Recycling Dictionary
RECYCLING GLOSSARY
BALE: A compacted and bound cube of recycled material.
BIODEGRADABLE: Able to break down or decompose rapidly under natural conditions and processes.
COMPOST: A mixture of garbage, degradable trash and soil in which bacteria in the soil break down the mixture into a soil conditioner (not a fertilizer). It has high organic content but low nitrogen.
E-WASTE: Electronic equipment such as computers, printers, televisions, etc.
GRADING: Rating of waste or recyclable materials into homogenous categories by type and quality.
HAZARDOUS WASTE: corrosive, toxic, flammable and reactive substances that pose a threat to public health, safety and the environment. Hazardous materials include ni-cad batteries, oil-based paint, used motor oil and other automotive fluids, electronics, many pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, pool chemicals, solvents, fertilizers, fluorescent lamps, wood preservatives, HEC3, and mobile collections for disposal.
HUMUS: The substance which results from decay of plant or animal matter. Biodegradable matters form humus as they decompose
LANDFILL: A private or municipal site where non-hazardous solid or municipal waste is buried
LEACHING: Process by which soluble materials are dissolved and carried through the soil by a percolating liquid.
LINER: Barrier designed to prevent the leaching of contents from a landfill. Commonly comprised of plastic or dense clay.
MULCHING: The natural and gradual decomposition of dead organic matter that has been evenly distributed in a thin layer on the ground.
OZONE DEPLETION: Destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer of the earth's atmosphere due to the release of chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, into the environment.
PHOTODEGRADABLE: A process where ultraviolet radiation degrades the chemical bond or link in the polymer or chemical structure of a plastic.
PLASTICS:
• PET (coded #1) – polyethylene terephthalate, a common plastic resin used in beverage containers;
• HDPE (coded #2) – high-density polyethylene, a resin commonly used for milk and water jugs, plastic grocery and trash bags;
• PVC or V (coded #3) - polyvinyl chloride or vinyl, used for film, plumbing pipes and auto products;
• LDPE (coded #4) - low-density polyethylene, commonly used in bread and frozen food bags, dairy container lids caps;
• PP (coded #5) – polypropylene, used for food wraps, yogurt cups, margarine lids, many non-food items;
• PS (coded #6) – polystyrene, used for foam meat trays, coffee cups, egg cartons, fast food containers;
• Other (coded #7) – all other plastics such as multi-layer packaging, polycarbonate and ABS, often used to make durable goods like cookware, lamp housings, name plates, automotive trim, bathtubs and computer housings.
RECYCLING : Process by which materials that would otherwise become solid waste are collected, separated or processed and returned to the economic mainstream to be reused in the form of raw materials or finished goods.
REUSE: To use a product repeatedly in the same form (e.g.: glass bottles, cloth diapers).
SOLID WASTE: Nonsoluble, discarded solid materials, including sewage sludge, municipal garbage, industrial wastes, agricultural refuse, demolition wastes and mining residues
VERMICOMPOSTING: The process whereby worms feed on slowly decomposing materials (e.g., vegetable scraps and paper) in a controlled environment to produce a nutrient-rich soil amendment.
WASTE REDUCTION: The prevention of waste at its source
WHITE GOODS : large enamelled appliances (washers, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers, air conditioners, etc.).
YARD WASTE (YW): Leaves, grass clippings and other organic wastes produced as part of yard and garden development and maintenance.
