| Recycling Glossary |
- B
- bacteria: Bacteria are important in
recycling biodegradable material.
- biodegradable: Material that is able to
decompose naturally due to the action of
bacteria.
- biodegradable waste: Waste coming
from plant or animal sources broken down
by living organisms.
- C
- carbon dioxide: A colorless and
odorless gas formed during respiration
and combustion. It is absorbed from the
air by plants during photosynthesis.
- clean: A recyclable material that doesn't
have anything attached to it. Copper,
aluminum and brass are clean and worth
more money if you take off any glass,
plastic or other metal that may be on it.
- D
- data: Computer data is information
processed or stored on a computer's hard
drive. Data is stored in files and folders.
types of data:
- text documents
- images
- audio
- software programs
- deforestation: Destroying a forest and
replacing it with something else.
- E
- erase: Computer terminology for
remove. You can erase entire files or
folders from your hard drive. Erase is not
the same as delete. When data is deleted,
it is still there until it is written over.
Special programs are used to write over
data one or more times.
- F
- fossil fuel: Any carbon-containing fuel
derived from the decomposed remains of
prehistoric plants and animals. Coal,
petroleum, and natural gas are fossil fuels.
- P
- post-consumer material or waste:
Used recyclable materials, such as empty
plastic bottles and aluminum cans, that go
into the trash.
- R
- recycle: To process old and used waste
material so it can be used again to make
something new. Aluminum cans, copper,
glass bottles, paper and plastic are
commonly recycled material.
recyclable material:
- aluminum
- batteries
- brass
- cardboard
- copper
- glass
- iron
- newspaper
- paint
- paper
- plastic
- used motor and filters
- reduce: Use less of something.
- reuse: To use something again.
- W
- waste: Materials that are used, old, left
over from processing new materials or
rejected as worthless or unwanted.
Earth911.com delivers
actionable local information on
recycling and product
stewardship that empowers
consumers to act locally, live
responsibly and contribute to
sustainability.
actionable local information on
recycling and product
stewardship that empowers
consumers to act locally, live
responsibly and contribute to
sustainability.
