AICE Environmental
Management: Waste
Management Key Terms
and Processes
solid waste -ANSWER✅✅✅any unwanted or discarded material that is not a liquid or a
gas. Such as industrial solid waste and municipal solid waste.
industrial solid waste -ANSWER✅✅✅solid waste produced by mines, factories,
refineries, food growers, and businesses that supply people with goods and services.
municipal solid waste -ANSWER✅✅✅solid materials discarded by homes and
businesses in or near urban areas.
e-waste -ANSWER✅✅✅electronic waste, e-scrap, and end-of-life electronics are
terms often used to describe used electronics that are nearing the end of their useful
life, and are discarded, donated or given to a recycler.
hazardous waste -ANSWER✅✅✅any solid, liquid or containerized gas that can catch
fire easily, is corrosive to skin tissue or metals, is unstable and can explode or release
toxic fumes, or has harmful concentrations of one or more toxic materials that can leach
out.
waste management -ANSWER✅✅✅manages wastes to reduce their environmental
harm without seriously trying to reduce the amount of waste produced.
waste reduction -ANSWER✅✅✅reduces the amount of waste produced; wastes that
are produced are viewed as potential resources that can be reused, recycled, or
composted.
recycle -ANSWER✅✅✅the action or process of converting waste into reusable
material. For example, glass is melted down and reused to form a new product.
, upcycling -ANSWER✅✅✅reusing a discarded item in such a way as to create a
product of a higher quality than the original. For example, using materials from
discarded plastic bottles to make new shoes.
primary recycling -ANSWER✅✅✅process in which materials are recycled into new
products of the same type. Ex. used aluminum cans into new aluminum cans.
secondary recycling -ANSWER✅✅✅process in which waste materials are converted
into different products. Ex. used tires can be shredded and turned into rubberized road
surfacing.
sanitary landfills -ANSWER✅✅✅waste disposal site on land in which waste is spread
in thin layers, compacted, and covered with a fresh layer of clay or plastic foam each
day.
open dump -ANSWER✅✅✅fields or holes in the ground where garbage is deposited
and sometimes covered with soil. They are rare in more developed countries, but are
widely used in many less developed countries.
bioremediation -ANSWER✅✅✅the use of either naturally occurring or deliberately
introduced microorganisms or other forms of life to consume and break down
environmental pollutants, in order to clean up a polluted site.
phytoremediation -ANSWER✅✅✅a plant-based approach, which involves the use of
plants to extract and remove elemental pollutants or lower their bioavailability in soil.
plasma gasification -ANSWER✅✅✅waste-treatment technology that uses a
combination of electricity and high temperatures to turn municipal waste into usable by-
products without combustion.
deep well disposal -ANSWER✅✅✅process of safely storing or disposing of liquids
deep underground. It involves drilling beneath drinking water aquifers to trap the liquid
waste under multiple impermeable layers of rock.
surface impoundment -ANSWER✅✅✅natural topographic depressions, man-made
excavations, or diked areas formed primarily of earthen materials that are used to hold
an accumulation of liquid hazardous waste.
waste stream -ANSWER✅✅✅the flow of specific types of waste from their source
through to recovery, recycling of disposal.
landfill -ANSWER✅✅✅a place where waste is disposed of by burying it.
Management: Waste
Management Key Terms
and Processes
solid waste -ANSWER✅✅✅any unwanted or discarded material that is not a liquid or a
gas. Such as industrial solid waste and municipal solid waste.
industrial solid waste -ANSWER✅✅✅solid waste produced by mines, factories,
refineries, food growers, and businesses that supply people with goods and services.
municipal solid waste -ANSWER✅✅✅solid materials discarded by homes and
businesses in or near urban areas.
e-waste -ANSWER✅✅✅electronic waste, e-scrap, and end-of-life electronics are
terms often used to describe used electronics that are nearing the end of their useful
life, and are discarded, donated or given to a recycler.
hazardous waste -ANSWER✅✅✅any solid, liquid or containerized gas that can catch
fire easily, is corrosive to skin tissue or metals, is unstable and can explode or release
toxic fumes, or has harmful concentrations of one or more toxic materials that can leach
out.
waste management -ANSWER✅✅✅manages wastes to reduce their environmental
harm without seriously trying to reduce the amount of waste produced.
waste reduction -ANSWER✅✅✅reduces the amount of waste produced; wastes that
are produced are viewed as potential resources that can be reused, recycled, or
composted.
recycle -ANSWER✅✅✅the action or process of converting waste into reusable
material. For example, glass is melted down and reused to form a new product.
, upcycling -ANSWER✅✅✅reusing a discarded item in such a way as to create a
product of a higher quality than the original. For example, using materials from
discarded plastic bottles to make new shoes.
primary recycling -ANSWER✅✅✅process in which materials are recycled into new
products of the same type. Ex. used aluminum cans into new aluminum cans.
secondary recycling -ANSWER✅✅✅process in which waste materials are converted
into different products. Ex. used tires can be shredded and turned into rubberized road
surfacing.
sanitary landfills -ANSWER✅✅✅waste disposal site on land in which waste is spread
in thin layers, compacted, and covered with a fresh layer of clay or plastic foam each
day.
open dump -ANSWER✅✅✅fields or holes in the ground where garbage is deposited
and sometimes covered with soil. They are rare in more developed countries, but are
widely used in many less developed countries.
bioremediation -ANSWER✅✅✅the use of either naturally occurring or deliberately
introduced microorganisms or other forms of life to consume and break down
environmental pollutants, in order to clean up a polluted site.
phytoremediation -ANSWER✅✅✅a plant-based approach, which involves the use of
plants to extract and remove elemental pollutants or lower their bioavailability in soil.
plasma gasification -ANSWER✅✅✅waste-treatment technology that uses a
combination of electricity and high temperatures to turn municipal waste into usable by-
products without combustion.
deep well disposal -ANSWER✅✅✅process of safely storing or disposing of liquids
deep underground. It involves drilling beneath drinking water aquifers to trap the liquid
waste under multiple impermeable layers of rock.
surface impoundment -ANSWER✅✅✅natural topographic depressions, man-made
excavations, or diked areas formed primarily of earthen materials that are used to hold
an accumulation of liquid hazardous waste.
waste stream -ANSWER✅✅✅the flow of specific types of waste from their source
through to recovery, recycling of disposal.
landfill -ANSWER✅✅✅a place where waste is disposed of by burying it.
