Vecoplan Recycling Glossary
ABATEMENT
The reduction in landfill pollution by source
reduction and waste recycling.
ABC
Aluminum Beverage cans.
ABS
Acrylonitrile butiadene styrene.
AC
Aerosol cans.
AERATION
The process of exposing compost material to
air.
AL
Aluminum.
AP
Auto parts.
ASB
Asbestos.
ASPH
Asphalt.
BA
Brass.
BACK-END SYSTEM
Any of several processes for recovering
resources from the organic portion of the waste stream (Ex.: Fluid
bed incineration; Pyrolysis; Composting; Combustion; Fiber
reclamation).
BALE
A compacted and bound cube of recycled
material.
BALER
Equipment that compacts and binds recyclable
materials to reduce volume and transportation costs. (BALING).
BENEFICATION
The mechanical processing of waste glass to
decontaminate it and crush it to a more uniform size.
BIAS PLY CONSTRUCTION
A tire building method consisting of a casing
built using multiple layers of textile laid diagonally across the
run of the tire.
BIMETAL CAN (BI-METAL)
A food or beverage can with a steel body and an
aluminum lid: it is 100% recyclable by the steel industry.
BIODEGRADABLE
Able to break down or decompose rapidly under
natural conditions and processes.
BIOLOGICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD)
The amount of oxygen needed for aerobic
microorganisms to function in organic-rich water such as
sewage.
BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT
Technology that uses bacteria to consume waste/
organic materials.
BIOMASS
The total mass of living matter within a given unit of
environmental area. Biomass is plant matter such as trees, grasses,
agricultural crops or other biological material. It can be used as
a solid fuel, or converted into liquid or gaseous forms, for the
production of electric power, heat, chemicals, or fuels. By
integrating a variety of biomass conversion processes, all of these
products can be made in one facility, called a bio-refinery.
BLEACHING
Method used in the paper-making process to
produce a bright white paper sheet. It produces dioxins.
BO
Bronze.
BOD
See: Biological oxygen demand.
BOTTLE BANK
Containers meant to receive beverage bottles
which people drop off to be recycled.
BOTTLE BILL
A law requiring deposits on beverage
containers.
BOXBOARD
Paperboard used for fabricating boxes. Different
boxboard grades are classified as to the composition of the top
liner, filler (middle layer), and back liner. It includes folding
b-- (cereal boxes), setup b-- (shoe boxes), and foodboard (milk
cartons).
BRGL
Brown glass.
BRK
Bricks.
BROKE
Paper that has been discarded anywhere in the
process of manufacture in the paper mill.
BROWN GOODS
Obsolete electronic products, such as radios and
televisions.
BT
Automotive batteries.
BUY-BACK CENTER
A recycling facility that purchases small
amounts of secondary materials from the public.
CAPTURE RATE
The percentage of generated secondary materials
actually recovered from a household or business.
CARCASS
The foundation structure of a tire, including
sidewalls, bead and cord.
CC
Catalytic converters.
C & D Debris
Waste generated from either the construction or
demolition process consisting mainly of wood, masonry, concrete,
drywall, paper, asphalt shingles, metal, ceramics, wiring/cable,
and miscellaneous other building materials. Many areas have special
MRFs and landfills for C & D waste.
CELLULOSE INSULATION
Insulation commonly used in construction and
manufactured from waste paper (primarily newsprint) processing,
with the addition of chemicals acting as retardants to fire or
fibre breakdown.
CHBD
Chipboard.
CHIPPER
A chipper is pretty much strictly for wood
applications, used primarily
to produce wood “chips” typically used in pulp and paper production
as well as particle board and MDF production. These applications
require a fairly precise “chip size”. Here again, chippers are
high-speed processing units with actual “blades” that cut the
lumber into chips at a specific size. (Vecoplan also manufactures
chippers).
CHLOROFLUOROCARBONS (CFCs)
Family of inert, nontoxic and easily liquified
chemicals manufactured for use as coolants, cleaning solvents,
plastic, aerosol propellants and foam insulation.
CLGL
Clear glass.
CO
Copper.
CO-COLLECTION
The collection of bagged recyclables together
with other municipal garbage, separated later for recycling or
disposal.
COMMINGLED
Mixed recyclables that are collected or
processed together.
COMMINUTION
Mechanical shredding or pulverizing of waste;
used in solid and water waste treatment.
COMPACTOR
Equipment that densifies recyclable material and
contains it under pressure, not allowing it to expand until it is
unloaded.
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.
CONC
Concrete.
CONTAINERBOARD
The component materials used in the fabrication
of corrugated cardboard.
CONVEYOR
A type of bulk material handling device designed to
transport product from one point to another. Types include belt
conveyors, paddle conveyors, vibration conveyors, etc.
CORRUGATED CARDBOARD, OLD (OCC)
Unbleached, unwaxed kraft paper with ruffled
inner liner. A recyclable material used to manufacture cardboard
boxes.
COS
Computer scrap.
CPO
Computer print out paper.
CPT
Carpet.
CPTF
Carpet, foam padding.
CRADLE-TO-GRAVE
A system that handles solid waste from creation
through disposal.
CRUMB RUBBER
Ground or shredded rubber.
CRUSHER
A mechanical device used to break secondary
materials into smaller pieces.
CRYOGENIC SIZE REDUCTION
Process in which flexible substances are made
brittle by cooling to extremely low temperatures, using liquid
nitrogen and ground rubber.
CSPE-R
Chlorosulforated polyethylene.
CULLET
Crushed glass which can be added to a batch of
new materials in the manufacturing of new glass products. It
increases the rate of heat gain by batch and reduces fuel costs.
Domestic c-- if produced in house during the manufacturing process.
Foreign c-- if it comes from an external source.
DEGRADABILITY
Ability of materials to break down, by bacterial
(biodegradable) or ultraviolet (photodegradable) action.
DEINKING
A process that removes inks, dyes or other
contaminants from collected wastepaper.
DETINNER
A company that buys tin mill products, removes
the tin through appropriate processes and sells the detinned steel,
to steel mills and foundries and the recovered tin on the tin
market.
DIOXIN
Chlorinated organic compound: a by-product of
the paper-making process that uses chlorine as a bleaching agent.
Dioxins can be released into the atmosphere through the
incineration of chlorinated paper. They are believed to be highly
toxic to humans,
DIVERSION CREDITS
A financial incentive provided to municipalities
or private recycling operations based on the tonnage diverted from
the waste stream.
DOCUMENT DESTRUCTION
All businesses have occasion to discard confidential
data. Customers lists, price lists, sales statistics, drafts of
bids and correspondence, and even memos, contain information about
business activity which would interest any competitor. Every
business is also entrusted with information that must be kept
private. Employees and customers have the legal right to have this
data protected. Without the proper safeguards, information ends up
in the dumpster where it is readily, and legally, available to
anybody. The trash is considered by business espionage
professionals as the single most available source of competitive
and private information from the average business. Any
establishment that discards private and proprietary data without
the benefit of destruction, exposes itself to the risk of criminal
and civil prosecution, as well as the costly loss of business.
Secure destruction of confidential materials in no longer just
common sense, it’s also mandated by many state and federal
laws.
DUMP-AND-RUN
A term used to describe the ability to load bulk
or bulky material into a shredder without the need to pre-process
or sort the material prior to shredding.
ELASTOMER
A material which can be stretched at room
temperature to at least twice its size and upon release of the
stress, will return to approximately its original lenght.
ENERGY FROM WASTE
A recognized alternative process to reduction or
recovery of recyclable materials wich are not currently
economical.
E-SCRAP
Electronic scrap. Separated basic materials from
demanufactured computer and electronic equipment (ie circuit
boards, copper wire, aluminum, steel, plastic, etc.)
EXOTHERMICS
Materials used to generate heat in chemical or
other processes.
FD
Fiber drums.
FERROUS METALS (FE)
magnetic metals which are predominantly composed
of iron.
FLB
Fluorescent light bulbs.
FLOW CONTROL LAW
Local ordinance controlling, or giving a
municipal official authority to control, the collection and/or
disposal of municipal solid waste produced in a specific
geographical area.
FORCED DEPOSIT
Requires a monetary deposit on beverage
containers which is returned to the consumer when the containers
are returned to the retailer.
FLY ASH
A fine residue, left after trash is burned in an
incinerator, which can be carried in the air. It can contain
harmful or toxic substances such as dioxins, lead and mercury.
FR
Freon.
FRONT END SEPARATION
A system in which certain materials removed from
the waste stream are directed toward a specific recovery system
such as recycling or waste to energy incineration.
FSB
Ferrous steel beams only.
GAYLORD CONTAINER
The trade name for a large, reusable corrugated
container used for shipping materials.
GL
Glass, all grades.
GLASPHALT
A trade name for highway paving material in
which recovered ground glass replaces some of the gravel normally
used in asphalt.
GRADING
Rating of waste or recyclable materials into
homogenous categories by type and quality.
GRANULATOR
A grinder that takes material down to a very
fine, consistent particle size - usually a term used in the
plastics industry. For example, a company may use our “grinders”
to take very large scrap (several-hundred pound chunks or
plastic blobs - called “purgings”) to reduce the size of those
“blobs” to, say, 2 - 4 inch chunks, these chunks are then fed into
a granulator to be further processed to 1/4” chunks - small enough
to be re-introduced into the molding machines, melted, and formed
into final product. Granulators are typically high-speed systems
with actual knives that chop the material up into very small,
consistent particles - and the discharge is usually screened to
ensure that particle size, but they can’t handle large pieces of
scrap - this is where our grinders come in.
GREEN WASTE
Green waste includes the yard trimmings, leaves,
shrubs, plants, grass, street trees, or tree trunks, park trees or
tree trunks etc. that arise from households, Council parks and
garden maintenance, and commercial premises.
GRGL
Green glass.
GRINDING
A size reduction technique that usually utilizes
a series of rollers.
GYP
Gypsum, wallboard, drywall.
HAMMER MILL
A high-speed size reduction mill for pulverizing an
array of raw and waste materials for process or recovery. Utilizes
a series of swinging hammers for cutting material.
HBT
Household batteries.
HDPE
See: High density polyethylene.
HEAVY METALS
Elements, including cadmium, mercury, lead and
arsenic which may be found in the waste stream as part of discarded
items (batteries, lighting fixtures, colorants, ink).
HIGH DENSITY POLYETHYLENE (HDPE)
Used to make plastic bottles, milk cartons and
other products. It produces toxic fumes when burned. Often referred
to as No.2 Plastic.
HIGH GRADE PAPER (HG)
Relatively valuable types of paper such as
computer printout, white ledger and tab cards.
HUMUS
The substance which results from decay of plant
or animal matter. Biodegradable matters form humus as they
decompose.
HZW
Hazardous waste.
INDUSTRIAL SHREDDERS
Heavy-duty machines for destruction or size
reduction of large, industrial materials
INTEGRATED SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
recommendation that promotes solid waste management through an
integrated system that uses resource reduction, recycling, waste to
energy incineration and landfilling to manage the reclamation,
reuse or disposal of plastics in the waste stream.
INTENSIVE RECYCLING
A concept promoted by opponents of waste to
energy systems, whereby municipal recycling efforts target all
recyclables in the waste stream.
INTERMEDIATE PROCESSING CENTER (IPC)
Facility that separates, cleans and bails or
packages materials for sale to manufacturers or brokers. See also:
MRF.
KFT
Kraft paper.
LANDFILL
A private or municipal site where non-hazardous
solid or municipal waste is buried.
LB
Light bulbs.
LD
Lead.
LDPE
See: Low density polyethylene.
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.
LINERBOARD
A paperboard used as the facing material in the
production of corrugated shipping containers. See also: Test
Linerboard.
LLDPE
Linear low density polyethylene.
LOW DENSITY POLYETHYLENE (LDPE)
Often referred as No.4 Plastic.
LOW GRADE PAPER (LG)
Less valuable types of paper such as mixed
office paper, corrugated cardboard and newspaper.
MA
Magnesium.
MATERIALS RECOVERY FACILITY (MRF)
A recycling facility that sorts and processes
collected mixed recyclables into individual streams for market.
Also known as an intermidiate processing center (IPC).
MDPE
Medium density polyethylene.
ME
Mercury.
MIDDEN
A pit in which trash or garbage is buried.
Usually only organic garbage.
MILL BROKE
Waste paper produced by mills during the paper
making process that has traditionally been reused in manufacturing
paper. It cannot be considered in the recycled content according to
U.S. EPA guidelines.
MINIMUM RECYCLED CONTENT LAWS
Laws requiring a product or type of packaging to
contain a certain percentage of recycled material.
MJC
Milk, juice cartons.
MLR
Multi layered resins.
MOBILE SHREDDER
Shredders designed to be portable - transported
to where the material is instead of bringing the material to the
shredder.
MRF
See: Materials recovery facility.
MSW
See: Municipal solid waste.
MULCHING
The natural and gradual decomposition of dead
organic matter that has been evenly distributed in a thin layer on
the ground.
MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE (MSW)
Residential and commercial trash and/or garbage
generated by a particular municipal area.
MW
Medical waste.
MWP
Mixed waste paper.
NEW SCRAP
Material which is discarded during a
manufacturing or processing operation and which cannot be directly
fed back to that operation.
NEWSPRINT
Alternate term for the low grade paper used to
make newspaper.
NI
Nickel.
NON FERROUS SCRAP METALS (NF)
Metals which contain no iron, such as aluminum,
copper, brass and bronze.
NORYL
Plastics noryl.
NPC
Nylon polycarbonate.
OCC
See: Corrugated cardboard, old.
OF
Oil filters.
OFFICE PAPER
Waste paper generated by offices, including
stationery, photocopy and computer paper.
OMG
Old magazines.
ONP
Old newspapers.
OWM
Oil water mixture.
OZONE DEPLETION
Destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer of
the earth’s athmosphere due to the release of chlorofluorocarbons,
or CFCs, into the environment.
PA
Paper, all grades.
PAPERBOARD
General term for heavyweight grades of paper
that are used for containers, boxes, cartons and packaging
materials. It is divided into: Containerboard, Boxboard and Other
Paperboard.
PAPER GRADES
Paper may be defined in terms of its use. Each grade
serves a purpose, usually suggested by its grade name. Some of the
most common classifications of printing papers are bond, coated,
text, cover, book, offset, index, label, tag, newsprint, and
writing.
PAPER SHREDDER
Machines designed for the size reduction of
paper products and for destruction of confidential documents for
security purposes. The most basic form of this type of machine is a
strip shredder, which cuts the documents into strips. Strip
shredders do not offer much security, as the resulting strips can
be re-assembled with relative ease. A step above strip shredding is
“cross shredding”. In essence, a cross shredding system consists of
two strip shredders - one that cuts the documents in one direction,
and a second strip shredder that cuts the documents in the other
direction, resulting in a series of rectangular pieces. Although
more secure than strip shredding, cross shredding still has its
weak points. For one, the resulting pieces are still large enough
for personal information to be legible - such as a bank account
number. Second, cross shredding doesn’t disarrange documents as
they are shredded. The most secure paper shredders, such as rotary
shredders, offer ideal security in several ways. Rotary shredders
disarrange material while shredding. Shred size is controlled via a
screened discharge, allowing the user to pre-determine and control
the size of the end result, as well as easily change the shred
size. Rotary shredders also require no metering or pre-sorting,
material such as metal binder rings, full bound books, etc. are
easily shred without fear of damaging the cutting knives or jamming
the machine. Other conventional, but outdated, typed of paper
shredders include the “pierce & tear” variety, which are a
variation of dual-shaft shear shredders.
PAPER STOCK
Scrap or waste papers that have been sorted and
baled into specific grades. It is commonly used interchangeably
with the term waste paper.
PC
Polycarbonate.
PE
Polyethylene.
PD
Plastic drums.
PERFORATOR/FLATTENER
Equipment that perforates and flattens material,
then ejects it into a receptacle or processor. Used to prevent
plastic bottles from expanding after flattening.
PET
See: Polyethylene terephthalate.
PG
Plate glass.
PHOTODEGRADABLE
A process where ultraviolet radiation degrades
the chemical bond or link in the polymer or chemical structure of a
plastic. See also: Degradability.
PL
Plastic, all grades.
PLASTIC GRINDER
Machines such as granulators used for precise
size reduction of plastic materials, primarily for re-use.
PLASTIC SHREDDER
Machines designed for size reduction of various
plastics.
PM
Precious metals.
POLYETHYLENE TERAPHTHALATE (PET)
A type of plastic that is clear or colored
transparent with high gloss. It is used for carbonated beverage
bottles and some household cleanser containers. Often referred to
as No. 1 Plastic.
POLYPROPILENE (PP)
Plastic with a smooth surface that cracks easily
when bent and is difficult to scratch. Typical uses are: battery
cases, dairy tubs, jar lids, straws and syrup bottles. It is hard
to collect in marketable quantities for recycling and has limited
uses in its recycled form. Often referred to as No. 5 Plastic.
POLYSTYRENE (PS)
Plastic with a smooth surface that cracks easily
when bent. Used for fast food packaging, styrofoam cups and packing
peanuts, it takes up a large part of landfill space because of its
bulk. Often referred to as No. 6 Plastic.
POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC)
Environmentally indestructible plastic that
releases toxic hydrocloric acid when burned. It is used for food
wraps and containers for personal care products. Often referred to
as V-3 or No. 3 Plastic.
POST CONSUMER MATERIAL
Any household or commercial product which has
served its original, intended use.
POST INDUSTRIAL MATERIAL
Industrial manufacturing scrap.
PP
See: Polypropylene.
PRE-CONSUMER WASTE
Waste produced by converting or printing
operations and includes any scraps, trimmings, overruns, etc.
PRECYCLE
Source reduction option whereby evaluation and
selection of items for purchase is dependent upon method of
manufacture, product content and recyclability of product after
consumer use.
PS
See: Polystyrene.
PVC
See: Polyvinyl chloride.
PW
Papermill waste.
PYROLYSIS
A process of producing fuels from waste by
heating it in an oxygen-deficient atmosphere.
RB
Rubber, all grades.
RBC
Rubber crumbs.
RBF
Rubber buffings.
RBIT
Rubber inner tubes.
RBS
Rubber, shredded tires.
RBT
Rubber, used tires.
RD
Radiators.
RDF
See: Refuse derived fuel.
RECLAIMER
A company that processes post-consumer materials
into new products. See also: Reprocessing.
RECLAMATION
See: Refuse reclamation.
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.
RECYCLING EQUIPMENT
Any machinery or electronics designed for use in
the recycling industry. This includes shredders, grinders,
granulators, conveying equipment, separation equipment, washing
equipment, extrusion equipment, bulk loading and unloading
equipment.
RECYCLING EQUIPMENTSHREDDING TRUCK
Trucks equipped with a shredder, typically used
in the document destruction industry. They allow secure document
destruction “on-site”.
REDEMPTION
To turn in a secondary material to the original
supplier.
REDUCTION
See: Source reduction.
REFUSE DERIVED FUEL (RDF)
Fuel produced by separating, shredding and
processing mixed wastes.
REFUSE RECLAMATION
Transformation of solid waste into useful
products, such as soil conditioners or recycled materials.
REGRIND
Ground up recyclable plastics.
REMANUFACTURING
The process of disassembly and reassembly of
products during which time parts are cleaned, repaired or
replaced.
REPROCESSING
Operation of reforming reclaimed materials into
new products.
RESOURCE RECOVERY
Any process of obtaining matter or energy from
materials formerly discarded.
RETREADING
The process of removing a worn tread and placing
a new tread on an undamaged tire casing.
REUSE
To use a product repeteadly in the same form
(e.g.: glass bottles, cloth diapers).
RS
Railscrap.
RUBBER ASPHALT
A product that combines ground-up scrap tires
and asphalt. It is primarily used in highway, airport runway and
street projects as a stress-absorbing membrane interlayer.
RUBBISH
Solid waste that does not contain food
waste.
SALVAGE
The act of obtaining a secondary material
through collection, sorting, etc.
SC
Steel cans.
SCRAP
That portion of solid waste which can be
economically recycled.
SD
Steel drums.
SECONDARY MATERIAL
See: Post consumer material; Post industrial
material.
SEPARATION
See: Source separation.
SG
Specialty grades, paper.
SHREDDER
Equipment that is built for size reduction of waste -
they can be single-shaft, dual-shaft, or several-shafts. They can
be low speed, utilizing multiple rotors with “shredding” teeth that
grab material and rip it apart, with a series of evenly spaced
cutting knives that cut material as it passes through (such
as traditional paper shredders). The final shred size is pretty
much determined by the knife assembly With the exception of most
paper shredders, this type of machinery will accept very large
chunks of scrap. Our primary machinery can be called a “shredder”,
because it can do the same job but with a few additional
benefits.
SHREDDING
Size reduction by shearing action.
SHREDDING EQUIPMENT
Machinery designed for the destruction or size
reduction and material handling of various materials. This includes
conveying systems, metering systems, control interfaces, separation
equipment and, of course, shredders
SHREDDING TRUCK
Trucks equipped with a shredder, typically used
in the document destruction industry. They allow secure document
destruction “on-site”.
SHT
Stainless, high temperature steel.
SINGLE-STREAM RECYCLING
Single stream means one collection container for all paper, glass,
metal and plastic recyclables. The materials are then separated and
processed at a MRF and sold to end-markets.
SM
Special metals.
SOLID WASTE
Nonsoluble, discarded solid materials, including
sewage sludge, municipal garbage, industrial wastes, agricultural
refuse, demolition wastes and mining residues.
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
The handling of activities which provide for the
collection, separation, storage, transport, transfer, processing,
recycling, incineration, treatment and disposal of solid waste.
SOURCE REDUCTION
Reducing the quantity of waste which in turn
lessens the amount of material that enters the waste stream.
SOURCE SEPARATION
The sorting of specific waste materials prior to
their collection or deposition into a collection container.
SPECIAL WASTES
Any waste requiring special handling such as
scrap tires, used motor oil, hospital wastes or household hazardous
wastes.
STEEL CAN
A rigid container made exclusively or primarily
of steel. It is 100% recyclable.
SWEATING FURNACES
Furnace in which metals are separated by melting
at different temperatures.
TB
Telephone books.
TEST LINERBOARD
Linerboard that is made exclusively out of
recycled materials such as double-lined kraft cuttings and old
corrugated containers.
TF
Tin foil.
THERMOPLASTICS (TPO)
Plastics which can be reformed repeteadly by
application of heat and pressure.
THERMOSETS
Plastics which once molded cannot be reformed
using heat or pressure.
TI
Titanium.
TIN CAN
A term sometimes used to describe a steel food
can. Technological developments have allowed for the tin coating on
a can to become progressively thinner, to the point that tin now
represents less than one percent of the weight of a steel can.
TIPPING FEE
Charge for the unloading or dumping of waste at
a recycling facility, composting facility, landfill, transfer
station or waste to energy facility.
TP
Truck parts.
TPO
See: Thermoplastics.
TS
Tin (metal).
TX
Textiles, all grades.
TXC
Textiles, cotton.
TXJ
Textiles, jute.
TXN
Textiles, nonwoven.
TXR
Textiles, wiping rags.
TXS
Textiles, synthetic.
TXU
Textiles, used clothing.
TXW
Textiles, wool.
UBC
Used beverage containers.
USBC
Used steel beverage containers.
UST
Underground storage tanks.
V-3
See: PVC.
VOLUME REDUCTION
Processing waste materials to decrease the
amount of space the materials occupy. It is accomplished by
mechanical, thermal or biological means.
VULCANIZATION OF RUBBER
A chemical reaction of sulphur with rubber to
cause cross-linking of the polymer chain which increases strenght
and resiliency of rubber.
WASTE
Unwanted materials remaining from manufacturing
processes, or refuse from humans and animals.
WASTE EXCHANGE
The use by one company of an industrial waste
generated by another firm.
WASTE GRINDER
Grinders (specifically single-shaft rotary
grinders (aka advanced shredders), offer the best of all worlds.
They have a screened discharge, which makes them very much like a
granulator in that the final particle size can be controlled and/or
altered, and yet they have a large infeed hopper which allows them
to process very large pieces of scrap. They can do the job of a
paper shredder, only better - the particle size is controlled, plus
there is the flexibility to process more than just paper - CDs,
hard drives, full computers, bowling balls, etc - they are the true
“dump-and-ruin” solution for waste processing.
WASTE RECYCLING
A method of recovering waste as resources. It
includes the reuse of wastes or the collection and treatment of a
waste product for use as a replacement of all or part of the raw
material in the manufacturing process.
WASTE REDUCTION
The prevention of waste at its source. See also:
Source reduction.
WASTE STREAM
The flow of waste material from generation to
disposal.
WASTE TO ENERGY INCINERATION
An alternative process to reduction or recovery
of recyclable materials which are not currently economical.
WASTE TREATMENT
Any thermal, physical, chemical or biological
processes that change the characteristics of waste in order to
reduce its volume or hazardous nature or facilitate its handling,
disposal or recovery
WHITE GOODS (WGA)
A generic term for obsolete major appliances
such as refrigerators, water heaters and stoves. See also: Brown
goods.
WINDROWING
The placement and management of compostable
material in piled rows, where micro-organisms break down organic
material into a finished compost product.
WO
Waste oil.
WOOD GRINDER
Machines designed for size reduction of wood.
The end product can be used for boiler fuel, animal bedding,
landscape mulch, etc.
WP
Waste wood products.
WW
Waste water.
YARD WASTE (YW)
Leaves, grass clippings and other organic wastes
produced as part of yard and garden development and
maintenance.
ZI
Zinc.
