Recycling Vocabulary

Bale:A compacted and bound cube of recycled material such as paper, scrap metal, or plastic bottles. It can weigh hundreds of pounds. Baler: Equipment that compacts and binds recyclable materials to reduce volume and transportation costs. Biodegradable: Organic material able to be broken down or decompose chemically by bacteria under natural conditions and processes. Bottle Bill: The term for the law that requires deposits on beverage containers. Carbon Footprint: A tool for measuring the impact of a person, product, or process on Earth’s climate; it refers to the amount of greenhouse gases released. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs): Family of inert, nontoxic and easily liquefied chemicals manufactured for use as coolants, cleaning solvents, plastic, aerosol propellants and foam insulation. Commingled: Mixed recyclables that are collected or processed together. Compactor: Equipment that densifies recyclable material and contains it under pressure, not allowing it to expand until it is unloaded. Compost: A rich organic product created by composting. This soil like material has a high organic content and when added to soil it increases the nutrient value. Composting: Biodegradation of organic matter, such as yard and food waste, that creates compost to be used on gardens. Decomposition is performed mostly by bacteria, but also yeasts and fungi. Consumption: The process of using natural resources, materials, or finished products to satisfy human wants or needs. Decompose: To decay or rot. Degradability: Ability of materials to break down, by bacterial (biodegradable) or ultraviolet (photodegradable) action. Disposable: Designed to be thrown away after use. Ecological Footprint: The area of Earth’s productive surface that it takes to produce the goods and services necessary to support a particular lifestyle. E-Waste: Electronic equipment that is no longer useful or is obsolete, including computers, and TVs. Many components can be recycled. Environmental Impact: The effect a particular action or practice has on the environment and/or its components (land, air, water). Garbage: Unwanted material that is thrown away. High Density Polyethylene (HDPE): Used to make plastic for milk cartons, shampoo bottles, dish and laundry detergents bottles, grocery bags, and other products. It produces toxic fumes when burned. Often referred to as No.2 Plastic. Hauler: An individual or company that collects and hauls materials (recyclables, trash) from one place to another. Hazardous Waste: Waste substances that cause special problems because they are poisonous, explosive, corrosive, radioactive, harbor disease-causing microorganisms, or are dangerous for any other reason. Landfill: A private or municipal site where non-hazardous solid or municipal waste is buried. Leaching: Process by which liquid from dissolved materials is carried through the soil. This liquid may contain chemicals that contaminate the ground or leak into the water system or surface water.

Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE): Used to make bags for dry cleaning, newspapers, bread, frozen foods, fresh produce and household garbage. It is also used to make squeezable bottles, container lids, toys and packaging that requires shrink wrapping. Often referred as No.4 Plastic. Luxury: A material good or service that is not essential to a person’s life; an extravagance. Materials Recovery Facility: A recycling facility that sorts and processes collected mixed recyclables into individual streams for market. Methane: A colorless, odorless gas that is produce by decomposition of organic material. It is commonly produced in a landfill by decomposing waste and can be collected and burned as fuel. Midden: A pit in which trash or garbage is buried. Usually only organic garbage. Municipal Solid Waste: Residential and commercial trash and/or garbage generated by a particular municipal area. Necessity: A material good or service that is essential to a person’s life; something that is required. Ozone Depletion: Destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer of the earth's atmosphere due to the release of chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, into the environment. Paperboard: General term for heavyweight grades of paper that are used for containers, boxes, cartons and packaging materials. Plastic: Man-made material made from molecules (polymers) containing hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen. It can be molded, extruded, or cast into various shapes and film or spun into filaments and made into material, such as carpet, clothing, etc. It can be classified into seven types; Polyethylene terephthalate, High-density polyethylene, Polyvinyl Chloride, Low-density polyethylene, Polypropylene, Polystyrene, and other. Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET): A type of plastic that is clear or colored transparent with high gloss. It is used for carbonated beverage bottles, sports drinks, catsup, salad dressing, peanut butter and jelly jars, microwavable food trays and some household cleaner containers. Often referred to as No. 1 Plastic. Polypropylene (PP): Plastic with a smooth surface that cracks easily when bent and is difficult to scratch. Typical uses are: dairy tubs, bottle lids, jar lids, straws, deli food containers, syrup bottles, and medicine 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, plates, cutlery, coat hangers, building insulation 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 hydrochloric acid when burned. It is used for food wraps, bags for bedding, medical tubing, siding, window frames, carpet backing, flooring and containers for personal care products. Often referred to as V-3 or No. 3 Plastic. Recyclable: Products or materials that can be collected, separated, and processed and used as raw materials for new products. Recycling: Process of collecting, separating, processing, marketing, and ultimately using material, in the form of raw materials or finished goods, that otherwise would have been thrown away. Recycling Rate: The mathematical calculation of how successful a recycling program is. One method is dividing tons diverted from the trash through recycling and composting by total tons generated (both waste and recycling combined). Reduce: To lessen the amount of waste generated. Reprocessing: Operation of reforming reclaimed materials into new products. Resource Consumption: The process of using natural resources, materials, or finished products to satisfy human wants or needs. Reuse: To extend the life of an item by repairing, modifying, or creating new uses for it, usually in its original form such as using a soft-drink bottle to hold water, or a coffee can as a container for nuts and bolts. Single-Stream Recycling: A system in which all recyclable materials –- fiber (newspaper, cardboard, mixed paper, catalogs, magazines and junk mail) and containers (glass, steel, aluminum and plastic) -– are placed, unsorted, in one recycling bin and sorted by state-of-the-art processing equipment at a regional recycling center. Solid Waste: Non-soluble, discarded solid materials, including sewage sludge, municipal garbage, industrial waste, 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. Sustainability: Meeting current needs without limiting the ability of people to meet their needs in the future. Waste: Unwanted materials remaining from manufacturing processes, or refuse from humans and animals that are determined to be of no value and thrown away. Waste Stream: The flow of waste material from generation to disposal.