Attributional Life Cycle Assessment: Emissions, Greenhouse Gas, and Costs for Palm Fronds Attributed to the City of Phoenix

Urban landscaping palm tree waste in the form of palm frond trimmings and bark shavings that is currently handled as municipal solid waste by the City of Phoenix and other major municipalities can be handled in more cost effective ways and lead to reductions in emissions and greenhouse gases. While many cities have green organics collection and diversion programs, they always exclude palm tree waste due to its unique properties. As a result, an unknown tonnage of palm tree waste is annually landfilled as municipal solid waste. Additionally, as the tonnage is unknown, so are the associated emissions, greenhouse gases, and costs. An attributional lifecycle assessment was conducted in the City of Phoenix from the perspective responsibility of the City of Phoenix’s Public Works Department.