Glossary of Waste Words

Bring site

A place where people bring recyclable materials to a central collection point to be placed in different coloured containers called recycling banks, from where they can be collected. These are often found in supermarket car parks and are then collected by the Local Authority.

Biodegradable

Materials such as food & garden waste that, when left to itself, will be decomposed by natural processes.

Compost

A mixture of decaying organic matter, as from leaves and manure, used to improve soil and provide nutrients.

Decomposing

Where a material become broken down into components and begins to rot and decay, then finally disintegrates.

Dump

A place to discard or get rid of rubbish.

Environment

That which environs or surrounds; surrounding conditions, influences, or forces, by which living forms are influenced and modified in their growth and development.

Fly tipping

To dump (rubbish, for example) on an illegal site.

Global Warming

An increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere, especially a sustained increase sufficient to cause climatic change.

Hazardous Waste

Waste that could be harmful to humans, animals and the environment. This waste needs to be disposed of very carefully by specialist contractors.

Household Waste

Waste that is generated at home.

Incineration

The act of burning something completely; reducing it to ashes.

Kerbside recycling

This is where households put recyclable materials into boxes, bags or bins on the roadside outside their house on a given day. These are then collected by the local authority or waste contractor.

Landfill

Landfill is where most of the rubbish collected from homes in the UK is buried. The rubbish goes into large holes in the ground called landfill sites.

Litter

This is waste that is found in the environment, rather than being placed in a proper bin or other waste facility.

Materials Recovery Facility (MRF)

This is where materials are taken to be sorted and stored before being recycled.

Non biodegradable Waste

Materials that cannot be broken down naturally to be dissolved with the surrounding environment.

Organic

Any material that is, or once was, living (animal or vegetable) or was produced by a living organism.

Ozone Layer

The ozone layer is an important part of the atmosphere. It's made up of ozone (a type of oxygen) that protects the earth from too many harmful rays from the sun called UVB.

Pollution

The changing of a natural environment, either by natural or artificial means, so that the environment becomes harmful or unfit for living things.

Resources

Materials that we get from the earth to use.

Recycle

To return used products (e.g. Glass, Plastic, Paper) that would otherwise be thrown away. These are then processed into new products.

Reduce

A way to make smaller the amount of waste created such as in packaging etc.

Reuse

Instead of throwing away an item such as a glass jar, a plastic bottle or a cardboard box the item is reused again for something else or is made into something new.

Rubbish

Anything not regarded as useable which is thrown into a dustbin and taken away.

Special Waste

This is often called hazardous waste. It is usually hospital waste such as syringes etc.

Waste

See definition of rubbish earlier.

Waste Minimisation

The whole process of sending less waste to landfill and incineration. To do this we have to try to reduce, reuse or recycle waste.