CAP Waste Management & Recycling 3

Question 1

A company wants to reduce its Scope 3 Category 5 footprint. Which action would achieve the greatest GHG reduction per tonne of waste?

Accepted Answer

Diverting food waste from landfill to anaerobic digestion with biogas capture

Answer

Anaerobic digestion of food waste captures methane as biogas (an energy resource), preventing uncontrolled methane release to the atmosphere and substituting fossil fuels.

Question 2

What does the term 'biogenic carbon' refer to in the context of waste management emissions?

Accepted Answer

Carbon stored in biological materials that is part of the short-term carbon cycle

Answer

Biogenic carbon originates from biological sources (plants, food, wood) and is considered part of the natural carbon cycle, often treated separately from fossil-derived CO2 in GHG accounting.

Question 3

Which waste stream typically has the highest carbon emission factor per tonne when sent to landfill, according to the EPA WARM model?

Accepted Answer

Food scraps

Answer

Food scraps have high organic content that decomposes to methane in landfills, giving them among the highest landfill emission factors in the EPA WARM model.

Question 4

In a carbon audit, 'recycling' a material generates a GHG credit primarily because:

Accepted Answer

It avoids virgin material extraction and production emissions

Answer

Recycling displaces the need to extract and process virgin raw materials, avoiding the significant GHG emissions associated with mining, refining, and manufacturing from scratch.

Question 5

Which ISO standard provides guidance specifically on the quantification and reporting of GHG emissions and removals at the organizational level, including waste?

Accepted Answer

ISO 14064-1

Answer

ISO 14064-1 specifies principles and requirements for quantifying and reporting GHG emissions and removals at the organizational level, covering all emission sources including waste.

(CAP) Certified Carbon Auditing Professional Practice Test

(CAP) Certified Carbon Auditing Professional Practice Test

CAP Waste Management & Recycling 3