Reusable Vocabulary

Bimetal - Typically refers to beverage containers with steel bodies and aluminum tops. Steel companies do recycle bimetal cans, but they are handled differently in the recycling stream from aluminum cans.
Combustion - The controlled burning of municipal solid waste to reduce volume, and, commonly, to recover energy.
Composting - The controlled microbial decomposition of organic matter (such as food scraps and yard trimmings) in the presence of oxygen into a humus- or soil-like material.
Curbside collection - A method of collecting recyclable materials at individual homes or places of business by municipal or private parties for transfer to a designated collection site or recycling facility.
Drop-off - A method of collecting recyclable materials where individuals transport the materials to a designated collection site.
Household hazardous waste - Products containing hazardous substances that are used and disposed of by individual rather than industrial consumers. These products include some paints, solvents and pesticides.
Integrated waste management - The complementary use of a variety of practices to handle municipal solid waste safely and effectively. Integrated waste management techniques include source reduction, recycling, composting, combustion, and landfilling.
Landfilling - The disposal of solid waste at engineered facilities in a series of compacted layers on land and the frequent daily covering of the waste with soil. Fill areas are carefully prepared to prevent nuisances or public health hazards, and clay and/or synthetic liners are used to prevent releases to ground water.
Municipal solid waste (MSW) - Waste generated in households, commercial establishments, institutions, and businesses. MSW includes used paper, discarded cans and bottles, food scraps, yard trimmings, and other items. Insutrail process wastes, agricultural wastes, mining waste, and sewage sludges are NOT MSW.
Pre-consumer materials - Recovered materials obtained from manufacturers.
Post-consumer materials - Recovered materials from a consumer-oriented recycling collection system or drop-off center.
Recyclable - Products or materials that can be collected, separated, and processed to be used as raw materials in the manufacture of new products.
Recycled content - The portion of a product's or package's weight that is composed of materials that have been recovered from waste; this may include pre-consumer or post-consumer materials.
Recycling - Separating, collecting, processing, marketing, and ultimately using a material that would have been thrown away.
Reuse - The use of a product more than once in its same form for the same purpose or for different purposes, such as reusing a soft-drink bottle when it is returned to the bottling company for refilling, or reusing a coffee can as a container for nuts and bolts.
Source reduction - The design, manufacture, purchase, or use of materials to reduce the amount or toxicity of waste. Because it is intended to reduce pollution and conserve resources, source reduction should not increase the net amount of toxicity of wastes generated throughout the life of the product. Source reduction techniques include reusing items, minimizing the use of products that contain hazardous compounds, using only what is needed, extending the useful life of a product, and reducing unneeded packaging.
Source separation - Separating materials (such as paper, metal, and glass) by type at the point of discard so that they can be recycled.
Toxic - Ability (or property) of a substance to produce harmful or lethal effects on humans and/or the environment.
Virgin materials - Resources extracted from nature in their raw form, such as timber or metal ore.
Yard trimmings - The component of solid waste composed of grass clippings, leaves, twigs, branches, and garden refuse.

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