waste
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GC: n

CT: In Europe, we currently use 16 tonnes of material per person per year, of which 6 tonnes become waste. Although the management of that waste continues to improve in the EU, the European economy currently still loses a significant amount of potential ‘secondary raw materials’ such as metals, wood, glass, paper, plastics present waste streams. In 2010, total waste production in the EU amounted to 2,5 billion tons. From this total only a limited (albeit increasing) share (36%) was recycled, with the rest was landfilled or burned, of which some 600 million tons could be recycled or reused.
Just in terms of household waste alone, each person in Europe is currently producing, on average, half of tonne of such waste. Only 40% of it is reused or recycled and in some countries more than 80% still goes to landfill.

S: Environmental Data Centre on Waste, Eurostat – http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/ (last access: 15 February 2016)

N: 1. c.1200, “desolate regions,” from Anglo-French and Old North French wast “waste, damage, destruction; wasteland, moor” (Old French gast), from Latin vastum, neuter of vastus “waste”. Replaced or merged with Old English westen, woesten “a desert, wilderness,” from the Latin word. Meanings:

  • from c.1300 “consumption, depletion,” also “useless expenditure”.
  • sense of “refuse matter” is attested from c.1400.
  • Waste basket first recorded 1850.

2. Damaged, defective, or superfluous material produced by a manufacturing process: as (1) : material rejected during a textile manufacturing process and used usually for wiping away dirt and oil cotton waste (2) : scrap (3) : an unwanted by-product of a manufacturing process, chemical laboratory, or nuclear reactor toxic waste, hazardous waste, nuclear waste.
3. Types of waste:

  • Municipal Waste (including household and commercial)
  • Industrial waste (including manufacturing)
  • Hazardous Waste
  • Construction and Demolition Waste
  • Mining Waste
  • Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
  • Biodegradable Municipal Waste
  • Packaging Waste
  • End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) and Tyres
  • Agricultural Waste

4. There are a number of different options available for the treatment and management of waste including prevention, minimisation, re-use, recycling, energy recovery and disposal. Under EU policy, landfilling is seen as the last resort and should only be used when all the other options have been exhausted , i.e., only material that cannot be prevented, re-used, recycled or otherwise treated should be landfilled.
5. The term “waste” is considered to be an uncountable noun. However, it is often found in the plural form (wastes), particularly when speaking of different types of waste.
6. In the field of Waste Management: Waste can be defined as substances or material for which the owner or generator has no further use, and which is discarded. It can range from household trash to the by-products of industrial processes.
Waste includes solids, liquids and gases.

S: 1. OED – http://goo.gl/mDuMJd (last access: 15 February 2016) 2. MW – http://goo.gl/aJ75V7 (last access: 15 February 2016). 3 & 4. EIONET – http://scp.eionet.europa.eu/themes/waste (last access: 15 February 2016). 5 & 6. TERMIUM PLUS (last access: 15 February 2016).

SYN: waste products, waste matter, waste material.

S: TERMIUM PLUS (last access: 15 February 2016)

CR: ecology, environment, household waste recycling centre, landfill, olive mill wastewater, recycling, residues, spill, vegetable water.