The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) has published the state鈥檚 2024 Waste Characterization Study. This is the first statewide waste study conducted for New Hampshire, thanks to an EPA Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grant awarded to NHDES.
MSW Consultants, LLC conducted the study during 2024, to evaluate the composition of municipal solid waste (MSW) and construction and demolition debris (C&D) disposed by New Hampshire鈥檚 residents, businesses and institutions. The study involved analyzing representative samples of MSW and C&D from select facilities within New Hampshire, to determine the composition of the targeted waste streams. Understanding the types of waste disposed and managed in New Hampshire will improve state and local planning for solid waste management.
New Hampshire鈥檚 2022 Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP) identified the need for a聽waste characterization study to better understand the composition of New Hampshire鈥檚 waste streams. The SWMP includes goals, strategies, and actions to encourage source reduction and increase diversion in order to achieve the state鈥檚 solid waste disposal reduction goal in RSA 149-M:2. State-specific data from a waste characterization study is foundational to many of the actions in the SWMP and is needed to inform which waste types should be prioritized for waste reduction and diversion. The results of the study can be used by NHDES, the legislature, and interested stakeholders to enact more sustainable waste policies that help us meet our state goals.
The study results indicate that organics, paper, and plastic make up the largest portions of our overall MSW disposed in landfills and incinerators, by weight. The report provides a detailed breakdown of 77 material categories found in the MSW stream and also compares the composition of residential vs. industrial/commercial/institutional MSW. For the C&D stream, the report identified 40 material categories, with wood and asphalt shingles among the most prevalent materials by weight.
Using the EPA Waste Reduction Model, the report estimates that recycling New Hampshire鈥檚 currently disposed recyclable materials, plus composting the currently disposed food and yard waste, would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 400,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2E). Additionally, MSW Consultants calculated that the recyclables disposed in New Hampshire were valued at over $23 million, based on average 2024 commodity values. However, material market prices fluctuate based on supply and demand, so this valuation is only a moment-in-time snapshot.