Glossary of Waste Management Terms

Leachate – liquid that seeps through a landfill site and by so doing extracts substances from the deposited waste. Municipal waste - household waste and any other waste under the control of District Councils or their agents acting on their behalf. Proximity Principle – highlights a need to treat and/or dispose of waste in reasonable proximity to the point at which it is generated. Putrescible – liable to decompose or rot with an offensive smell. Recovery – the reclamation, collection and separation of waste materials from the waste stream. Recycling – the recovery and re-use of materials from the waste stream. Re-use – the repeated utilisation of an item/material for its original (or other) purpose. Self-sufficiency – is a central tenet of EC legislation which requires all member states to apply this principle in their waste management practices at national level and, as far as is practicable, also at regional and sub-regional levels. Special Waste – waste which contains substances deemed to be dangerous to life as defined by the Special Waste Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998. Waste – the unwanted by-product of industrial, commercial and domestic activities or anything otherwise discarded. Waste Disposal – the process of getting rid of unwanted, broken, worn out, contaminated or spoiled materials in an orderly, regulated fashion. Waste Management Hierarchy – is at the centre of European waste management policy. The hierarchy indicates the relative priority of different methods of managing waste, and provides instruction to waste management policy and planning initiatives on how to progress towards sustainable waste management policies. Waste Management Strategy – published on 20th March 2000, this document's main purpose is to provide a framework for the development of regional waste management facilities in Northern Ireland. Waste Management Plans (WMPs) – the principle mechanism for implementation of the Waste Management Strategy that requires District Councils to prepare WMPs in line with the timetable contained within the Strategy. Article 23 of the Waste & Contaminated Land Order 1997 imposed a duty on District Councils to prepare WMPs detailing what arrangements were appropriate for dealing with the recovery, treatment and disposal of controlled waste arising in their districts.