Glossary of Terms the Mayor’S Municipal Waste Management Strategy
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APPENDIX sEven GlossAry of TErms ThE Mayor’s municipal wAste management sTrategy Advanced conversion technologies: are in a generating station of which at least 98 per defined in the Reneables Obligation Order 2002 cent of the energy content (measured over a as meaning anaerobic digestion, gasification period of one month) is derived from plant or or pyrolysis. Such technologies may require animal matter or substances derived directly pre-treatment technologies such as mechanical or indirectly therefrom (whether or not such biological treatment (MBT) or autoclave to matter or substances are waste) and includes prepare waste for use in advanced conversion agricultural, forestry or wood wastes or residues, technologies. sewage and energy crops (provided that such plant or animal matter is not or is not derived Aggregates: granular material used in directly or indirectly from fossil fuel). construction. Aggregates may be natural, artificial or recycled. Biomass waste/biomass municipal waste: refers to materials derived from plant or animal Anaerobic digestion: this is the biological matter including wood, paper, card, and organic degradation of organics in the absence of waste (food and green garden waste). oxygen, producing biogas (typical composition of 65 per cent methane and 35 per cent CO2) Borough/London boroughs: There are 32 and residue (digestate) suitable for use as a soil London boroughs plus the City of London. improver. The 32 London boroughs are administered by London borough councils which are elected Autoclave: is a steam sterilisation process to every four years. The boroughs are the principal treat mixed waste and includes mechanical local authorities in London and are responsible components to separate out materials suitable for running most local services in their areas, for recycling. The heat in the autoclave (up such as schools, social services, waste collection to 150 degrees Celsius) changes the physical and roads. characteristics of the waste. This can lead to greater recovery rates of higher quality Bottom Ash: burnt out residues from the recyclable materials than what can be achieved bottom grate of waste incinerators, which using mechanical biological treatment (MBT) represents between 20 and 25 percent of the technologies. Autoclave is also known as processed waste by weight. Ferrous metals can mechanical heat treatment (MHT). be removed by magnetic separation for recycling and bottom ash itself is being increasing used in Biodegradable waste: is defined in Council the manufacture of masonry blocks and in road Directive 1999/31/EC on the landfill of waste construction. as meaning any waste that is capable of undergoing anaerobic or aerobic decomposition, Bring Recycling: refers to a recycling site, see such as organic kitchen and green garden waste, recycling site. Known as such, as the recycler has and paper and paperboard. A proportion of to ‘bring’ their materials to the site. textiles is deemed to be biodegradable for the purpose of implementing the Landfill Allowance Brownfield land: any land or premises which Trading Scheme (LATS) – see definition. has previously been used or developed and is not currently fully in use, although it may be Biomass: is defined in the Renewables partially occupied or utilised. The land may also Obligation Order 2002 as meaning fuel used be vacant, derelict or contaminated but excludes 3 parks, recreation grounds, allotments and land Carbon dioxide: is a naturally occurring gas where the remains of previous use have blended comprising 0.04 per cent of the atmosphere. It is into the landscape, or have been overtaken by essential to photosynthesis in plants and is also nature conservation value or amenity use. a prominent greenhouse gas. The burning of fossil fuels such as coal or gas, and some waste Business improvement districts: This materials including plastics, releases carbon concept was originally developed in the USA dioxide into the atmosphere. It is currently the for increasing investment within defined areas predominant scientific opinion that carbon of a city such as town centres. This is achieved dioxide emissions are the main cause of global through changes to local taxation, based on a warming, contributing to climate change. supplementary rate levied on businesses within that defined area. Carbon dioxide-equivalent: is the universal unit of measurement used to indicate the global Calorific Value: the calorific value of a warming potential (GWP) of greenhouse gases. substance, typically a fuel, is the amount of It is used to evaluate the impacts of releasing (or heat released during the energy conversion of a avoiding the release of) different greenhouse specified amount of fuel. The calorific value is gases. For example, the GWP of methane is a characteristic for each substance of the fuel. 21 times that of CO2, which has a GWP of 1. It is measured in units of energy per unit of the Sulphur hexafluoride has a GWP of 23,900. A substance. For the purposes of this document CO2-equivalent figure is used to represent the the fuel substances referred to are biomass and warming impact of greenhouse gases. See also non-biomass residual municipal waste used for definition of Global Warming Potential. energy generation. The calorific value of these substances is expressed in mega joules (MJ) Carbon intensity floor: is the CO2eq emissions per kilogram of residual waste treated. See also performance level set for electricity generated definitions of biomass waste, non-biomass waste from London’s municipal waste to achieve. and residual waste. The carbon intensity floor has been set at the level whereby any electricity generated from Capital Growth Programme: Capital Growth London’s municipal waste is to be no more is a partnership initiative between London polluting in carbon terms than the electricity Food Link, the Mayor of London, and the Big source it replaces. Refer to Policy 2 for more Lottery’s Local Food Fund. It is championed information on the carbon intensity floor. by the Chair of the London Food Board Rosie Boycott and aims to create 2012 new Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) plant: community food growing spaces across London A combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plan by the end of 2012. Capital Growth offers uses a gas turbine to generate electricity. The practical help, grants training and support waste heat also produced is used to make steam to groups wanting to establish community to generate additional electricity via a steam food growing projects as well as advice to turbine. This last step enhances the efficiency of landowners. These new food growing spaces electricity generation. along with existing allotments, city farms and community gardens could be the ideal location Combined heat and power: The combined for the by-products of composting facilities. production of electricity and usable heat is known as combined heat and power (CHP). ThE Mayor’s municipal wAste management sTrategy Steam or hot water, which would otherwise be Construction, demolition & excavation rejected when electricity alone is produced, is waste: waste arising from the construction, used for space or process heating. repair, maintenance and demolition of buildings and structures, including roads. It consists Commercial waste: waste arising from premises mostly of brick, concrete, hardcore, subsoil which are wholly or mainly for trade, business, and topsoil, but it can contain quantities of sport, recreation or entertainment as defined in timber, metal, plastics and occasionally special Schedule 4 of the Controlled Waste Regulations (hazardous) waste materials. 1992. Digestate: The nutrient-rich residues of Co-mingled: Co-mingled Recycled materials anaerobic digestion that can be used as a soil that are collected together and are recycled improver or fertiliser. following further sorting. Single stream co- mingled systems are where materials are Doorstep recycling collection services: collected in a single compartment vehicle with recycling collections services provided to the sorting of the materials occurring at a individual households where recyclable material Materials Reclamation Facilities. Two stream is collected from householder’s doorstep. partially co-mingled systems are where residents Householders receiving a doorstep collection are required to separate materials into two typically, but not always, will be provided with categories, usually fibres (paper/card) and their own container to store recyclables for containers (glass, cans and plastic bottles). collection. See also definition of communal Separate containers are provided for each recycling collection services. category the contents of which are loaded into separate compartments on a twin compartment Dry recyclables: refers to dry materials suitable collection vehicle. for recycling including paper, card, metals, plastics, textiles, and waste electrical items. Communal recycling collection services: Does not include organic waste (food and green recycling collection services whereby communal garden waste). recycling containers, typically 1100 litre bins, are provided for a number of properties to deposit East London Waste Authority: Waste their recyclable materials. Communal recycling Disposal Authority for the London Boroughs of collection services are generally provided to Newham, Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham multi-occupancy properties on-site, where and Havering. door step recycling collections services are not suitable or easily provided. See also definition of Embodied carbon: The term ‘embodied