Environmental Studies Unit 10 Solid Waste Management

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering core terms, processes and hazards discussed in Unit 10 – Solid Waste Management.

Solid Waste

Unwanted or useless solid materials generated from residential, commercial, industrial or institutional activities.

Solid Waste Management (SWM)

The monitoring, collection, transport, treatment, recycling and final disposal of solid wastes to protect public health and the environment.

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)

Non-hazardous solid refuse from a city—households, offices, shops—requiring collection and transport to recycling or disposal sites.

Organic Waste

Biodegradable waste such as kitchen scraps, vegetables, fruits, flowers and leaves.

Toxic Waste

Waste containing harmful chemicals—e.g., paints, pesticides, batteries—that can cause acute or chronic health effects.

Hospital Waste

Medical discards like gloves, syringes, dressings and medicines generated by healthcare facilities.

Recyclable Waste

Materials like paper, glass, metals and plastics that can be reprocessed into new products.

Centralised Method (SWM)

Municipal collection of mixed urban waste followed by landfilling or recycling at a central site.

Decentralised Method (SWM)

Ward-level separation of waste at source into biodegradable and non-biodegradable fractions for local composting and recycling.

Residential Waste

Solid waste produced from homes and apartments—food scraps, packaging, clothing, ashes, etc.

Commercial Waste

Refuse originating from markets, restaurants, hotels, auto-shops and other businesses.

Institutional Waste

Paper, rubber, glass and other discards from schools, universities, offices and public buildings.

Industrial Waste

Process residues, toxic chemicals, ashes and construction debris generated by manufacturing activities.

Agricultural Waste

Ruined grains, crop residues and trash from farms, fields, orchards and vineyards.

Open-Area Waste

Litter from parks, beaches, roadsides, vacant lots and playgrounds.

Waste Generation

The stage in SWM where waste is produced by households, industries, institutions or public services.

Waste Collection

Gathering stored wastes and transporting them to a transfer station, recycling facility or landfill.

Waste Storage

Temporary onsite holding of waste in bins, drums or containers before collection.

Waste Disposal

Final placement of waste in landfills, through incineration, or other methods when no further use remains.

Landfill

Engineered site where waste is deposited in layers, compacted and covered with soil or liners to isolate it from the environment.

Sanitary Landfill Site

Properly selected and lined landfill that prevents leachate escape, avoids flood plains, quarries or sandpits and is distant from habitats.

Leachate

Liquid that percolates through landfilled waste, containing dissolved and suspended contaminants.

Incineration

Thermal treatment that burns waste at high temperatures, reducing volume and converting it to ash, flue gas and heat.

Composting

Biological decomposition of organic waste by microorganisms to produce nutrient-rich humus for soil.

Vermicomposting

Composting method that uses earthworms to accelerate breakdown and enrich compost with worm castings.

Recycling

Conversion of discarded materials into new products, saving resources and landfill space.

Upcycling

Form of recycling that upgrades waste into products of higher value or quality (e.g., roads from waste plastic).

Downcycling

Recycling process that turns materials into lower-quality products (e.g., high-grade plastics into lower-grade items).

Hazardous Waste

Waste that poses substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment due to chemical, physical or biological properties.

Ignitability

Characteristic of hazardous waste that can easily catch fire; flashpoint below 60 °C.

Corrosivity

Property of waste with pH ≤ 2 or ≥ 12.5 that can corrode metals and damage skin (e.g., acids, bases).

Reactivity

Instability of waste that can explode, emit toxic gases or react violently when heated, compressed or mixed with water.

Toxicity

Ability of waste to cause harm or death when ingested or absorbed; can leach hazardous constituents into groundwater.

Flashpoint

Lowest temperature at which a substance produces enough vapour to ignite when exposed to air.

Sea Dumping

Costly and environmentally harmful disposal method of tipping waste into the ocean, used mainly by coastal cities.

Salvaging Procedure

Recovery of useful materials—paper, glass, metals—for recycling and reuse from the waste stream.

Biological Digestion (Fermentation)

Treatment where biodegradable waste is decomposed by microbes, producing compost or biogas.

Soil Contamination

Pollution of soil by hazardous substances leached or spilled from waste, degrading land quality.

Water Contamination

Introduction of pollutants from waste into surface or groundwater, threatening ecosystems and human health.

Nuclear Waste

Radioactive by-products from fission, fusion or refinement processes in reactors, fuel plants, hospitals and labs.

Methane (CH₄)

Potent greenhouse gas produced by anaerobic decomposition of organic waste in landfills.

Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)

Greenhouse gas emitted from waste decomposition and incineration, contributing to climate change.