Appendix A: Glossary
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Ammonia (NH3 ) is a colourless gas, generated primarily from livestock waste management and fertilizer production. It combines with sulphates and nitrates to form particulate matter less than or equal to 2.5 micrometres (PM2.5) and can also contribute to the nitrification and eutrophication of aquatic systems.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a toxic, colourless, odourless gas generated primarily from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels.
Composting is an aerobic biological treatment process used most frequently in Canada at this time for management of biodegradable residential waste, such as leaf and yard or food wastes.
Construction and demolition waste includes waste generated by construction, renovation and demolition activities. It generally includes materials such as wood, drywall, certain metals, cardboard, doors, windows, wiring, etc. It excludes materials from land-clearing on areas not previously developed, as well as materials such as asphalt, concrete, bricks and clean sand or gravel.
Diversion rate refers to the amount of waste diverted as a proportion of waste generated.
E-waste refers to electronic equipment waste such as cellular phones, computers, televisions and other electronic devices.
Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are the group of chemical compounds that are responsible for the so-called greenhouse effect. The most important greenhouse gases produced by economic activity are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
Hazardous waste includes all materials designated as hazardous, due to their nature or quantity, and requiring special handling techniques as specified by legislation or regulation.
Incineration, in the context of waste, refers to the burning of waste. Most jurisdictions in Canada consider incineration to be disposal.
Industrial, commercial and institutional (IC and I) waste is the waste generated by all non-residential sources in a municipality, and is excluded from the residential waste stream. This includes:
- industrial waste, which is generated by manufacturing, primary and secondary industries, and is managed off-site from the manufacturing operation, and is generally picked up under contract by the private sector;
- commercial waste is generated by commercial operations such as shopping centres, restaurants, offices, etc. Some commercial waste (from small street-front stores, etc.) may be picked up by the municipal collection system along with residential waste;
- institutional waste is generated by institutional facilities such as schools, hospitals, government facilities, seniors homes, universities, etc. This waste is generally picked up under contract with the private sector.
Mine tailings are waste rock rejected after most of the recoverable valuable minerals have been extracted.
Municipal wastewater is effluent discharged from municipal wastewater treatment plants, combined sewer overflows, and stormwater discharges.
Natural resource residuals refers to byproducts from extraction and production processes associated with natural resources such as waste rock from mining.
Nitrogen oxides (NOx ) are air pollutants that consist primarily of nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) produced by the reaction of nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2) in air at high temperatures in internal combustion engines and furnaces. Nitrogen oxides contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone, the production of particulate matter and acid deposition (including acid rain).
Non-residential waste includes municipal solid non-hazardous waste generated by industrial, commercial and institutional sources as well as waste generated by construction and demolition activities.
Particulate matter is a broad category of air pollutants that includes a range of small solid or liquid particles varying in size and chemical composition. Total particulate matter (TPM) refers to all particles with a diameter less than 100 micrometres. Particulate matter less than or equal to 10 micrometres (PM10) is a subset of TPM and particulate matter less than or equal to 2.5 micrometres (PM2.5) is a subset of PM10.
Pollution abatement and control processes refers to separately identifiable processes whose sole purpose is to abate undesirable substances emitted during normal production activities, without any impact on the production process itself.
Pollution prevention is the minimization or elimination of pollutants before they are created rather than after they are created.
Recirculation rate is the amount of recirculated water as a percentage of water intake.
Recycling is the process whereby a material (for example, glass, metal, plastic, paper) is diverted from the waste stream and remanufactured into a new product or is used as a raw material substitute.
Radioactive waste refers to waste products generated from: uranium mining, milling, refining and conversion; nuclear fuel fabrication; nuclear reactor operations; nuclear research; and radioisotope manufacture and use.
Residential waste includes solid waste from residential sources (households), and includes waste that is picked up by the municipality (either using its own staff or through contracting firms), or residential waste that is taken by the generator to depots, transfer stations and disposal facilities.
Residuals are flows of solid, liquid and gaseous materials, and energy that are discarded, discharged or emitted by establishments and households through processes of production, consumption or accumulation.
Solid waste generation is the sum of total non-hazardous residential and non-residential solid waste disposed of in an off-site disposal facility and the total materials processed for recycling at an off-site recycling facility.
Stormwater is water from rain or snowmelt that accumulates prior to entering a water body or filtering into soils.
Sulphur oxides (SOx ) are a group of gases—mainly sulphur dioxide (SO2)—produced by the combustion of fossil fuels and by natural sources such as volcanoes. SO2 dissolves in water vapour in the air to form acids, and interacts with other gases and particles in the air to form sulphates.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) include those that participate in atmospheric photochemical reactions and exclude compounds such as methane, ethane, acetone, methylene, chloride, methyl chloroform and several chlorinated organics. VOCs are carbon-containing compounds that have a high propensity to pass from the solid or liquid state to the vapour state under typical environmental conditions. Such compounds contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone, a component of smog as well as the formation of PM2.5.
There have been several definitions of waste proposed in recent years. One common thread among these definitions is the concept that waste is a material that is unwanted by its producer. The unwanted materials may be by-products of a production process—fly ash from a furnace, for example. Alternatively they might be products, the inherent value of which has been consumed from the perspective of the current holder. For example, a newspaper that has been read, a package that has been opened and emptied of its contents, or an apple eaten to the core, are all similar insofar as they have lost their original inherent value from the consumer's perspective.
Waste disposal refers to all materials not wanted by their generator and which are discarded for management at waste disposal facilities (excludes materials destined for recycling and composting).
Waste diversion represents the quantity of materials diverted from disposal facilities and represents the sum of all materials processed for recycling at an off-site recycling or composting facility.
The waste management industry includes all firms and public bodies operating in Canada that provide the services of collection, transportation, diversion, treatment or disposal of waste or recyclable materials.
Wastewater refers to water that is returned to the environment after being used during some activity or process, and it may be treated or untreated at the location of use prior to being discharged.
Water recirculation refers to the process of using water more than once in an industrial establishment. It applies mainly to industrial cooling and processing activities.
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