A

  • Anaerobic Digestion – Biological process that breaks down organic waste to produce biogas and fertiliser.
  • Asbestos Waste – Hazardous waste requiring specialised handling and disposal. Asbestos should not be disposed of in general waste and should not be handled without appropriate PPE. Asbestos needs to be handled and disposed of by qualified professionals. The Asbestos Safety Website provides a search function to find disposal facilities in your state.
  • Audit (Waste Audit) – Assessment of waste streams to identify recycling opportunities.

B

  • Baler Machine – Equipment that compresses recyclable materials into compact bales for easy storage and transport.
  • Bin Compactor – Machine that compresses general or recyclable waste inside a bin, reducing volume and haulage costs.
  • Biodegradable Waste – Organic waste that naturally decomposes (food scraps, garden waste).

C

  • C&D (Construction & Demolition Waste) – Waste from construction sites, demolition activities, and renovations (timber, concrete, plasterboard).
  • C&I (Commercial & Industrial Waste) – Waste generated from businesses and industry operations.
  • Carbon Footprint – The total greenhouse gas emissions linked to a product, company, or activity.
  • Circular Economy – A sustainable system that minimises waste by keeping resources in use for as long as possible.
  • Compactor Bin – A commercial or industrial container with a built-in compaction system to reduce waste volume.
  • Contamination – Non-recyclable materials mixed with recyclables, lowering recycling quality.
  • Crusher – Equipment designed to reduce materials like glass or metal into smaller fragments.

D

  • Depacker – Machine that separates food from packaging for organic recycling.
  • Diversion Rate – The percentage of waste diverted from landfill through recycling or recovery processes.
  • Document Shredding – Secure destruction of confidential paper waste.

E

  • E-Waste (Electronic Waste) – Discarded electrical products such as computers, TVs, and mobile devices.
  • EPA (Environment Protection Authority) – State-based regulatory body overseeing environmental protection and compliance.
  • EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) – Policy where producers are responsible for the disposal and recycling of their products.

F

  • FER (Ferrous Metals) – Metals containing iron, e.g., steel, that are recyclable through shredding or smelting.
  • FOGO (Food Organics & Garden Organics) – Biodegradable waste stream from households and businesses.

G

  • Glass Recycling – The process of crushing and re-melting glass for reuse in bottles, jars, and construction materials. This process can also include a process where glass is pulverised into aggregate or sand mix.
  • Granulator – Equipment that reduces plastics, tyres, or glass into small particles or granules for further processing.
  • Green Star Rating – Australian sustainability rating for buildings and operations.

H

  • Hazardous Waste – Waste posing risks to health or the environment (e.g., chemicals, asbestos, medical waste).
  • HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) – A recyclable plastic used in milk bottles, detergent containers, and piping.

L

  • LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene) – A soft, flexible plastic used in film, shrink wrap, and bags.
  • Landfill Levy – Government fee charged per tonne of waste sent to landfill, designed to encourage recycling.

M

  • Material Recovery Facility (MRF) – A processing plant where recyclable materials are sorted and prepared for reuse.
  • Medical Waste – Waste from healthcare facilities, often requiring sterilisation or incineration.
  • MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) – General household and council-collected waste.

N

  • NFER (Non-Ferrous Metals) – Metals such as aluminium, copper, and brass that do not contain iron and are highly recyclable.
  • National Waste Policy Action Plan – Australia’s national framework for waste reduction and recycling growth.

O

  • Organic Waste – Biodegradable materials such as food scraps, green waste, and timber.
  • OTR Tyres (Off-the-Road Tyres) – Large tyres from mining, agriculture and construction equipment, often processed into TDF or crumb rubber.

P

  • PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) – A common recyclable plastic used in soft drink and water bottles.
  • Plastics Recycling – Processing of plastics such as PET, HDPE, LDPE, PP, PS, and PVC into reusable products.
  • PP (Polypropylene) – Durable plastic used in packaging, strapping, and containers.
  • PS (Polystyrene) – Plastic used for foam packaging, insulation, and single-use food containers.
  • PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) – Plastic used in pipes, flooring, and building materials.
  • PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) – Equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses.

R

  • RDF (Refuse-Derived Fuel) – Fuel produced from combustible waste materials.
  • Residual Waste – Waste left after recycling and recovery processes.
  • Resource Recovery – The process of reclaiming materials or energy from waste.
  • Recycling Contamination – Incorrect items placed in recycling bins that disrupt recovery.

S

  • Shredder – Equipment that reduces waste (cardboard, tyres, plastics, timber) into smaller pieces for recycling or disposal.
  • Single-Stream Recycling – Collection method where all recyclables are placed in one bin for later sorting.
  • SRF (Solid Recovered Fuel) – High-calorific fuel derived from sorted non-recyclable waste.
  • Sustainability – Practices aimed at reducing environmental impact and conserving resources.

T

  • TDF (Tyre Derived Fuel) – Alternative fuel created from shredded tyres, used in cement kilns and energy plants.
  • Tyre Recycling – Processing of tyres into TDF, crumb rubber, or other reusable products.

W

  • WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) – European term for electronic waste.
  • Waste Compactor – Equipment designed to reduce the volume of general or commercial waste.
  • Waste Hierarchy – A priority order for managing waste: reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, dispose.
  • Waste-to-Energy – Converting non-recyclable waste into usable energy.

Z

  • Zero Waste – A philosophy and set of strategies to minimise or eliminate waste sent to landfill or incineration.