| Aerobic |
With oxygen present.
|
| Anaerobic |
Without oxygen present.
|
| Aluminum |
A metal which forms
a 12th of the earth's crust. Mined in the form of bauxite
ore where it exists primarily in combination with oxygen
as alumina. |
| Bauxite |
An ore found in soils,
often called clays, which contain aluminum metal occurring
in combination with other elements, primarily oxygen.
|
| Bimetal
Can |
A can made from two
or more metals, usually a steel body and an aluminum
top. |
| Biodegradable |
A process by which large,
complex organic molecules are broken down to smaller
inorganic molecules through the action of microorganisms.
|
| Compost |
A soil conditioning
material of decomposing organic matter which provides
nutrients and enhances soil structure; humus. |
| Composting |
A solid waste management
technique that uses natural processes to convert organic
materials to humus through the action of microorganisms.
|
| Conservation |
Planned action or nonaction
to preserve or protect living and non-living resources.
|
| Cullet |
Scrap glass broken into
small pieces. |
| Cycle |
Any round of events that forms a circle when complete by returning to the first event.
|
| Decomposer |
Microorganisms that
break down large organic molecules into smaller inorganic
molecules. |
| Ferrous |
Iron-based products,
including steel; iron is the element that gives steel
its magnetic quality. The term is derived from Latin
ferrum, meaning iron. |
| Fertilizer |
A product which adds nutrients to soil. |
| Fossil
Fuel |
Remains of plant and
animal life that are used to provide energy by combustion;
coal, oil, natural gas. |
| Fungus |
A member of a kingdom
of plantlike organisms that are incapable of photosynthesis
and function as decomposers. Common forms are molds
and mushrooms. |
| Garbage |
Discarded food waste.
|
| Glass |
A product made by melting
silica sand, soda ash and limestone; also made from
cullet. |
| Hazardous
Waste |
Waste materials that
when improperly managed may cause or significantly contribute
to serious illness or death or that may pose a substantial
threat to human health or the environment. |
| HDPE |
High density polyethylene.
A type of plastic that is commonly used in milk and
water jugs. |
| Humus |
See compost. |
| Incinerator |
A plant designed to
dispose of waste by burning it. |
| Inert Wastes |
Non-liquid (dry) solid waste including, but not limited to, soil, rock, gravel, and concrete, that does not contain hazardous waste, soluble pollutants or decomposable matter. |
| Inorganic |
Refers to small molecules
that contain no carbon. |
| Landfill |
A facility used to bury
waste in. |
| Litter |
Waste that is improperly
disposed of on the street, sidewalk, lakes and other
bodies of water, and in the general environment |
| Municipal
Solid Waste |
Garbage or refuse that
is generated by households, commercial establishments,
industrial offices or lunchrooms and sludges not regulated
as a residual or hazardous waste. This does not include
source-separated recyclables. |
 |
| Organic
Refuse |
Waste material made
from substances composed of chemical compounds of carbon
and generally manufactured in the life processes of
plants and animals. These materials include paper, wood,
food wastes, plastics, and yard wastes. |
| Packaging |
The wrapping material
around a consumer item that serves to contain, identify,
describe, protect, display, promote, and otherwise make
the product marketable and keep it clean. |
| PET |
Polyethylene terepthalate.
A type of plastic used to make soft drink bottles and
other kinds of food containers. PET is also used to
make fabric. |
| Plastic |
Man-made materials composed
of large molecules called "polymers" containing
primarily carbon and hydrogen with lesser amounts of
oxygen and nitrogen. |
| Pollution |
Contamination of air,
soil, or water with harmful substances. |
| Polymer |
A large molecule made
up of repeating units of smaller molecules. Used to
form plastic substances. |
| Polystyrene |
A type of plastic made
of styrene may be inflated with a gas to produce polystyrene
foam. Foamed products no longer contain chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs). |
| Post-consumer
Waste |
Material or product
used by the consumer for its original purpose and then
discarded. |
| Pre-consumer
Waste |
Waste material generated
during the manufacturing process. |
| Recycle |
The process of collecting
and manufacturing of reclaimed materials from waste.
|
| Recycling
Center |
A place where recyclables
are collected and processed (such as separation and
baling) in preparation for market. |
| Refuse |
Waste that includes
garbage, trash, and scrap. |
| Sanitary
Landfill |
A landfill that has
been designed and engineered to accept municipal waste
while ensuring minimal negative impact upon the environment.
|
| Scrap |
Products that have completed
their useful life, such as appliances, cars, construction
materials, ships, and post-consumer steel cans; also
includes new scrap materials that result as by-products
when metals are processed and products are manufactured.
Steel scrap is recycled in steel mills to make new steel
products. |
| Source
Separated Material |
Recyclable material
separated at the source such as a household or business,
for the purpose of collection and marketing. |
| Steel |
A malleable alloy of
iron and carbon that is 100% recyclable and usually
has recycled content. It is used to make automobiles,
appliances, and food cans. In fact, steel is the most
recycled product in the world on both an industrial
and home usage scale. |
| Styrofoam® |
The trade name given
to a polystyrene foam product made by Dow Chemical Company.
|
| Transfer
Station |
A facility where waste
is taken by small collection vehicles and loaded into
larger vehicles for transport to a landfill or incinerator.
|
| Trash |
Worthless or discarded
material or objects; refuse. |
| Waste
Reduction |
Decreasing the amount
of waste at its source. |
| Waste
Stream |
A general term used
to denote the waste material output of an area, location,
or facility. |
| Yard
Waste |
Grass clippings, leaves,
trimmings, garden residue. |
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