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An A-Z glossary of waste definitions

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A list of acronyms and initialisms for waste. These abbreviations and acronyms are all common to the waste industry, however be aware that when used in other contexts they may mean something completely different...! This glossary is one of many free learning resources provided by Ditto Sustainability; you can view the growing boxset of free content here.

On with the acronyms...OK BANANA...

A

22f919238944af34e52a10a96b8b41c6ABPO

Animal By-Products Order 1999 - Replaced by (Amendment) (England) Order 2001

AD

Anaerobic Digestion

ADR

`Accord Europeen Relatif aux Transport International des Marchandises Dangereuses par Route` (European agreement concerning the international carriage of dangerous goods - CDG - by road)

ALANI

Association of Local Authorities in Northern Ireland

APSWG

Associate Parliamentary Sustainable Waste Management Group

AATF

Approved Authorised Treatment Facility

ATF

Authorised Treatment Facility


B

BANANA

Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything

BATNEEC

Best Available Technique (Not Entailing Excessive Costs)

BATRRT

Best Available Treatment Recycling and Recovery Technology

BERR

Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (replaced DTI)

BFR

Brominated Flame Retardants

BIS

Department of Business Innovation and Skills
(Replaced BERR)

BMW

Biodegradable Municipal Waste

BPEO

Best Practicable Environmental Option (soon to be replaced with 'BO', Best Option)

BPF

British Plastics Federation

BREW

Business Resource Efficiency and Waste programme

BSI

British Standards Institute

BVPI

Best Value Performance Indicator

AWP

Area Waste Plan


C

b2CA site

Civic Amenity (site) (see HWRC)

CATNAP

Cheapest Available Technology Narrowly Avoiding Prosecution

CATNIP

Cheapest Available Technology Not Involving Prosecution

C&D

Construction and Demolition

CDG

Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail
(Classification, Packaging and Labelling) Regulations 1994

CEN

Comité Européen De Normalisation
(European Committee for Standardisation)

CFC

Chlorofluorocarbon

CHEM

Container Handling Equipment Manufacturers

CHIP

Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations (CHIP 3 2002)

CHP

Combined Heat and Power
C&I
Commercial and Industrial Waste 

CIO

Consumer Information Obligation (Packaging)

CIPFA

Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy

CIWEM

Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management

CIWM

Chartered Institution of Wastes Management

COPA

Control of Pollution Act (1974) Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989

COSHH

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (2002) replaced (1999 Regulations)

COSLA

Convention of Scottish Local Authorities

COTC

Certificate of Technical Competence

CV

Calorific Value

CSR

Corporate Social Responsibility


D

b9cc5bc4043821089ff78e26c0162f76DCF

Designated Collection Facility (WEEE)

DEFRA

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

DGXI

Directorate General of the European Commission responsible for the Environment
DMR
Dry Mixed Recycling

DOC

Duty Of Care (Environmental Protection (DOC) Regulations 1991 and (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2003)

DOENI

Department for the Environment Northern Ireland

DSO

Direct Service Organisation

DTS

Distributor Takeback Scheme (WEEE)


E

7383cb976a43e4e459a16cce62329b61EA

Environment Agency

EB

Environmental Body

EEA

European Environment Agency

EHO

Environmental Health Officer 

EIA

Environmental Impact Assessment

ELV

End of Life Vehicles (Directive 2000/53/EC) (Regulations 2003)

EMAS

Eco-Management and Audit Scheme

EMS

Environmental Management System

ENTRUST

Landfill Tax Communities Fund administrator

ENCAMS

Environmental Campaigns
(was Going for Green and Tidy Britain Group)

EPA

Environmental Protection Act (1990)
EPR
Extended Producer Responsibility

ESA

Environmental Services Association

ETSU

Energy Technology Support Unit

EWC

European Waste Catalogue


F

25a2a8b36de950faba895e78689b595bFEL

Front end loader (waste collection truck)

FOE

Friends of the Earth

Frag

Fragmentised Waste (from the motor trade industry)


G


H

HDPE

High Density Polyethylene

HHW

Household Hazardous Waste

HSE

Health and Safety Executive 
HWR
Hazardous Waste Regulations

HWRA

Household Waste Recycling Act (2003)

HWRC

Household Waste Recycling Centre


I

IBA

Inc6eb3a3aac070cc5a23deef1b48dcfc49inerator Bottom Ash
IBC
Intermediate Bulk Container (1,000 litre container for liquids)

ICE

Institute of Civil Engineers
IED
Industrial Emissions Directive
IEMA
Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment

IMT

Institute of Municipal Transport

IPC

Integrated Pollution Control 

IPP

Integrated Product Policy

IPPC

Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control

ISWA

International Solid Waste Association

IVC

In Vessel Composting

IWM

Integrated Waste Management/Institute of Wastes Management pre charter


J


K


L

file0001021214265LA

Local Authority
LAAPC
Local Authority Air Pollution Control

LAPC

Local Air Pollution Control

LARAC

Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee
LAS
Landfill Allowance Scheme

LATS

Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme

LAWDC

Local Authority Waste Disposal Company

LCA

Life Cycle Analysis

LCF

Landfill Communities Fund

LDPE

Low Density Polyethlene

LGA

Local Government Association, Welsh LGA
LoW
List of Waste
LOWR
List of Waste Regulations (The List of Waste [England] Regulations 2005 and the list of Waste (Wales) Regulations 2005)


M

file000565091802MRF

Materials Recovery Facility (or Recycling or Factory)

MSW

Municipal Solid Waste


N

NAWDO

National Association of Waste Disposal Officers

NFFO

Non Fossil Fuel Obligation

NGO

Non-Governmental Organisation

NHHWF

National Household Hazardous Waste Forum

NIEA

Northern Ireland Environment Agency

NIMBY

'Not In My Back-Yard'

NISP

National Industrial Symbiosis Programme

NOF

New Opportunities Fund
NPWD
National Packaging Waste Database

NVQ

National Vocational Qualification (or Scottish)

NWAI

National Waste Awareness Initiative


O

5a4c1168f9176745fa65ec9a6769b1c0ODS

Ozone Depleting Substance (e.g. refrigerants)

OECD

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development

OJEU

Official Journal of the European Union

OMA

Operator Monitoring Assessment

OPRA

Operator Pollution Risk Appraisal


P

ec9e2c53a2666732a2f11f950e90a79bPAS

Publicly Available Standard

PCB

Polychlorinated Biphenyl (s)

PERN

Packaging Waste Export Recovery Note

PET

Polyethylene Terephthalate

PFI

Private Finance Initiative

POM

Prescription Only Medicine

PP

Polypropylene

PPC

Pollution Prevention and Control Act (1999) (Regulations 2000) beware many amendments after 2000

PPE

Personal Protective Equipment

PR

Producer Responsibility

PRN

Packaging Recovery Note

PS

Polystyrene

PVC

Polyvinyl chloride


Q

QMS

Quality Management Systems

QUANGO

Quasi-Autonomous Non-Governmental Organisation


R

b3f42e36c80139b2f80d7fafd150b764RAGS

Recycling Advisory Group, Scotland

RCV

Refuse Collection Vehicle

RDA

Regional Development Agencies

RDF

Refuse Derived Fuel (fuel produced from the shredding and drying of waste material)

RECOUP

Recycling Of Used Plastics

REL

Rear End Loader

RIA

Regulatory Impact Assessment

RIDDOR

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995

ROC

Renewables Obligation Certificate

ROHS

Restricting Of Hazardous Substances in product manufacture

RoRo

Rolonof/Roll-on Roll-off, demountable container system

ROTATE

Recycling and Organic Technology Advisory Team (WRAP)
RTAB
Regional Technical Advisory Body (a group of experts which provide guidance in relation to waste management and classification of certain waste streams)


S

ac952347cdc66e23b07dbc9abe7d65bbSEA
Strategic Environmental Assessment
SEPA

Scottish Environment Protection Agency
SRF
Solid Recovered Fuel (fuel derived from general waste, shredded and dried to meet a standard)

SSA

Standard Spending Assessment

SWAG

Scottish Waste Advisory Group
SWMP
Site Waste Management Plan


T

TAC

Technical Adaptation Committee

TFS

Trans Frontier Shipment

TPA

Tonnes per annum


U

UBC

Used Beverage Can


V

VOC

Volatile Organic Compound


W

WAC

Waste Acceptance Criteria
WAC
Waste Awareness Certificate

WAG

Welsh Assembly Government

WAMITAB

Waste Management Industry Training and Advisory Board
WAP
Waste Acceptance Procedures

WCA

Waste Collection Authority

WDA

Waste Disposal Authority

WEEE

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations

WET

Waste and Emissions Trading Act (2003)

WFD

Waste Framework Directive (75/442/EEC)
WM3
AKA the Waste Classification Technical Guidance WM3 document; used to classify wastes and identify its hazardous properties. 
WML
Waste Management Licence

WID

Waste Incineration Directive (2000/76/EC)

WIP

Waste Implementation Programme

WRAP

Waste and Resources Action Programme
WTN
Waste Transfer Note


X


Y


Z