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Glossary of Recycling and Waste TermsAluminum – Aluminum is a lightweight, silver-white, metallic element. It is mined in the form of bauxite ore where it exists primarily in combination with oxygen as alumina. Aluminum is used in a variety of ways, but perhaps most familiarly in the manufacture of a soft drink cans.4 Aluminum Cans – Aluminum used beverage containers, post-consumer aluminum beverage cans. Ferrous, i.e. steel and tin cans have been removed.6 Amalgamation - Process used by transfer stations that collect waste from smaller haulers, combine it with waste from other small haulers and transfer it in larger vehicles to disposal facilities. They may range from small municipal facilities to large commercial ones that process several hundred tons of waste a day.1 Biodegradable Bond Paper, commonly called white office paper - A high grade of paper usually used for forms, offset printing, copy paper, stationery, etc.5 Bottle Bill - A law requiring deposits on beverage containers.8 Click here for more information. Capture Rate - A measurement to calculate the degree of success attained by a recycling program: the percentage of potentially recyclable material actually recycled.1 Cardboard, commonly called OCC (old corrugated cardboard) – This includes used boxes including heavy boxes (like those used in packing appliances) and sheets of corrugated board of various qualities. OCC is clean cardboard made from unbleached, unwaxed paper with a fluted (corrugated) inner liner.6 It does not include cereal boxes, and other non-corrugated ‘pasteboard’ known in the industry as chipboard.5 Close the Collector - An individual or company that picks up recyclable materials that have been set aside for recycling; also can refer to an individual or company that collects trash for disposal.2 Commercial Solid Waste - All types of solid waste generated by stores, offices, institutions, restaurants, warehouses, and other non-manufacturing activities, or similar types of solid waste generated by manufacturing operations. It does not include solid waste generated in a manufacturing or industrial process.3 Commingled containers- Glass, metal, bi-metal, and plastic containers mixed together.2 Compost –Composting refers to a solid waste management technique that uses natural processes (Nature’s way of recycling) to convert organic materials to humus through the action of microorganisms. Compost is a mixture that consists largely of decayed organic matter and is used for fertilizing and conditioning land. Compostable/Organic Wastes - Include food wastes, leaves, Christmas trees and yard waste.1 Composting Facilities – Facilities that manage organic materials such as leaves and yard waste, food waste, or other organic wastes either in big compost piles or in composting vessels and/or buildings.1 Computer Paper, commonly called CPO (computer print-out) – One of the highest grades of paper. It includes green-bar, gray/blue bar and white computer paper.5 Conservation – Conservation is the wise use of natural resources (nutrients, minerals, water, plants, animal, etc.). Planned action or non-action to preserve or protect living and non-living resources.4 Construction and Demolition Waste (C&D) - Waste from both homeowners’ and contractors’ projects. MassDEP’s definition states that it includes “concrete, bricks, lumber, masonry, road paving materials, rebar, and plaster.”1 C & D Facilities – Facilities that process construction and demolition materials in the same manner that recycling facilities process recyclables: sorting, removing contaminants, and shipping to appropriate markets.1 Consumer - A person who buys goods or services for personal or household use.2 Contamination - An industry term used to refer to the sullying, soiling and ruination of one material by another; when one recyclable material is mixed with another undesired material, the recyclable material is thus considered contaminated.2 Curbside Collection - Collection at the point of generation of recyclables or compostable materials.3 Back to Top DEP Approved Recycling Program (DARP) - DARP is a voluntary program rewarding municipalities for establishing comprehensive recycling programs. DARP status exempts municipal solid waste loads from comprehensive inspections for “waste ban” materials (paper; glass, metal and plastic containers; leaves and yard waste) at solid waste disposal facilities. Waste loads from DARP communities are inspected only for the presence of white goods, lead-acid batteries, cathode ray tubes (CRTs), or whole tires. DARP status only applies to solid waste loads contracted or collected by the municipality on behalf of residents and/or businesses. DARP status does not apply to waste loads contracted by individual residents, multi-family buildings or businesses in a DARP municipality, or to the municipality itself (e.g., the Parks Department), unless otherwise deemed so by MassDEP.1 Disposal Facilities – Facilities that are either incinerators or landfills, either in state or out-of-state, either public or private. Each type of facility has a permit which details its operating requirements including the amount of waste it can process in a day or year. Each takes wastes either by a contractual arrangement or on what is known as the “spot” market, which means that someone just shows up and asks if the facility can take, or “tip”, the waste for (typically) a higher fee.1 Dumpster - A large, outdoor metal container that is designed to hold trash or recyclables until they can be collected; dumpsters are designed to be emptied into a garbage truck through the use of a winch system.2 Fossil Fuel – Fossil fuels are the remains of plant and animal life that are used to provide energy by combustion; coal, oil, or natural gas.4 Front End Separation Back to Top Garbage - Spoiled or waste food and/or other putrescibles that is thrown away; generally defined as wet food waste and excludes dry material (trash); nevertheless, this term is often used interchangeably with the word trash.2 Glass- A transparent, inorganic, non-porous, impermeable material produced by melting silica sand with limestone, with the addition of soda ash for strength and chemical durability.2 Grasscycling - Source reduction activity whereby grass clippings are left on the lawn after mowing.3 Hauler - An individual or company that collects and hauls materials from one place to another.2 Hazardous Wastes - Those wastes which, because of quantity, concentration, or chemical characteristics may cause harm to humans or the environment. MassDEP defines hazardous waste in its regulations.1 High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) –This is a recyclable, non-toxic plastic used in milk, juice, water and detergent products. HPDE’s resin number is #2. Unpigmented bottles are translucent, have good barrier properties and stiffness, and are well suited to packaging products with a short shelf life, such as milk. Because HDPE has good chemical resistance, it is used for packaging many household and industrial chemicals, such as detergents and bleach. Pigmented HDPE bottles have better stress crack resistance than unpigmented HDPE bottles.6 High Grade Paper – Relatively valuable paper such as computer paper, ledger paper and white office paper.5 Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) – A product that is discarded from a home or a similar source that is either ignitable, corrosive, reactive, or toxic (e.g. used motor oil, oil-based paint, auto batteries, gasoline, pesticides, etc).4 Household Recycling Rate - A measurement to calculate the successfulness of your recycling program. The amount of material recycled per participating household.1 Humus – An organic material consisting of decayed vegetative matter; provides nutrients for plants and increases the ability of the soil to retain water.2 Incinerator – A disposal facility that burn the waste at a very high temperature. Some produce electricity from the waste, others do not. All are regulated with regard to the emissions from their stacks and other environmental impacts of their operations.1 Industrial Wastes - Process wastes from industries. These are not managed in the MSW system.1 Back to Top Landfills – Disposal facilities that now are constructed with a double composite liner and leak detection system to minimize groundwater pollution. They are designed so that the waste is placed in specific locations on site known as cells. One cell is filled at a time, and the waste is compacted as much as possible by driving heavy machines called landfill compactors over it. At the end of each day the waste is covered. When the cell is full, it is covered with a thick layer of dirt or other approved material until the entire facility is closed. Then a landfill gas management system is put in and a landfill “cap” of synthetic and organic materials is installed to prevent water getting in and forming leachate.1 Leaching -Process by which soluble materials are dissolved and carried through the soil by a percolating liquid. Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) –This is a recyclable plastic used in making dry cleaning, bread and frozen food bags, squeezable bottles, e.g. honey, mustard. It is used predominately in film applications due to its toughness, flexibility and relative transparency. LDPE’s resin number is #4.7 Manufacture - To make new products from raw materials, especially on a large scale with machines.2 Master Plan - MassDEP first developed and promulgated a Master Plan for Solid Waste Management (Plan) in 1990, about three years after legislation was enacted requiring direction for solid waste management in Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) - A recycling facility that sorts and processes collected mixed recyclables into individual streams for market. Also known as an intermediate processing center (IPC).8 Mixed Office Paper – Any mixture of many types of non-coated office paper from CPO to ONP. It is usually considered a lower grade paper.5 Multi-family - When a building or complex of buildings contains more than four individual units that are used for residential purposes, it is called multi-family.3 Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) – MSW includes materials discarded from homes, commercial, and institutional sectors of a town or city. MassDEP’s regulations define it as “any residential or commercial solid waste.” It does not include medical wastes or waste from industrial processes. This is the material one usually thinks of as “rubbish” or “trash.” Recyclable materials (when not recycled) are included in MSW.1 Back to Top Natural Resources - Valuable, naturally-occurring items such as plants, animals, minerals, water, and air which are used by people to help make things such as food, clothes, buildings, etc and to generate energy.2 Newsprint, commonly called ONP (old newspaper) – Paper that is usually used in newspapers.5 ONP has two major sub-grades. No. 8 is sorted newspapers only. No.6 may have some magazines mixed in and maybe tied in bundles or gathered in brown bags.6 Non-Renewable Resource – A resource that is NOT capable of being naturally restored or replenished; a resource that may be exhausted because it can not be replaced (e.g. copper) or because it is used faster than it can be naturally replaced (e.g. oil coal [what we call fossil fuels]).Their use as material and energy sources leads to depletion of the Earth’s reserves and are characterized as such because they do not regenerate in humanly relevant periods.4 Organic – A term that refers to molecules made up of two or more atoms of carbon; generally pertains to compounds formed by living organisms.4 Packaging - The wrappings, container, or sealing materials used to protect, identify and/or advertise a product.2 Paperboard - A lightweight packaging or backing material that is made from various low-grade paper fibers such as newsprint; this material is used in the manufacture of cereal boxes, shoe boxes, pizza boxes, note pad backing, etc.2 Paper Mill - A large, commercial facility that manufactures paper products from pulp; paper mills either buy pulp or make it themselves from wood, waste paper (recyclables) or other sources of cellular fiber.2 Paper Processing Facility - A commercial, state or municipally run enterprise that accepts loose paper from collectors and bales it in preparation for shipment to paper mills.2 Participation Rate - A measurement to calculate the degree of success attained by a recycling program: the percentage of households that set out recyclables or use the drop-off center on a regular basis (i.e. monthly).1 Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) - A system in which residents pay for each unit of waste discarded rather than solely through a fixed fee per residential household or property tax. Plastic – A material (polymer) made from petroleum capable of being molded, extruded, or cast into various shapes. There are many different kinds of plastic made from different combinations of compounds.4 Plastic containers and packaging made from various resins include PET, HDPE, PVC, LDPE, PP, and PS.3 Pollution – Contamination of air, soil, or water with harmful substances.4 Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) – This is a type of plastic resin that can be recycled. The most common use is for soft drink bottles.5 The resin number for PET is #1. PET is clear, tough, and has good gas and moisture barrier properties. It is also commonly used in many injection molded consumer product containers. Other applications include strapping and both food and non-food containers. Cleaned, recycled PET flakes and pellets are in great demand for spinning fiber for carpet yarns, producing fiberfill and geo-textiles. Nickname: Polyester.6 Polypropylene (PP) – This is a recyclable plastic that is used to make products such as catsup bottles, yogurt containers and margarine tubs, and medicine bottles. Its resin number #5.7 Polystyrene (PS) - A common plastic (#6) used to make containers and utensils, and in its expanded form, the packaging and serving material sometime referred to as "Styrofoam".2 Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC/Vinyl) – A recyclable plastic that is used to make a wide range of products: clear food and non-food packaging, medical tubing, wire and cable insulation, film and sheet, construction products such as pipes, fittings, siding, floor tiles, carpet backing and window frames. Its resin number is #3.7 Post-Consumer – A term used to describe material that is being reused/recycled after it has been in the consumer’s hands (e.g. a newspaper going back to the paper mill to be recycled into new recycled content paper products). Material or product used by the consumer for its original purpose and then discarded.4 Pre-Consumer – A term used to describe material that is being reused/recycled before it ever goes to market (e.g. paper scraps off of a paper mill floor going back into the next batch of paper). Waste material generated during the manufacturing process.4 Pulp - A soft, moist, sticky mass of fibers made of wood, straw, etc., and used to make paper and paperboard; pulping is the act of reducing fibers to a soft, moist, sticky mass.2 Back to Top Recyclable – A term to designate that a product or its package can be recycled (may be used as a noun). This term may be misleading as there may not be a recycling program that takes the identified material in the consumer’s area.4 Recycled – A term used to describe material that has been separated from the waste stream, reprocessed into a new product (often taking the place of virgin material), and then bought back by the consumer as a new item.4 Recycled Content – The amount of pre-and post-consumer recovered material introduced as a feed stock in a material production process, usually expressed as a percentage (e.g., 30% post-consumer content).4 Recycler - an individual who sets materials aside for eventual recycling; an individual or company that collects materials that have been set aside for recycling; a company that remanufactures recyclables into similar or new products.2 Recycle/Recycling Symbol – The three “chasing” arrows on the symbol represent different component of the recycling process. The top right arrow represents the collection of recyclable materials (e.g. an aluminum can, a piece of white office paper, a plastic #2 milk jug) for processing. The collection can be from a curbside collection or a drop-off site. The second arrow (bottom right) represents the recyclables being processed into recycled products (e.g. a new aluminum can from an old aluminum can, notebook paper from white office paper, a park bench from recycled plastic milk jugs.) The third arrow on the left represents the consumer’s act of buying a product with recycled content. This is the most important step as it closes the recycling loop. Without this last step, we are pretty much just sorting our garbage.4 Recycling – Term used to describe a series of activities that includes collecting recyclable materials that would otherwise be considered waste, sorting and processing recyclables into raw materials such as fibers, and manufacturing the raw materials into new products.4 Recycling Center – A place where recyclables are collected and/or processed (such as separation and baling) in preparation for market.4 Recycling Coordinator - A volunteer or paid staff person hired or appointed by a school, municipality, waste district or company to coordinate and oversee various recycling functions including educating, promoting, planning, monitoring, evaluating, and refining.2 Recycling Facilities - (Also called materials recycling facilities, MRFs, or intermediate processing facilities.) They take the materials to be recycled, sort them and remove contamination, either by hand or machine sorting or both, and then consolidate/bale them and market them to end users.1 Recycling Rate - A measurement to calculate the degree of success attained by a recycling program. One method is tons diverted (recycled and composted) divided by tons generated (diverted and disposed of). Might also be referred as Diversion Rate. For more information see, http://www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/priorities/ratemeth.doc. Refuse- A general term for solid waste materials or trash including garbage.2 Renewable Resource – A resource that is capable of being naturally restored or replenished (e.g. trees).4 Residential Solid Waste - Typical refuse generated by households.3 Residuals - Waste materials left after recovery of recyclables and/or the physical, chemical, or biological processing of wastes.3 Reuse – To find a new function for an item that has outgrown its original use; use again (e.g. put a collection into a peanut butter jar; wash dishes and use them again).4 Sanitary Landfill – A landfill that has been designed and engineered to accept municipal waste while ensuring minimal negative impact upon the environment.4 Setout Rate – A measurement of how successful a curbside recycling program is: Number of households on a route that put out recycling bins on a given collection day. This differs depending on collection frequency. Weekly programs have a lower setout rates than bi-weekly ones, since not all households use every collection day. Setout rates are lower than participation rate, as it measures activity on one day, while participation rate measures activity over a longer time.1 Solid Waste – Refuse, what most of us would call garbage, from household to business trash.5 Source-separated - Divided at the point of generation into different fractions for disposal, recycling, and composting.3 Source Reduction - The design, manufacture, purchase or use of materials, such as products and packaging, to reduce the amount or toxicity of materials before they enter the municipal solid waste management system, such as redesigning products or packaging to reduce the quantity or lower the poisonousness of materials used, reusing products or packaging already manufactured, backyard composting, grasscycling, and mulch mowing.3 “Special” Wastes - Non-hazardous wastes that require special handling, such as white goods, bulky waste (i.e. mattresses), and tires.1 (See also Universal Wastes). Steel – A strong durable material made of iron and carbon, and often other metals, to achieve different properties. Steel is often used as a component in cans and as a structural material in construction.4 Steel Cans, properly known as Bi-Metal Cans and often called “Tin” cans – These cans typically hold items like soup, vegetables, and pet food. These cans are 99 percent steel with a thin layer of tin to prevent rusting.5 Styrofoam - A rigid polystyrene plastic, which uses petroleum as a resource base (see polystyrene).2 Back to Top Tipping Fee- A charge to deposit waste in a landfill or transfer station, or to dump recyclables at a recycling facility.2 Toter - A two wheeled, lidded, plastic container of either 64 or 96 gallons in size that is used to store recyclables or trash until collection.2 Transfer Station - An intermediate location used to collect and consolidate solid waste or recyclables, which are then taken elsewhere (for example, a distant landfill or market).2 Trash - Material considered worthless, unnecessary, or offensive that has been discarded; generally defined as dry waste material, excluding food waste (garbage) and ash; this term is often used interchangeably with the word garbage.2 Universal Wastes - Are a class of hazardous wastes from large and small generators which accumulate in such quantity that special systems have been set up to deal with them. Currently they include: non-alkaline batteries, pesticides, thermostats, mercury containing devices, and fluorescent lamps (tubes or compacts).1 Back to Top Waste- Anything that is discarded or not considered useful; the wanton act of discarding materials without regard to their value, reuse, or recycling.2 Waste Audit – The process of identifying types and quantities of items in the waste stream. A waste audit is a major step in planning a waste management system. It helps determine if changes need to be made in purchasing supplies and it helps encourage waste reduction and recycling in daily activities.5 Waste Bans - The “Waste Bans” are regulations that ban the items listed below from disposal by any means other than recycling. The waste bans are enforced on incinerators, landfills, transfer stations, haulers and commercial generators. The requirements banning landfilling or incineration of these materials are articulated in the Solid Waste Regulations at 310 CMR 19.017. Currently, the materials so banned include: Lead Acid Batteries, Leaves and Yard Waste, Whole Tires at Landfills, White Goods, Aluminum Containers, Metal, Plastic, or Glass Containers, Recyclable Paper and Cardboard, and Cathode Ray Tubes.1 Waste Reduction – Always the first step in becoming environmentally friendly: do not create the waste in the first place. Using ceramic mugs that can be washed and used again instead of paper cups is an example.5 Also referred to as source reduction and toxicity reduction.3 Waste Stream – The total flow of waste materials from homes, industry and community activities. It includes things that may be recycled, reused, landfilled, composted or burned in an incinerator.5 Waxed Cardboard - Regular cardboard that has a waxy outer layer applied so that it can safely and easily be used to package and transport produce, fish or other non-dry items. It is not generally accepted for recycling.2 Vermicomposting – The process whereby worms feed on slowly decomposing materials (e.g., vegetable scraps and paper) in a controlled environment to produce a nutrient-rich soil amendment.4 Virgin Product – Term that refers to products that are made with 100 percent new raw materials and contain no recycled materials.4 Yard Trimmings - Deciduous and coniferous leaves, grass clippings, garden materials, shrub trimmings, and brush.3 Additional Links to Definitions and Terms:
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