PITCH-IN CANADA
Resource Centre

Re-Think
An educational Unit for children up to Grade 4
Written by Valerie Thom, B.Ed. and edited by Allard W. van Veen, APR, Fellow, CPRS

Glossary

biodegradable	capable of being broken down into simpler substances by microorganisms
biodegrade	the process of being broken down by microorganisms
compactor	the garbage truck specially designed to crush and flatten garbage by means of a hydraulic plate that compresses the garbage thrown into the truck
compost	decomposed organic material (n); the process of breaking down organic material (v)
compostable	organic material capable of being broken down into compost
conservation ethic	an attitude towards the environment that stresses respect for and survival of habitat, flora, and fauna
deposit-return	a system established in some jurisdictions in Canada to help prevent litter and reduce waste; a deposit is paid by the consumer when purchasing certain items, usually beverage containers, which is refunded to the consumer when the containers are returned in the manner outlined by the applicable legislation
dump	open, unmanaged site for the deposit of waste materials; a dump is not subject to the same environmental controls as a sanitary landfill
environment	the conditions and surroundings of a person, plant, animal or object
hazardous waste	toxic and harmful wastes, such as chemical pesticides and herbicides, paint, batteries, used motor oil, some household cleansers
incinerator	a specially designed furnace in which waste is burnt; incineration produces air emissions, flue and bottom ash, and non-combustible residue, the amount and composition of which varies according to the age, design, and environmental controls of the incinerator
landfill	see sanitary landfill
leachate	the liquid containing dissolved solids such as chemicals, decomposed wastes, bacteria, and other noxious materials, that drain from a landfill or dump
litter	waste that has not been properly disposed, either by putting into a container or recycling
methane: CH4	the natural gas produced by the process of decay; methane is produced by the decay of solid waste in a sanitary landfill; methane is explosive and has to be piped off; methane produced by sanitary landfills can be recovered, refined and sold as a fuel
midden	a pre-historic garbage dump, usually containing shells and/or bones
Mobius Loop	named after a German mathematician, August Mobius, who died in 1868; the Mobius Loop is now the common symbol for recycling. Mobius is credited with discovering the property of the twisted loop, which demonstrates an infinite or endless surface and symbolizes the endless use and re-use of materials. The three arrows refer to solids, liquids, and gases, the three kinds of recyclable substances.
mulch	material placed around plants to prevent moisture loss and to control weed growth; mulch materials may include grass cuttings, leaves, sawdust, straw, hay, peat moss and rotted compost
non-renewable resource	a natural resource that exists in a fixed quantity or whose replacement time by natural processes greatly exceeds the rate of consumption
packaging	the wrappings, container or sealing materials used to hold a product
photodegradable	capable of being broken down by ultra-violet light
recycle/recycling	to process an object or substance that is no longer needed in its original form in order to obtain raw materials for the manufacture of a new or similar product or substance; may also refer in general to the whole range of resource recovery activities
recyclable	capable of being recycled
refuse derived fuel (rdf)	a fuel that is made by separating domestic waste, then processing the combustible remains into fuel pellets suitable for commercial or municipal use
refillable	capable of being refilled; also used specifically to describe bottles, such as milk bottles, which, when empty, can be returned for refilling through established return systems
renewable resource	a source of raw materials or energy that can be renewed by nature, such as trees
resource recovery plant	a solid waste processing facility where recyclable/reusable plastic, glass, paper and metal are removed; the remainder may be processed into refuse derived fuel and/or landfilled and/or incinerated
returnable	a container on which a deposit, paid at the time of purchase, is refunded upon the correct return of the container as established in the regulations of the applicable legislation; the returnable container is disposed of, refilled or recycled
reusable	an item or substance that can be reused in some way without being recycled
reuse/reusing	see reusable
sanitary landfill	an area specifically designated for the burial of wastes, in which the waste is layered with dirt and compacted, and which is managed to minimize public health, safety and environmental damage; some landfills may be lined with clay or plastic to prevent leachates and may be piped to remove methane gas
scavenger	an animal that eats carrion; a person who uses garbage as a source for any or all of the following: food, shelter, or income through the resale of useable items
solid waste management	the control, collection and disposal of all solid wastes and discards including household, commercial, industrial, and construction wastes and garbage
sources of litter	the seven sources of urban litter are: motorists, pedestrians, construction sites, overflowing and inadequate residential and other garbage containers, warehouse loading docks, commercial garbage put-outs and uncovered trucks
tell	an artificial mound consisting of the accumulated remains of one or more ancient settlements in the Middle East and Egypt; an ancient garbage dump
vermin	small animals such as rats, mice, moles, etc. that are attracted to compost and garbage containing food