Composting: Food waste, manure, and yard trimmings are organic and, when completely decomposed and added to bulking agents such as wood chips, can be used in place of soil to grow plant life.
Corrugated Box: A box used to ship products to and from the warehouse.
Downcycle: Transforming broken down materials of high value into a product of lesser value; the least efficient recycling method.
Formica: A heat resistant resin
Landfill: A large hole in the ground or a mound on top of the ground in which trash is placed for long-term disposal. A landfill consists of four parts: liner, cover, leachate collection system, hydrogeologic setting.
Leachate Collection System: The contaminated liquid that accumulates inside of a landfill.
Mortar: A paste used by construction workers to bind bricks and concrete together.
Natural Hydrogeologic Setting: The flow water would naturally take that is dependent upon the cracks and slopes in the earth that is underneath a landfill.
Recycle: When a discarded item is broken down, separated into its raw materials, and used toward make a brand new product. A recycled object repeats the steps of the waste stream, hence the name re-cycle.
Reduce: Minimizing the amount of waste generated.
Refurbishing: When a product is completely rebuilt with all new parts.
Remanufacturing: A remanufactured item is one that contains several used parts that have been cleaned and are in good condition. These parts are then combined with new parts to meet the "like new" standard and are resold to the public.
Repurposing: A method of reuse. A repurposed item is one that is given a brand new function than it originally was created to have.
Reuse: Using an item more than once, sometimes for a different purpose than it was originally created for.
Reuse Center: Essentially a mini-department store. It is a site in the community where people can donate and purchase new and used furniture and building materials at a fraction of the retail price.
Waste Analysis: Conducted before any waste is physically disposed of, an analysis is executed to map out the most effectual methods of discarding objects an organization or person can perform. A professional analyst must be certified and fully aware of the regulations set in place by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
Waste Stream: The complete step-by-step process garbage takes from when it is first put in the trash can all the way to the landfill, or to be treated and reused in the making of new products.
Upcycle: Transforming broken down materials of little value into a product of higher value; the most efficient recycling method.
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This site was created by Stephen Salvitti at Millersville University of Pennsylvania
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