Avoid - to keep away from.
Biodegradable - natural materials that will rot away quite quickly into the environment.
Chemical - substance produced or used in chemistry. Material produced by or used in a reaction involving changes in atoms or molecules (the things everything is made up of).
Chemically reactive - a substance that will change because of a chemical reaction when mixed with other chemicals.
Compacted - when something is squashed so that it takes up less space.
Compost - a mixture of organic material that decomposes and can be used as a soil conditioner/fertiliser
Conserve - to protect from loss, to avoid wasteful or destructive use.
Consumer - a person who buys goods or services.
Corrosive - a substance, especially a strong acid, that can eat away anything solid.
Decompose - to rot away.
Demand - the want, need or desire for a specific resource in a certain amount.
Deplete - to come to the end of supply or to use up.
Disposable - made to be used and then thrown away.
Disposal - to get rid of something or to throw something away.
Durable - will last a long time.
Ecology - the study of all living things.
Eco-toxic - causes a lot of damage to the environment.
Environment - everything around us.
Explosive - a substance, often chemical, that can easily blow up if it is hit or is put near heat.
Flammable - a substance that easily turns into fire and burns rapidly.
Groundwater - water that collects or flows beneath the Earth's surface.
Hazardous waste - a substance that can damage the environment or can harm humans and other living organisms.
HazMobile - a mobile collection service for household hazardous waste.
Inorganic waste - waste that comes from non-living things (e.g.plastic, glass, metal).
Insecticide - a substance made to kill insects.
Items - an individual object that is part of a group.
Landfill
a) A large hole in the ground where waste is buried.
b) A modern engineered rubbish dump: Solid waste is buried between layers of dirt and other materials in such a way as to reduce any harm to the surrounding land. Today, landfills are often lined with layers of plastic to stop poisonous chemicals from getting into the soil. Methane gas is often used as an energy source.
Leachate - the liquid produced by rubbish in a landfill that can be hazardous if it gets into the soil or underground water.
Manufacture - make or process a raw material into a finished product.
Material - a substance that things are made from or can be made from.
Methane gas - a gas (CH4) which is produced by organic waste breaking down in a landfill.
Methylated spirits - an alcohol, poisonous to drink, that has been changed so it can be used as a fuel, solvent and a disinfectant.
Mobile - able to move around.
Natural resource - something that is found in nature and is necessary or useful to humans (eg. trees, ore, sand and oil).
Non-renewable resource - resources that will not last forever.
Object - a material thing that can make a shadow.
Ore - a rock or mineral containing metal.
Organics - 'Organics' is a short way to refer to organic materials. The term organic waste is avoided as organics are a valuable resource and should not be considered waste.
Organic material - anything from a once living organism.
Pollution - to dirty the air, water or land (soil).
Poisonous - capable of harming or killing. Also called toxic or venomous
Radioactive - something that gives off rays which can be dangerous.
Recyclables - items that can be recycled.
Recycle - to change a used item (rubbish) into something new. Glass, paper, aluminium, steel and some plastic can be recycled.
Reduce - to use, or make less of an item or object.
Renewable resource - resources that come from something that can be endless (e.g. sun, wind, trees).
Resource
a) Valuable material used to support or help.
b) The raw materials used to make things.
Reuse - to use something over and over again in its original form e.g. glass jar.
Rubbish - items that people throw away when they no longer have a use for them. Also called garbage, trash, waste and refuse.
Soil conditioner - a product that improves the condition of soil. This may add nutrients (fertiliser), contribute to better soil structure (improved moisture retention, reduced compaction), or introduce organisms that improve the condition of the soil.
Substance - material of a certain kind that occupies space.
Surface water - all water on the surface of the earth.
Sustainable living - making small changes to the way we do things now to ensure we have quality of life and a healthy environment in the future.
Toxic - things that can cause injury or death, usually chemicals.
Transfer station - a place where rubbish is dropped off. The rubbish is then taken to a landfill.
Treated - to go through a process that improves the quality of a substance, or makes a hazardous substance safe.
Waste - any unwanted, unused objects or materials that seem worthless to humans. Also called rubbish, refuse, garbage and trash.
Waste minimisation - reducing waste at the source.
