Copy of `GRN - Recycling Terms Glossary`

The wordlist doesn't exist anymore, or, the website doesn't exist anymore. On this page you can find a copy of the original information. The information may have been taken offline because it is outdated.

GRN - Recycling Terms Glossary Category: Earth and Environment > Recycling Date & country: 13/09/2007, USA Words: 231

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.

Bleaching
Method used in the paper-making process to produce a bright white paper sheet. It produces dioxins.

Bo
Bronze.

Bod
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Forced Deposit
Requires a monetary deposit on beverage containers which is returned to the consumer when the containers are returned to the retailer.

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.

Grgl
Green glass.

Grinding
A size reduction technique that usually utilizes a series of rollers.

Gyp
Gypsum, wallboard, drywall.

Hbt
Household batteries.

Hdpe
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.

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.

Kft
Kraft paper.

Landfill
A private or municipal site where non-hazardous solid or municipal waste is buried.

Lb
Light bulbs.

Ld
Lead.

Ldpe
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.

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.