Presentations

The Missing Link in Resource Recovery: Thermal Hydrolysis at the Heart of Dirty MRFs

This presentation will explore how advanced thermal hydrolysis (TH) technology is emerging as the missing link between solid waste facilities and biogas infrastructure. Drawing on real-world experience commercializing the BIOMAK® thermal hydrolysis system in North America and Europe, the presentation will demonstrate how contaminated organics in municipal solid waste (MSW) can be recovered and transformed into energy-rich feedstock without source separation or preprocessing.

We will dive into the economics and operations behind BIOMAK® and the broader NOWON system, including key insights from feasibility studies and public-private partnership models in NY State and elsewhere. Particular attention will be paid to the integration of TH into dirty MRFs and its ability to unlock anaerobic digestion (AD) capacity at wastewater treatment plants, reducing disposal costs and stabilizing biogas production. The presentation will challenge the assumption that only clean, source-separated organics are viable for biogas. Viewers will walk away with a new framework for considering “waste” as a feedstock - and a roadmap for designing or retrofitting infrastructure to support landfill diversion and energy resilience, especially under tightening climate mandates.

Debris Management Before, During and After a Disaster: community perspective and participation in the hauling process to improve efficiency

This presentation will illustrate the most relevant considerations for the effective planning and participation of communities in the segregation of debris and other response and recovery after a disaster event. The rising number of disasters as well as their severity in the last decade has demonstrated the importance of planning for the collection and proper disposal of disaster debris and other materials resulting from the event. The limitations in the control of the collection process on the part of community members and the lack of education on the topic reduce the efficiencies and effectiveness in the aftermath of an event. The experiences gathered during the aftermath of hurricanes Irma and Maria that devastated Puerto Rico in fall 2017 have given us the ability to assemble a series of strategies to include the community in the planning process in the future to improve efficiencies.

In this presentation, a series of examples based on the challenges faced after hurricane Maria will be the reference point in presenting the importance of including communities write large in planning for disaster response. The impact of debris on the landfills in Puerto Rico reduced their available space/life by 2.3 years, impacting negatively the solid waste management capacity for the entire territory. According to EPA and FEMA reports, more than 8 million cubic yards of debris were removed in Puerto Rico after the 2017 hurricanes hit. Some of these materials could have been diverted and the sheer quantity reduced if the requisite planning and community participation were in place before the events happened. The presentation will emphasize the importance of proactive planning and community participation in the planning process and provide the tools and knowledge for proper forecasting and evaluation of existing facilities for the best diversion and final disposal scenarios possible.

The Economics of Waste-to-Electricity Projects

Wastewater facilities have the capacity to generate significant energy with the biomethane that is produced by food waste. This presentation will provide an in-depth look at how co-digestion of food waste and wastewater solids at Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs) can maximize biogas production, drive economic savings, and create significant local environmental benefits. Attendees will learn about innovative approaches to organics diversion, catalyzed by California’s emissions regulations. With WRRFs offering the infrastructure, expertise, and capacity to co-digest millions of tons of food waste annually, co-digestion at WRRFs has the potential to reduce landfill emissions by up to 4 million metric tons of CO2 by 2030 and generate up to $400 million per year in new revenue streams. Compared to composting, anaerobic digestion with biogas utilization can achieve up to 0.45 metric tons of CO2 emissions reduction per ton of food waste, while also producing renewable electricity and heat.

Lessons Learned for Complete PFAS Management for Landfill Leachate - Waste Concentration Followed by Destruction and Stabilization

Two comprehensive pilot studies were conducted to examine PFAS mass transport between landfills and wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), PFAS removal efficiencies, ancillary air emissions, and foamate management strategies. These studies yielded numerous novel measurements and results. The current key findings and lessons learned include:

• Foam fractionation (FF) is particularly suitable for landfills with high daily flow rates, whereas alternative technologies can be more appropriate for those with low daily flow rates. The selected technologies for these two pilot studies were based on landfill flows/conditions, regulatory requirements, and owner objectives. A comprehensive investigation was undertaken to understand PFAS cycling and mass balancing between one of the test landfills and the WWTP that receives the leachate and returns biosolids to the landfill. This investigation facilitated an understanding of the target levels and objectives for leachate treatment.
• FF can be a viable treatment technology for PFAS, particularly when regulations target long-chain compounds. FF demonstrates high effectiveness for long-chain fully fluorinated PFAS and most precursors. The correlation between removal efficiency and treatment conditions is most notable for PFPeA and PFHxA while PFBA showed negligible removal efficiency. Surfactants showed limited improvement in short-chain removal.
• Consider an air control system for the FF fractionation system. Air emissions contained significant fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOH) and detectable levels of FTCA and FASA, but negligible PFOS and PFOA. Air PFAS (excluding FTOH) contributed less than 1% of the total PFAS in leachate and FTOH made up about 20% to 25% of all PFAS in raw leachate. Activated carbon effectively removed PFAS, sulfide compounds, and VOCs from air emissions, but not ammonia.
• Foamate stabilization is an effective method to prevent PFAS from leaching back into landfills. The addition of sorbent materials (4% by weight) can reduce leachability by 99.99%. Various destruction methods, including electrooxidation, modified pyrolysis, and supercritical water, also demonstrated high efficiency in the destruction of foamate. Furthermore, the capital and operational costs associated with foamate management are being thoroughly evaluated. Overall, the management strategy for PFAS in leachate should encompass not only treatment efficiency but also a comprehensive understanding of the treatment goals, associated risks, and anticipated regulatory requirements.

Transforming Landfills into Sustainable Assets: Approaches to Carbon Sequestration & Gas Collection

Landfill carbon sequestration, alongside active gas collection, plays a crucial role in landfill sustainability and climate strategies. While methane recovery remains central, the long-term storage of organic carbon in landfills—landfill carbon sequestration—offers a valuable, often overlooked benefit. A literature review examined the evolving focus on landfill carbon sequestration over time, identifying a shift in climate policies, such as those by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), from emphasizing sequestration to prioritizing gas collection. Despite this, sequestration remains a natural and significant process within landfills.

The study reviewed key methodologies, including Solid Waste Industry for Climate Solutions Landfill Emissions Model (SWICS LEM) and EPA Waste Reduction Model (WARM) V.16, and noted decreasing attention to sequestration in recent years. In summary, while methane recovery remains a priority, the passive storage of organic carbon in landfills continues to play an essential role in understanding landfill emissions. Despite a growing emphasis on methane reduction in climate policies, the sequestration of carbon in landfills remains an important but often overlooked mechanism. This study explored the shift in focus from carbon sequestration to methane management. By understanding the evolution of these approaches, the research underscored the need to continue recognizing and accounting for carbon sequestration as a key component of landfill sustainability.

Considerations for a Successful Food Waste Anaerobic Digestion Project

This presentation outlines important factors for the implementation of food waste anaerobic digestion (AD) and biogas beneficial projects. The presentation will work through the project lifecycle, from the identification and sourcing of food waste feedstock, preliminary siting and permitting work, regulatory considerations, digester design and digestate management (use/disposal), and biogas beneficial use. Several case studies will be presented to help illustrate the presentation content contemplated herein. Feedstock Identification, Evaluation and Handling: Successful projects begin with a thorough evaluation of available food waste streams and associated economics. This includes: 

• Understanding feedstock characteristics—pumpability, stability, pH, and odor—is crucial for selecting appropriate staging, handling, and processing systems. 
• Understanding the economic drivers behind feedstock sourcing, feedstock receipt probability, facility capacity planning, and tipping fee structures.
• Analyzing total solids (TS) and volatile solids (VS) content of available feedstocks to determine energy potential for optimizing the digester design and biogas production. For example, co-digestion with other organics, such as manure or biosolids, can enhance digester stability and biogas yield.

This presentation will cover digestate management strategies including land application, the need for digestate treatment to address concerns like contamination, emerging contaminants, and new technologies. Successful projects require careful site selection and a thorough understanding of local, state, and federal permitting requirements. This includes factors such as utility infrastructure (power, water, gas), land use near the proposed facility (your neighbors), proximity to feedstock sources and off-takers, odor management strategies, and community engagement. The complexities of navigating the permitting process, including environmental impact assessments and obtaining necessary state and federal approvals, will be highlighted. Finally, we will discuss how feedstock variability impacts biogas quality and quantity, influencing decisions for how biogas treatment and beneficial uses systems are sized for optimal energy utilization.

Dry Media Adsorption for H2S Removal from Biogas

This presentation examines the application of non-regenerable dry media and alternative hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) removal technologies in treating biogas streams, with an emphasis on economic, environmental, and operational factors critical to renewable natural gas (RNG) production. Given H₂S’s toxicity, corrosiveness, and flammability, its removal is essential to meet stringent pipeline specifications and mitigate SOx emissions upon combustion. The discussion evaluates the performance characteristics of various dry media—such as activated carbon, iron hydroxide, and iron sponge—focusing on adsorption capacity, system compatibility, and disposal requirements. Wet Technologies, which include Caustic Scrubbers or Iron Chelate, as well as associated biological scrubbing methods, are also assessed for use cases where dry media may be suboptimal. Practical selection criteria are outlined, addressing site-specific parameters including flow rate, H₂S loading, oxygen concentration, and economic feasibility. Overall, the presentation highlights dry media as a versatile and scalable solution for biogas upgrading, particularly where operational simplicity and reliability are prioritized.

From Single-Use to Reusables: Advancing Sustainable Foodware Transitions in Underserved Communities through a Municipal Microgrant Program

The City of Los Angeles, through LA Sanitation & Environment (LASAN), launched an innovative Reusable Foodware Microgrant Program (Program) to advance sustainable materials management and reduce single-use plastic waste in underserved communities. With a $1 million pilot budget, the Program provided financial and technical assistance to 120 food service establishments (FSEs) in Boyle Heights, Pacoima, South Los Angeles, Wilmington, and other communities throughout the City of Los Angeles. Over 6,000 dine-in seats were transitioned from single-use disposables to durable reusables, achieving measurable waste reduction, operational savings, and community impact.

This presentation will provide a comprehensive case study on the program’s conception, implementation, and measurable outcomes. Attendees will gain insight into LASAN’s collaborative approach with non-profit organization (The Bay Foundation) and private sector consultant (APTIM), outreach strategies tailored for equity, and lessons learned in managing a first-of-its-kind municipal microgrant structure for reusable foodware. The presentation will showcase how targeted public investments can create scalable, upstream waste reduction solutions with direct community and environmental co-benefits. Additionally, the session will explore how program data is informing future policy development for expanded reusable foodware requirements, including mobile vendors and takeout operations. A moderated panel featuring project leads and implementation partners will follow the presentation, allowing for real-time audience engagement and exploration of transferability to other jurisdictions.

WECCUM: Advancing Net-Negative Emissions and Resource Recovery through Waste-to-Energy Innovation

While waste-to-energy (WtE) can be considered carbon-neutral due to the biogenic fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW) (Poretti & Stengler, 2022), enhancing proper exhaust gas treatment with post-combustion carbon capture (PCC) presents a viable pathway toward net-negative emissions. At the same time, WtE serves as a materials concentrator, opening opportunities for recovering critical compounds—such as metal and rare earth elements—from ash residues. These dual goals form the foundation of WECCUM—Waste-to-Energy Carbon Capture Urban Mining—a holistic approach to decarbonizing MSW management while advancing circular resource recovery. This poster presents the WECCUM framework across four integrated focus areas:

1. Municipal opportunity: WECCUM as a city/county-scale solution—enabling municipalities without thermal waste decomposition infrastructure to divert MSW from landfills by leveraging existing electricity and heating/cooling grids and recycling networks. The approach also explores the role of WtE in enabling landfill mining in a safer way.
2. Carbon capture integration: Assessment of PCC retrofit potential at existing WtE facilities, supported by preliminary survey findings on key operational, technical, and regulatory barriers.
3. System modeling and optimization: Application of a WtE simulation model driven by facility data (e.g., waste composition, throughput, steam and electricity production, emissions) to identify optimization strategies and decarbonization scenarios.
4. Socioeconomic impact and outlook: Exploration of job creation potential in underutilized regions—particularly in the Western U.S.—and WECCUM’s alignment with broader circular economy and urban mining strategies. This poster provides a systems-level perspective on transforming WtE into a climate-positive, resource-recovering infrastructure. It invites municipal decision-makers, industry professionals, and researchers to explore opportunities for collaboration and pilot implementation.

Gas-phase PFAS Destruction from Waste Treatment Operations

Gas-phase PFAS emissions are significant byproducts of treating PFAS-laden solids and liquids from landfills, wastewater treatment plants, and remediation processes such as foam fractionation. These emissions originate from aerosols vented from process air, volatile products of incomplete destruction of larger PFAS, or other passive transport from PFAS-laden wastes. Concomitant occupational exposure and environmental pollution resulting from atmospheric conversion to PFAS with low vapor pressures, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), necessitates the on-site destruction of gaseous PFAS to eliminate airborne exposure routes.

Guild’s durable alumina-based catalyst technology efficiently destroys gas-phase PFAS at substantially lower temperatures than those required when using high-temperature oxidation or mineralization via stoichiometric reactions with calcium oxide. Guild’s technology is a significant improvement over traditional PFAS remediation methods, as it requires less energy and provides prolonged operational lifetimes without the need for upstream PFAS concentration processes or stoichiometric reagents. The catalyst operates by sequentially breaking carbon-fluorine bonds of PFAS on the catalyst surface in the presence of water, which then scavenges fluoride and carbon surface species to generate carbon oxides and hydrofluoric acid. An additional oxidative function is included such that the only by-products of the system are carbon dioxide and hydrogen fluoride. The catalyst is effective at destroying long-chain PFAS, including 8:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (8:2 FTOH) and N-Ethyl-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)perfluorooctylsulfonamide (NEt-FOSE) and their fluorinated products of incomplete destruction. The catalyst is manufacturable at production-level quantities required to implement in practical applications. A gas-phase PFAS destruction system using this catalyst can be designed to integrate with other waste treatment equipment. The system will require a water saturator to humidify the inlet stream and remove soluble contaminants, a catalytic reactor, and a downstream scrubber to remove mineral acids before venting the treated gas. Additional required system components and controls to minimize energy inputs and ensure safe operation are regularly used in abatement systems, thus making their integration low risk. The catalyst and system’s ability to destroy a wide range of gas-phase PFAS, regardless of size or structure, is pivotal in destroying PFAS that emanate from facilities handling complex mixtures such as aqueous film-forming foams and landfill leachate.

Can we keep our pumps? Impact of dedicated sampling equipment on PFAS results

The poster will present an evaluation on the impact of existing dedicated groundwater monitoring infrastructure and equipment on the results of PFAS analyses at two closed and one active landfill in Howard County, Maryland. The Maryland Department of the Environment’s (MDE) PFAS Action Plan was issued in December 2023 and includes the monitoring of PFAS at solid waste facilities. The State’s regulatory requirements for groundwater monitoring as well as a comparison to the current regulatory requirements for PFAS in other states will be presented. An overview of the existing infrastructure and equipment, modified equipment, sampling methodologies, and analytical methods for PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA, PFBS, and HFPO-DA (commonly referred to as a GenX Chemical) will be identified, along with a comparison of analytical results and conclusions. The conclusions will include recommended updates to sampling operating procedures and equipment for both the sites evaluated as well as general considerations for other solid waste facilities where similar monitoring is required.

Rewriting the Rules: Turning Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Deposit Return Schemes (DRS) Into Growth Opportunities

The Jacobs team prepared this information originally to discuss Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Deposit Return Schemes (DRS) that are becoming central to sustainable waste management across the U.K. and Europe and how businesses can shift from regulatory compliance to long-term opportunity.

This poster will present the findings and discuss the relationship to similar approaches in North America. Global circular economy and waste management laws are rapidly evolving. These regulations are becoming more comprehensive, interconnected and ambitious in scope, moving beyond simple recycling targets to encompass entire product lifecycles and supply chains. This legislative momentum reflects growing urgency to address climate change, resource depletion, and pollution — shifting from voluntary action to mandatory, systemic approaches that involve all stakeholders in the value chain. EPR and DRS are now key tools in the U.K. and Europe’s sustainability strategies and EPR and DRS are also key tools now for sustainability strategies for several US states. They increase producer responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their products and packaging, while also incentivizing consumers to participate in recycling efforts. While some view these changes as costly or complex, they can unlock new value if approached strategically.