Glossary
Aerobic Treatment
A type of biological waste treatment that occurs in the presence of oxygen, utilizing oxygen-loving microorganisms.
Example:
The activated sludge process in a municipal wastewater plant relies on aerobic treatment to purify water.
Anaerobic Digestion
A specific anaerobic biological process that breaks down organic matter in the absence of oxygen, producing biogas (methane and carbon dioxide).
Example:
Food waste from restaurants is fed into a large tank where microbes convert it into energy-rich biogas through anaerobic digestion.
Anaerobic Treatment
A type of biological waste treatment that occurs in the absence of oxygen, utilizing microorganisms that thrive without oxygen.
Example:
Digesters at a dairy farm convert manure into biogas using anaerobic treatment.
Biological Treatment
The use of microorganisms to break down organic waste materials into simpler, more stable forms.
Example:
Wastewater treatment plants use bacteria to break down pollutants in sewage, a form of biological treatment.
Bioremediation
The use of living organisms, primarily microorganisms, to break down environmental pollutants into less toxic or non-toxic substances.
Example:
After an oil spill, bacteria are introduced to the contaminated area to consume and break down the hydrocarbons, a form of bioremediation.
Biosolids Management
The process of treating and managing sewage sludge, often to convert it into a usable product like fertilizer.
Example:
After wastewater treatment, the remaining solid material is processed and applied to agricultural fields as a nutrient-rich soil amendment, part of biosolids management.
Composting
A biological process where organic waste, such as food scraps and yard waste, decomposes naturally to create nutrient-rich soil amendment.
Example:
A gardener turns kitchen vegetable scraps and fallen leaves into dark, crumbly soil for their plants through composting.
Education and Awareness
Informing the public about waste reduction methods and their environmental benefits to encourage sustainable practices.
Example:
A school hosts a workshop teaching students how to properly sort recyclables, promoting education and awareness.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
A policy approach where producers are given significant responsibility for the environmental impacts of their products throughout the product life cycle, including post-consumer waste.
Example:
A country implements a law requiring electronics manufacturers to fund and manage the recycling of their old devices, an example of Extended Producer Responsibility.
Green Procurement
The practice of purchasing products and services that have a reduced environmental impact throughout their life cycle.
Example:
A university chooses to buy office paper made from 100% post-consumer recycled content, demonstrating green procurement.
High-level radioactive waste
Extremely dangerous radioactive materials, primarily spent nuclear fuel and waste from nuclear weapons reprocessing, requiring long-term isolation.
Example:
The used fuel rods removed from a nuclear reactor are classified as high-level radioactive waste due to their intense radioactivity and long half-lives.
Landfill Bioreactors
Landfills designed to enhance and accelerate the decomposition of municipal solid waste by recirculating leachate and sometimes adding liquids.
Example:
A modern landfill might inject water into its waste cells to speed up decomposition and methane production, operating as a landfill bioreactor.
Landfill Regulations
Government rules and standards that dictate the design, operation, monitoring, and closure of landfills to prevent environmental pollution.
Example:
Strict rules requiring liners and leachate collection systems for new waste disposal sites are part of landfill regulations.
Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy
Regulations and guidelines specifically for the management and disposal of radioactive waste that is not high-level waste, often from medical or industrial sources.
Example:
Hospitals dispose of contaminated gloves and syringes in designated facilities according to low-level radioactive waste policy.
Low-level radioactive waste
Radioactive materials that are less hazardous than high-level waste, typically from medical, industrial, or research activities, with shorter half-lives.
Example:
Contaminated lab equipment or protective clothing from a hospital's radiology department would be categorized as low-level radioactive waste.
Nuclear Facility Decommissioning
The process of safely shutting down a nuclear facility, dismantling it, and decontaminating the site to allow for unrestricted public access.
Example:
After decades of operation, a nuclear power plant undergoes nuclear facility decommissioning to remove radioactive materials and restore the land.
Nuclear Transport Regulations
Strict rules governing the safe packaging, labeling, and movement of radioactive materials to prevent accidents and exposure.
Example:
Specialized, heavily shielded containers are required for moving spent nuclear fuel rods, adhering to nuclear transport regulations.
Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA)
A United States federal law that established a program for the safe, permanent disposal of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel.
Example:
The search for a suitable deep geological repository for nuclear waste in the U.S. is mandated by the Nuclear Waste Policy Act.
Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT)
A waste management policy where residents are charged for waste collection based on the amount of trash they discard, incentivizing waste reduction.
Example:
A city charges households more for larger trash bins, encouraging them to recycle and compost more to reduce their waste volume under a pay-as-you-throw system.
Phytoremediation
A biological treatment method that uses plants to remove, degrade, or contain contaminants in soil, water, or air.
Example:
Sunflowers are planted in contaminated soil to absorb heavy metals, demonstrating phytoremediation.
Product Take-Back Programs
Initiatives where manufacturers or retailers take responsibility for collecting and recycling or properly disposing of their products at the end of their useful life.
Example:
An electronics store offers to take back old cell phones for free, participating in a product take-back program.
Radiation Protection Regulations
Laws and guidelines designed to limit public and occupational exposure to ionizing radiation to protect human health.
Example:
Workers in nuclear power plants wear dosimeters to monitor their exposure levels, as required by radiation protection regulations.
Recycling
The process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turning them into new products.
Example:
Old aluminum cans are melted down and reformed into new cans, illustrating recycling.
Recycling Mandates
Laws or policies that require individuals, businesses, or municipalities to recycle specific materials.
Example:
A state passes a law making it illegal to dispose of plastic bottles in landfills, enforcing recycling mandates.
Reuse
The practice of using an item multiple times for its original purpose or a new one, extending its lifespan.
Example:
Instead of throwing away a glass jar, you clean it and use it to store spices, practicing reuse.
Source Reduction
The most effective waste reduction method, involving designing products to use less material and minimizing packaging.
Example:
A company redesigns its shampoo bottle to be lighter and use less plastic, demonstrating source reduction.
Waste Hierarchy
A prioritized list of waste management options, emphasizing prevention over disposal, typically ordered as Reduce > Reuse > Recycle.
Example:
When deciding what to do with an old shirt, choosing to donate it (reuse) rather than throwing it away (disposal) follows the waste hierarchy.
Waste-to-Energy Policies
Government policies that promote or regulate the conversion of non-recyclable waste materials into usable forms of energy, such as electricity or heat.
Example:
A city offers incentives for facilities that burn municipal solid waste to generate electricity, supported by waste-to-energy policies.
Zero Waste Policies
Ambitious policies aiming to eliminate the amount of waste sent to landfills or incinerators, focusing on waste prevention, reuse, and recycling.
Example:
A community sets a goal to divert 90% of its waste from landfills by 2030 through comprehensive recycling and composting programs, aligning with zero waste policies.