Glossary

Aerobic
A process that uses oxygen, for example, composting that uses micro-organisms that require air to break down organic waste.

Anaerobic
A process that does not use oxygen, for example, composting that uses micro-organisms that do not require air to break down organic waste.

Animal By-Products Regulation (ABPR)
Legislation governing the processing of wastes derived from animal sources to prevent cross contamination.

Baled
When materials such as cans, paper and plastic bottles are collected for recycling, they are first sorted and then baled. This means that they are put into large packages (bales) and bound together for transportation.

Biodegradable Municipal Waste
The portion of Municiapl Solid Waste that can be broken down by a natural process of decomposition with bacteria and other micro-organisms. Includes food waste, garden waste, paper and card.

Bottle Bank
See Recycling Point

Carbon Dioxide
Carbon dioxide (or CO2) is a greenhouse gas that is released from the waste in landfill sites and contributes to climate change.

Civic Amenity Site
See Recycling Centre

Clinical Waste
Includes waste from the dental, medical, nursing, pharmaceutical and veterinary industries, which is usually incinerated to prevent the spread of infection.

Commercial Waste
Waste generated from commercial premises, ie those that are used primarily for trade, business, sport, recreation or entertainment.

Compost
A material which, when applied to land, improves soil structure and enriches the nutrient content.

Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (CoSLA)
CoSLA is the representative voice of Scottish local government and also acts as the employers’ association on behalf of all Scottish councils. Visit www.cosla.gov.uk for more information.

Do A Little Change A Lot (DALCAL)
DALCAL is the national environmental campaign run by the Scottish Executive. It is an awareness campaign that aims to raise the profile of key environmental issues and convert this to behavioural change over time.

Duty of Care
The duty of care is a law that requires industry to take all reasonable steps to keep waste safe. All waste handlers must be authorised to transport and recycle or dispose of waste safely. The duty of care applies to any company that produces or imports, keeps or stores, transports, treats or disposes of waste.

Energy from Waste (EfW)
The process of recovering energy by burning or otherwise treating waste.

EU Landfill Directive
The objective of the EU Landfill Directive (99/31/EC) is to prevent or reduce as far as possible negative effects on the environment from the landfilling of waste, by introducing stringent technical requirements for waste and landfills. The Directive is intended to prevent or reduce the adverse effects of the landfill of waste on the environment, in particular on surface water, groundwater, soil, air and human health.

Garden Waste
Green waste or organic waste from the garden, such as flowers and plants, garden prunings, grass cuttings, hedge clippings, leaves and bark, small branches, straw, twigs, weeds and wood shavings. This type of waste can be used in composting.

Global Warming
The progressive, gradual increase in the Earth’s average temperature thought to be caused by the greenhouse effect, which contributes to climate change.

Greenhouse Effect
Warming that results when solar radiation is trapped by the atmosphere, caused by the presence of greenhouse gases that allow incoming sunlight to pass through, but absorb heat radiated back from the Earth's surface. Contributes to climate change.

Hazardous Waste
Waste that poses a risk to human health or the environment and requires special disposal techniques to make it harmless or less dangerous. Hazardous waste can include a range of materials, such as asbestos, fridges and radioactive waste. Also called special waste.

Industrial Waste
Waste generated from industrial premises, such as factories.

In-vessel Composting
The method of composting that involves the decomposition of organic waste within an enclosed container, where moisture, temperature and odour can be regulated. Produces stable compost more quickly than windrow composting.

Kerbside Recycling
A regular doorstep collection of recyclates from a specified kerbside container.

Leachate
A toxic solution formed by water in which components of waste have dissolved, which permeates the soil surrounding a landfill site.

Methane
Methane (or CH4) is a greenhouse gas that is released from the waste in landfill sites and contributes to climate change .

National Waste Plan (NWP)
The National Waste Plan was developed as an action plan to implement The National Waste Strategy: Scotland. It outlines the waste reduction and recycling targets for Scottish local authorities and how these will be achieved.

Non-inert Waste
Waste that is active, meaning that it will decompose or otherwise change. Chemically active, combustible, biodegradable or polluting waste.

Polluter Pays Principle
Under this principle, the person or organisation that produces pollution (including waste) is held responsible for it. Linked to Producer Responsibility.

Pyrolysis
The thermal treatment of waste to recover energy. The waste is heated in the absence of oxygen to produce a mixture of gas, solid and liquid fuel.

Recycle
Recycle is the third stage in the Waste Hierarchy and means using waste materials to manufacture other products of an identical or similar nature.

Recycling Centre
A manned site with a collection of Recycling Points for depositing recyclates. Recycling Centres usually accept a wider range of waste materials than Recycling Points and can include other facilities, such as normal household waste disposal. Previously known as Civic Amenity Sites.

Reduce
Reduce is the first stage in the Waste Hierarchy and means taking steps to lower the amount of waste that we produce. Waste that is not created in the first place does not need to be reused, recycled or disposed of, so preventing or reducing waste generation is the most efficient way to deal with our waste. Also called waste minimisation.

Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)
Scottish Environment Protection Agency

Scottish Executive (SE)
The Scottish Executive is the devolved government for Scotland. It is responsible for most of the issues of day-to-day concern to the people of Scotland, including health, education, justice, rural affairs, and transport. Visit www.scotland.gov.uk for more information.

Soil Conditioner
A product containing nutrients that can be applied to soil to improve its condition. Also called compost.

Special Waste
See Hazardous Waste

Sustainable Development
Development that can be sustained in the long term, as it does not exhaust any finite resources. Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Thermal Treatment
To break down using heat. The treatment of waste to recover energy, including gasification, incineration, and pyrolysis.

Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP)
WRAP aims to create efficient markets for recycled materials while removing barriers to waste minimisation, reuse and recycling.

Waste Hierarchy
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, or the three R’s, which represent the order in which we should try to deal with waste before disposal. The Waste Hierarchy ranks waste management options in order of sustainability.

Waste Reduction
See Waste Minimisation

Waste Strategy Area Co-ordinator (WSAC)
Each Watse Strategy Area has a WSAC who is responsible for co-ordinating the work of the Waste Strategy Area Group.

Waste Transfer Station
A plant where materials are sorted, separated, baled and sent on for recycling or disposal. Also called a Materials Reclamation/Recovery Facility.

Windrow Composting
The method of composting that involves piling organic waste outside in long rows (windrows). Suited to producing large volumes of compost.