Solid Waste Management and Sustainability

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary terms related to solid waste management, recycling, and environmental sustainability.

Sanitary Landfills

Designated areas for waste disposal where waste is isolated from the environment until it is safe.

Polystyrene

A lightweight plastic material that is commonly known as Styrofoam, used in cups and packaging.

Cradle to Grave Analysis

Assessment of a product's lifecycle from resource extraction to its disposal.

Planned Obsolescence

The policy of deliberately designing products to fail or become outdated, necessitating replacement.

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)

The waste generated by households and businesses, including refuse from kitchens and bathrooms.

E-waste

Electronic waste that includes discarded devices such as computers and cell phones containing toxic metals.

Open Loop Recycling

Recycling method where used materials are repurposed into new products, often of different types.

Closed Loop Recycling

A recycling process in which the recycled materials are used to create the same product.

Durable Goods

Products that are made to last a long time, such as appliances and electronics, and do not break down easily.

Nondurable Goods

Items with a short lifespan that decompose quickly, such as food and paper products.

Three R's

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle; a hierarchy of waste management strategies.

Composting

The process of recycling organic material such as food scraps and yard waste into nutrient-rich soil.

Love Canal

A famous hazardous waste site in New York that became a symbol of environmental pollution.

Superfund Site

Contaminated locations requiring cleanup because of hazardous substances, managed under the federal law.

Brownfields

Properties whose reuse may be complicated by the presence of hazardous substances or contaminants.

Energy Consumption

The amount of energy used in the production, transport, and disposal of goods.

Waste Generation

The process of producing waste through various stages of manufacturing, consumption, and disposal.