Glosssary

Below are some important recycling and green terms to know. 

• Biodegradable: When a material is able to be broken down by microorganisms into essential elements such as water and carbon dioxide.

• Conserve: Protect something from being overused or being completely lost. Conservation is using natural resources wisely to avoid wasting them or entirely using them up.

• Decompose: Break down into its component parts or essential elements; to rot. Decomposition is a vital organic process needed to continue life as it creates nutrients that plants and animals need to live.

• Ecosystem: Self sufficient environment made of biological and physical characteristics.

• E-waste: Electronic components including computers, monitors, keyboards, mice, TVs, etc that contain harmful substances. Usually they can be disassembled to be recycled.

• Fossil fuels: Deposits of natural gas, coal and oil that take a long time to develop in the environment.

• Garbage: Waste food that is thrown away; does not include dry trash.

• Going green: Taking steps to recycle, conserve energy and reduce pollution in our communities.

• Groundwater: Water under the surface of the earth that flows between the soil and underlying rock. Groundwater is what is found in springs and wells. Toxic substances in some landfills can contaminate our groundwater.

• Hazardous waste: Poisonous waste, such as e-waste, that can cause an unhealthy or hazardous condition for living things or the environment.

• Humus: Organic matter from decayed vegetable materials. Provides essential nutrients for plants.

• Landfill: A place where solid waste is buried, controlled and managed. Some solid waste takes decades or centuries to degrade, so recycling these items as much as possible is important.

• Natural resource: A material that occurs naturally in the world, such as air, water, oil, minerals and trees.

• Nonrenewable resource: Natural resources that are considered finite, such as copper, coal and petroleum.

• Organic: Created from living organisms

• Pollution: Harmful substances that lead to unhealthy air, water or soil.

• Recycle: Collecting and reprocessing manufactured materials to be remanufactured either as the same product or as a different product.

• Reduce: Lessen the amount in quantity or number

• Renewable energy: Alternative forms of energy using natural resources such as wind, water (hydropower) and sun.

• Reuse: Extend the life of a product by using it again

• Sanitary landfill: A new type of landfill made to dispose of solid waste on land safely.

• Solid waste: This can include trash, garbage, industrial waste, construction waste and household items thrown away, such as furniture and appliances

• Textiles: Fabrics that make up clothes.