| No. | Item | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | aerosol | pressurized spray container |
| 2. | aluminum | light metal used in cans |
| 3. | anaerobic digestion | oxygen-free breakdown producing biogas |
| 4. | audit | formal review of waste streams |
| 5. | backhaul | return transport carrying recyclables |
| 6. | bale | compressed bundle of material |
| 7. | baler | machine compressing recyclables into bales |
| 8. | battery | portable source of stored energy |
| 9. | bin | container for waste or recycling |
| 10. | broker | dealer arranging material sales |
| 11. | bulb | electric lamp for lighting |
| 12. | buy-back | center paying for recyclables |
| 13. | cart | wheeled container for collection |
| 14. | collection | gathering recyclables or waste |
| 15. | commingled | mixed together in one load |
| 16. | commodity | tradable recyclable material |
| 17. | compost | decayed organic matter for soil |
| 18. | contaminant | material that spoils a load |
| 19. | contamination | wrong material mixed into recycling |
| 20. | curbside | collected from the street edge |
| 21. | deposit | refundable fee on containers |
| 22. | disposal | getting rid of waste |
| 23. | diversion | keeping waste from landfill |
| 24. | divert | redirect waste from disposal |
| 25. | drop-off | place for self-delivered recyclables |
| 26. | dual-stream | paper separated from containers |
| 27. | dumpster | large outdoor waste container |
| 28. | e-waste | discarded electronic devices |
| 29. | education | teaching proper recycling practices |
| 30. | end market | buyer using recycled material |
| 31. | EPR | producer responsibility for product end-of-life |
| 32. | feedstock | raw material for manufacturing |
| 33. | ferrous | containing iron; magnetic |
| 34. | film | thin flexible plastic sheet |
| 35. | fleet | group of collection vehicles |
| 36. | foam | light cellular plastic material |
| 37. | food scraps | leftover edible organic material |
| 38. | glass | hard brittle transparent material |
| 39. | green waste | plant-based organic discards |
| 40. | gross weight | total weight before unloading |
| 41. | hauler | company transporting waste materials |
| 42. | HDPE | sturdy plastic for jugs |
| 43. | HHW | household hazardous waste |
| 44. | illegal dumping | unlawful disposal of waste |
| 45. | incineration | burning waste for disposal |
| 46. | incinerator | facility that burns waste |
| 47. | landfill | site where waste is buried |
| 48. | LDPE | flexible plastic film type |
| 49. | leachate | liquid draining from waste |
| 50. | litter | trash scattered in public places |
| 51. | manifest | document tracking transported materials |
| 52. | mercury | toxic metal in some products |
| 53. | methane | landfill gas from decomposition |
| 54. | mixed paper | assorted recyclable paper grades |
| 55. | MRF | materials recovery facility |
| 56. | mulch | ground organic cover for soil |
| 57. | net weight | weight after tare is subtracted |
| 58. | nonferrous | metal without significant iron |
| 59. | nonrecyclable | not suitable for recycling |
| 60. | office paper | paper used in workplaces |
| 61. | open-loop | recycled into different products |
| 62. | outreach | public communication and engagement |
| 63. | overflow | too much material for container |
| 64. | paint | colored liquid coating material |
| 65. | paper | sheet material from pulp |
| 66. | PET | common plastic for drink bottles |
| 67. | pickup | scheduled waste collection service |
| 68. | plastic | synthetic moldable material |
| 69. | PP | plastic used in tubs and caps |
| 70. | processor | company preparing recyclables for market |
| 71. | PVC | plastic used in pipes |
| 72. | recyclable | able to be recycled |
| 73. | recycling | processing materials for reuse |
| 74. | redemption | returning containers for deposit |
| 75. | reduce | cut down on material use |
| 76. | residue | material left after processing |
| 77. | reuse | use again instead of discarding |
| 78. | route | planned collection path |
| 79. | scrap | leftover or discarded material |
| 80. | segregation | keeping material types separate |
| 81. | setout | placing carts out for pickup |
| 82. | sharps | needles or other piercing waste |
| 83. | shredder | machine that cuts into pieces |
| 84. | single-stream | all recyclables mixed together |
| 85. | sorting | separating materials by type |
| 86. | source separation | sorting materials where discarded |
| 87. | tag | notice left for service issue |
| 88. | tare | empty vehicle or container weight |
| 89. | throughput | amount processed over time |
| 90. | tipper | device lifting carts to empty |
| 91. | tipping fee | charge to unload waste |
| 92. | tonnage | weight measured in tons |
| 93. | transfer station | site moving waste between trucks |
| 94. | universal waste | widely generated regulated hazardous items |
| 95. | upcycling | making higher-value reused products |
| 96. | virgin material | new raw material, not recycled |
| 97. | waste | discarded material or trash |
| 98. | weighbridge | large scale for trucks |
| 99. | windrow | long pile for composting |
| 100. | yard waste | leaves, grass, and trimmings |
