Baler	A machine used to compact recyclables into bundles to reduce volume. Paper products, corrugated cardboard, plastics, and aluminum and steel cans are commonly baled.
Bi-Metal Container	Any metal container that contains at least two different metals such as a steel-bodied can with an aluminum top.
Boxboard	Paper product used for office supply, cereal, cracker and shoe boxes, usually made from mixed waste paper. Not to be confused with corrugated cardboard.
Commingling	The mixing of materials during collection.
Compactor	A machine used to compress materials to a smaller volume.
Composting	The controlled process whereby organic materials are biologically broken down and converted into a stabilized humus material.
Computer Paper	Also known as CPO, or computer print-out. High quality white paper used either with tractor-feed or single sheet printers. May have blue, green or other color stripe printed on surface, but the basic fiber color is white.
Construction & Demolition Debris	Any waste resulting from construction, remodeling, repair, demolition operations or on pavement, buildings, or other structures. Waste that includes lumber, drywall, concrete, pipe, brick, glass, electrical wire, and rubble.
Consumption	The amount of any resource (material or energy) used in a given time.
Contaminant	A material that is harmful or undesirable to the recycling process when it is included with a recyclable material.
Container Rental	The monthly fee for having a compactor or dumpster on-site.
Corrugated Cardboard	Also known as cardboard box, and commonly used as a shipping container. Paper product made of unbleached kraft fiber, with two heavy outer layers and a wavy inner layer to provide strength.
Cullet	Container glass that has been sorted, crushed, and cleaned for glass factory furnaces to be manufactured into new containers.
Disposal	Management of solid waste through landfilling, incineration, or other means at permitted solid waste facilities.
Disposal Cost Savings	Economic savings from reduced waste hauling operational expenses and avoided disposal facility tipping fees.
Diversion Rate	The amount of all materials recycled as a percentage of the municipal solid waste stream.
EcoPurchasing	A source reduction strategy used by purchasing managers to select products that create the least amount of waste and toxicity.
Ferrous Metals	Metal containing iron (such as steel) in sufficient quantities to allow for magnetic separation.
Food Waste	Vegetable and animal food wastes resulting from food preparation, storage, or serving activities.
Gaylord	A 1.4 cubic yard cardboard container used to store loose materials.
Generation Data	Information on waste amounts derived from actual waste materials produced - usually determined by assessing waste bin on-site.
Generator	An individual, company, organization or activity that produces wastes or recyclable materials.
Hauler	A company that collects garbage and/or recyclable materials.
Hazardous Waste	Waste requiring special precaution in its use, collection, storage, transportation, treatment, or disposal to prevent injury to human health or the environment. Includes flammable, corrosive, ignitable, reactive, toxic, radioactive, volatile and pathological materials.
HDPE	High-density polyethylene, or #2 plastic. A plastic resin used for the manufacture of milk jugs, laundry product containers, margarine and butter tubs, and some plastic bags.
Landfill	A land waste disposal site that is designed to minimize water pollution from run-off and leaching.
Ledger	A paper category that includes most office paper, such as letterhead, computer paper, copier bond, and notebook paper.
Market	A business or industry that accepts recyclable materials for further processing or final manufacturing into new products.
Materials Exchange	See Waste Exchange
Mixed Paper	Types of paper that are not included in the high-grade category, such as envelopes, manila folders, junk mail, greeting cards, wrapping paper, glossy inserts, catalogs, and magazines.
Municipal Solid Waste	That portion of the waste stream that includes residential waste, commercial/institutional waste, and some light industrial waste. It does not include hazardous waste, radioactive waste, medical waste, or heavy industrial waste.
Non-ferrous Metal	Scrap metal that a magnet will not attract, such as aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, brass, precious metals, and other alloys.
Pallet	A wooden platform placed underneath large items so they may be picked up and moved by a forklift.
PET	Polyethylene terephthalate or #1 plastic. Clear plastic resin used in the manufacture of soda and liquor bottles, and some food containers, such as peanut butter jars.
Post consumer Waste	Waste materials generated by businesses or households.
Preconsumer Waste	Waste, scrap, or offcuts from industrial and manufacturing processes (it has not been used by businesses or households).
Processing	Operations performed to make recyclable materials more marketable. Processing may include sorting, baling, grinding, pelletizing or crushing.
Pull Fee	The charge for collecting and transporting waste to a waste disposal facility.
Recyclable Material	Those materials that are capable of being recycled and which would otherwise be discarded as solid waste.
Recycled Content	That part of a product which has been manufactured using preconsumer or post consumer recycled material.
Recycling	The process by which materials otherwise destined for disposal are collected, remanufactured, and purchased.
Reuse	The use of a product more than once in its same form for the same or similar purpose.
Roll-Off	A special truck which deposits and picks up a 10-to-50-cubic yard container at a site.
Secondary Materials	Recyclable materials such as waste paper and scrap metal.
Sludge	Solid or semi-solid residue resulting from waste water treatment or industrial processes.
Solid Waste Management	The administration of activities that provide for the collection, storage, transportation, processing, treatment and disposal of solid waste.
Source Reduction	Strategies that reduce the total amount and/or toxicity of the materials entering the waste stream. Also referred to as "waste prevention."
Source Separation	The process of segregating various materials by type at the point of generation in order to manage them through recycling, composting or other waste handling system.
Special Waste	Solid wastes/recyclables that can require special handling and management, such as used motor oil, whole tires, white goods, mattresses, lead-acid batteries, furniture and medical wastes.
Tin Cans	Food and beverage cans with steel bodies that are plated with tin. More correctly referred to as steel cans.
Tipping Fee	Charge for dumping ("tipping") a container of waste at a landfill, incinerator or other waste disposal facility. The fee is usually dollars per ton.
Virgin Materials	Natural resources, such as oil, timber, natural gas, and minerals that are extracted from the earth, as opposed to secondary materials that have already been used at least once.
Waste Assessment	An on-site assessment of the waste stream and recycling potential of an individual business, industry, institution, or household.
Waste Exchange	Two or more companies exchange materials that would otherwise be discarded. It may also be an organization with electronic and/or catalog networks to match companies that want to exchange their materials.
Waste Prevention	See "Source Reduction."
Waste Stream	The total flow of solid waste generated by a business, industry, institution, household, or municipality. Components of the waste stream are reduced by implementing source reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting techniques.
White Goods	Large appliances such as refrigerators, stoves, water heaters, washers, dryers, and air conditioners that are made of enameled metal.
Yard Waste	The portion of the waste stream consisting of vegetative matter resulting from landscaping, maintenance and land clearing operations, such as leaves, grass clippings, brush, tree trimmings, and garden wastes.