Waste Words Glossary

3Rs
The short way of saying Reduce Reuse Recycle

Agenda 21
An international agreement to reduce the impact of the human race on the world’s environment

Biodegradable waste
This is waste that breaks down or rots naturally when attacked by bacteria. Other kinds of waste are said to be non-biodegradable

Bring site
The place where people bring recyclables to be placed in special containers from where they will be collected for recycling

Compost
This is created by the controlled breakdown of biodegradable material such as garden and kitchen waste. It can be used to improve soil structure and nutrient levels without the need for artificial fertilizers and peat-based composts

Domestic Waste
Waste which comes from homes – also known as household waste

Energy from Waste
Energy contained in waste is used to generate power and heat while reducing the amount of waste. Examples are incineration used to provide heat to nearby buildings and methane gas from landfill sites used to generate electricity – also known as energy recovery

Fly-tipping
The illegal dumping of rubbish in unauthorised places

Greenhouse Gas
This is a gas that absorbs heat and therefore contributes to the warming of the Earth’s atmosphere (the ‘greenhouse effect’). Examples of greenhouse gasses include water vapour, carbon dioxide and methane

Hazardous Waste
Hazardous waste is waste that is potentially hazardous to humans, other living things and the environment and so needs to be carefully disposed of. Examples of hazardous waste include asbestos and poisons – also called Special Waste

Incineration
Incineration is getting rid of waste by burning it at high temperatures. Around 9% of UK waste is incinerated

Kerbside recycling
Also known as collect schemes these are schemes where households put recyclable material in special containers on the roadside outside their homes for collection by the Local Authority or a waste contractor

Landfill
Most rubbish collected from homes in the UK is buried in large holes in the ground (often old quarries) called Landfill sites. Most of our current sites are nearly full and we are rapidly running out of suitable land to create more

Landfill Tax
A tax on every tonne of waste sent to landfill sites. The tax is designed to reduce the amount of rubbish sent to landfill by increasing the amount of waste being reduced, reused and recycled

Leachate
Liquid consisting of a mixture of rainwater and rotten organic materials which drains from a landfill site

Litter
Waste (usually paper, plastic and glass) thrown around in the environment rather than being placed in a proper bin or other waste facility. Not all waste is litter but all litter is waste

Materials Reclamation Facility (MRF)
Often pronounced ‘murf’ this is a place where materials are taken to be sorted and stored before they are sent to be recycled

Methane
A gas given off by landfill sites which is both highly inflammable and a major contributor to global warming

Mobius Loop
A logo meaning that something can either be recycled or that is made from recycled material

Natural Resources
Substances of use to humans that are derived either from the Earth e.g. coal, oil or metal ores or from living things

Organic Waste
Waste derived from plants and animals makes up about 20% of the weight of the average household bin

Pollution
Putting poisonous or other harmful substances into the environment

Raw Materials
The basic resource used to make materials and products

Recycling
Using things that have already been used to make new things

Reducing
Avoiding creating waste in the first place is even better than reusing or recycling

Refillable
Something e.g. a bottle can be filled again rather than being thrown away when it is empty

Resources
A general word for things and materials that we obtain from the Earth

Resources can be classified in 2 ways:

• Renewable resources can replace themselves over a fairly short timescale e.g. water in a reservoir
• Non-renewable resources can either never be replaced or take a very long time to replace e.g. coal

Reuse
Use something again either for the same purpose or for something completely different

Rubbish
Anything we think we no longer have a use for so throw away. It means much the same as Waste but not the same as Litter

Sustainable Development
Finding ways to meet the needs of the present generation without damaging the environment or preventing future generations from being able to meet their own needs

Toxic Waste
Waste that is poisonous to humans or other living things

Waste
Anything we think we no longer have a use for and so throw away

Waste Hierarchy
Describes the way in which some ways of dealing with waste are better for the environment than others. Reduction is the best option followed by reuse then if neither is possible recycle. Disposal through landfill or incineration should only be a last resort

Waste Transfer Station
A place where waste is separated or ‘bulked up’ before being taken for recovery or disposal

Wormery
A container specially designed to allow worms to break down organic waste and turn it into compost and liquid fertiliser

Waste Minimisation
A term which refers to the whole process of sending less waste to landfill and incineration by finding ways to reduce, reuse and recycle it