the Landfill Symposium and Planning & Management Conferences.

This initiative is only part of a very extensive list of activities that SWANA has implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate climate change. In 2007, SWANA became the first professional solid waste association to join the Chicago Climate Exchange. In addition, SWANA has developed a carbon calculator that gives WASTECON attendees the opportunity to calculate their carbon footprint. These activities will culminate at WASTECON 2008, October 21-23, with the theme of “The Energy, Climate and Solid Waste Connection.”