Biodegradable:

Materials capable of being decomposed back into the environment by natural biological processes.

Some materials labeled "biodegradable" can take longer to biodegrade than others. Look for products that are "readily biodegradable".

Closed Loop Recycling:

The recycling and reprocessing of materials from a collected product to make the same product again.

Disposal:

The process of throwing away or getting rid of a waste item. This includes methods such as burial in a landfill.

This is the least desirable management option for a waste type - ideally adopted only when all other environmentally acceptable avenues have been exhausted.

Energy Recovery:

Using the waste type as a fuel to produce heat energy, generally in a power plant to generate electricity.

E-waste:

The waste associated with the use and disposal of electronic equipment such as computers, televisions, printers, etc.

E-waste can contain a broad range of materials including precious metals (including gold and platinum), toxic heavy metals, metal circuitry, mixed plastics, fire retardants and glass.

The problem of e-waste is becoming increasingly significant in Australia and other countries where that have a fast uptake and turnover of electronic products.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR):

EPR is a policy approach in which a producer or manufacturer takes responsibility for the environmental impacts of their products through-out the entire life cycle of the product.

Traditionally, the environmental responsibility of producers focused on the environmental impacts of their factories. EPR extends this to also include any impacts of the product in it use and ultimately its disposal.

Finite Resources:

Natural resources that occur in a limited amount of extractable reserves.

Imaging Consumables:

The consumable (supplied in a certain quantity that is gradually used up) and replaceable components, such as drum units, ribbons, toner or inkjet cartridges and toner bottles; that are used to provide pigment for producing an image in 'imaging products' such as printers, fax machines and photocopiers.

Kerbside Recycling:

Recycling collection services, generally provided by local councils, that collect a range of recyclable household materials from recycling bins placed at a household's 'kerbside' (ie the side of the street).

Note that kerbside collections generally operate only in urban areas.

Landfill:

An area of land that is designated to contain waste. Waste is deposited in layers, then compacted and covered.

Open Loop Recycling:

The recycling of materials from one recovered product into another different product.

Post Consumer Waste:

This is the waste from goods that have been produced and distributed or bought, and/or used by the public. This includes household waste that is collected by council garbage and recycling collections and paper waste produced in administrative offices.

Look for recycled content paper and tissue products that are made with a decent portion of post consumer waste.

Pre-Consumer Waste:

This is the waste created during production, manufacturing and sometimes distribution. It has not been bought or used by consumers. This includes off cuts from manufacturing, such as pulped printed matter that did not meet approvals for distribution and faulty products or packaging.

Product Stewardship:

The responsible attitude of a manufacturer to ensure that their products have minimal environmental impacts throughout their life. Also see Extended Producer Responsibility, which is similar.

Raw Materials:

The basic materials or 'ingredients' used as feedstock for processing into new materials or products. For example, bauxite is the raw material that is processed into aluminium.

Recycling/Recycle:

The process where materials used in an item are re-processed into a new article.

'Recycling' is often used as a generic term, incorporating the concepts of waste reduction, reuse, recovery and reprocessing.

Reduce:

'Reduce' in recycling terms is a method of better using our planet's limited resources by reducing or cutting down on the amount of materials or products we use.

For example, we can reduce cartridge waste by cutting back on the amount of printing we do and therefore the number of printer cartridges we use.

Refilling:

Refilling a laser or inkjet cartridge can involve drilling a hole in the cartridge and placing new toner or ink inside. There is no removal or replacement of worn out cartridge components, such as gears or print heads.

Remanufacture:

The production of a product from the recovered uncontaminated raw materials sent back to the original equipment manufacturer or another company for reuse.

Remanufacturing a cartridge involves opening a cartridge and replacing a number of components. This process may include replacing up to 63% of the cartridge, such as toner, gears and drum blades.

Resource Recovery :

The collection and therefore "recovery" of products and materials from the waste stream for reuse, recycling, energy generation or composting instead of disposal.

The term "resource recovery" recognises that the materials that many people consider to be waste are actually resources with their own inherent value. These resources can be put to good use in other industries.

Reuse:

Repeated use of a product in its same state with minimal processing.

Examples of reuse include the reuse of milk cartons an seedling guards for tree planting or the reuse of shopping bags (preferably biodegradable) as bin liners.

Secondary Raw Materials:

Like raw materials, these are materials that are used as feedstock or ingredients to make new products. However, secondary raw materials are collected recyclable materials, which can be used instead of virgin raw materials in manufacturing with little or no change to the manufacturing process.

Secondary raw materials, such as scrap metals, can be traded as commodities.

Take-Back Programs:

Waste and recycling programs in which unwanted or used goods are returned to their original manufacturer instead of being disposed of. Ideally, the manufacturer then takes responsibility to ensure that these goods are reprocessed, recycled or disposed of in an environmentally sound way.

Toner:

The pigment used in photocopiers, some fax machines and laser printer cartridges. It is generally in a powdered form.

Virgin Materials:

Basic natural materials that are extracted from the ground or harvested and processed into new materials or products. For example, bauxite is the raw material that is processed into aluminium, petroleum for plastics manufacture, iron ore for steel manufacture and wood pulp for paper manufacture.

Waste:

Any unwanted by-products of mining, manufacturing, processing, day-to-day living and working and other human activities. Generally, these are the materials for which we have no further use and wish to dispose of.

Waste Avoidance:

The management of waste by not creating the waste in the first place.

Waste Hierarchy:

The waste hierarchy is a general model that places different approaches to managing waste in an order of priority that reflects their different environmental consequences. The order is: reduce (1), reuse (2), recycle (3), energy recovery (4), and landfill (5). Landfill is the least desirable outcome model.

The "3R's" – reduce, reuse & recycle – is a simpler, commonly used version of the waste hierarchy. More complex versions can also be developed and used.

Note that the waste hierarchy holds true as a model for waste management specifically. In broader environmental management models, more environmental impacts are considered, which can make the waste hierarchy invalid. For example, if the reuse of an item results in hazardous materials ending up in the environment, reuse is not necessarily better than recycling.

Waste Management:

The organised management of waste generation, collection, treatment and disposal practices.

Waste Minimisation:

Actions that reduce the total amount of waste that must ultimately be disposed of.