A

ADEME: The French Environment and Energy Management Agency
AFNOR: The French Standards Association
Agenda 21: A plan of actions for the twenty-first century, adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro by 182 countries. Its aim is to combine the components of balanced development with a view to achieving economic development, social equity and the preservation of resources.
Agenda 21 may be applied globally, nationally and locally by private-sector companies, municipalities and governments. The actions are developed and implemented in consultation with partners: citizens, community organizations, economic players, etc.
AMF(French securities and exchange commission): The AMF, established by the French Financial Security Act of August 1, 2003, was formed by the merger of the Commission des Opérations de Bourse (COB) and Conseil des Marchés Financiers (CMF). Its missions include those inherited from those two organizations, namely establishing the principles of organization and operation of the financial markets, overseeing their operation and ensuring the protection of shareholders. The Act also gave AMF the authority to supervise financial investment advisers and oversee rating agencies and financial analysts.
www.amf-france.org

B

Be: Beryllium
Biofuel: A fuel made wholly or partially from industrial byproducts obtained as a result of transforming plant or animal material.
Biogas: Produced by the biological breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. It contains a high proportion of methane (50%) and thus has a high calorific and energy potential. In our industries, gas is produced in landfills, methane production units and the sludge digesters of wastewater treatment plants. It must be collected to prevent pollution and environmental damage, specifically odors and heightened greenhouse effect. Biogas can be recovered and used as a renewable energy in place of fossil fuel.
Bioreactor: Bioreaction accelerates the production of landfill gas by recovering leachate and reincorporating it into the waste mass. Adding moisture and nutrients to the bacteria at work in the mass accelerates the breakdown process, facilitating the recovery of methane usable for energy.
Collecting and recovering methane offers both environmental and economic advantages: it reduces methane's greenhouse effect and is a significant source of energy.
Bottom ash: Bottom ash is the slag and solid residue left after waste combustion and recovered from the bottom of furnaces. A distinction is made between municipal waste bottom ash and hazardous waste bottom ash. Current regulations divide the former into three categories: recyclable, treatable and storable. “Recyclable” bottom ash that meets specific technical requirements can be used to build roads. Special industrial waste bottom ash is treated in landfills or recycled in some cases.
Bulky waste: Waste from household activities that, because of its volume or weight, is not included in the usual collection system, but needs special handling. For the most part, bulky waste is only an occasional occurrence. It includes:
- used household appliances
- debris
- construction and demolition waste
- green household waste.

C

Cash flow: Net income before non-cash charges, amortization and depreciation. Cash flow equals net income plus amortization and depreciation less preferred dividends. It is an indicator of a company's credit-worthiness.
CECOP: A public opinion polling institute
Cell: A waterproof pit containing subcells into which waste is deposited in a landfill. A landfill is composed of several cells. Each one is hydraulically independent and designed to facilitate the recovery of landfill gas and the collection of leachate. A geomembrane liner and draining materials ensure the cells are waterproof. The cells are surrounded by waterproof barriers. The whole landfill is also surrounded by a boundary fence. The height and slope of the barriers, the distance from cells to the outer limit of the operation, and inspections are all covered by regulations.
CH4: Methane
Clean Development Mechanism(CDM): The Clean Development Mechanism encourages the realization of environmental projects in developing countries. The entity that finances the project earns emission credits.
CO2: Carbon dioxide
CO2 emissions: (See Greenhouse gas)
Cogeneration: This clean technology enables the simultaneous production of electricity and heat from a given type of fuel.
Compost: Product produced by composting waste. It can be used as an organic soil improver to improve soil structure, or as a plant fertilizer.
Composting: A biological process that accelerates the breakdown of organic waste by introducing air, producing compost. The chemical reactions involved in composting release heat, which sanitizes the compost, i.e., eliminates the pathogenic agents in the incoming waste. Compost can be used as an organic amendment, to improve soil structure, or as a fertilizer to nourish plants.
Composting rejects: Waste exiting a composting facility as not suitable for organic recycling.
CREED(Environment, Energy and Waste Research Center): Established in 1992 by Veolia Environmental Services and Veolia Energy, CREED brings together engineers and researchers behind a common goal: to improve waste and energy management and protect the environment.

D

Digestate: The residue or "digested" waste produced by methane production from organic or biodegradable waste. Digestate is made up of excess bacteria, organic matter that has not broken down and mineralized matter. After treatment, it can be used as compost.
Dioxins: The generic name of a family of chlorinated organic substances that are a byproduct of combustion processes. Dioxins are created by the combustion of products containing chlorine. Sources include cement plants, herbicide and pesticide manufacturing, paper pulp bleaching, foundries, metallurgy, steelmaking, waste incinerators, etc. They can also be produced by hard-to-evaluate natural sources such as forest fires and volcanic eruptions and by scattered sources such as open-air burning, i.e., garden, chimney and pit fires. Of the 210 existing dioxins, 17 are considered toxic.
District heating networks: Comprising a central production plant and a reticulated network, they provide heating and air conditioning to public and private institutions (schools, hospitals, offices and homes).

E

EBIT(Earnings Before Interest and Tax): EBIT, an intermediate balance in a company's income statement, is operating income before restructuring costs and goodwill amortization. It is also known as operating profit.
Eco-design: Eco-design consists of building environmental protection into the design of assets and services. It leads to the manufacture and sale of products that are more environmentally friendly throughout their lifecycle, i.e., from the extraction of raw materials and the waste generated in the manufacturing process, to the use and ultimate disposal of the products.
Effluent: Effluent generally refers to household and municipal wastewater (effluent channeled to treatment plants) and, by extension, wastewater from industrial processes.
EJV: Equity Joint Venture
ELV: End-of-Life Vehicles
EMS: Environmental Management System
Energy recovery: Waste contains energy in the form of calories, which are released by burning and recovered to produce electricity and/or heat and/or steam This can then be used, for example, for heating buildings.
Because of its energy potential, landfill gas is also recovered for heat, steam or electricity production, cogeneration (combined production of electricity and heat), conversion to vehicle fuel, or reinjection into the gas distribution network.

F

Facility management: The provision of this service involves the management of all general and technical services for an industrial or service site.
FEAD: European Federation of Waste Management and Environmental Services
Flare tower: A structure resembling a high chimney used for burning off petroleum byproducts.
Flue gas treatment residues: Incineration of municipal waste produces flue gases that are chemically treated to reduce pollution. They become solid residues able to be collected. Treatment combines neutralization and filtration and can purify over 98% of municipal waste incineration flue gases. Targeted pollutants include acid gases and particulate matter, heavy metals, nitrogen oxides and dioxins, which are treated using supplementary processes. Flue gas treatment residues that consist primarily of fly ash are stabilized before being disposed of in hazardous waste landfills.
Furnace: This is the base of the incinerator, which is designed and built according to the volume and type of waste to be treated.

G

GCL: geosynthetic clay liner; a woven fabric like material primarily used for the lining of landfills. It is a kind of geomembrane and geosynthetic which incorporates a bentonite or other clay, which has a very low hydraulic conductivity. The resulting lower permeability slows the rate of seepage out of the landfill.
Global Compact: Launched by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in January 1999 at the Davos Economic Forum in Switzerland, the Global Compact is a partnership between United Nations agencies, NGOs and the business world. According to Mr. Annan, the initiative aims to "unite the strength of markets with the authority of universal ideals," and take into account the environmental and social impacts of globalization. The 10 principles of the Global Compact are that business should:
1 - Support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights;
2 - Make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses;
3 - Uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;
4 - Uphold the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labor;
5 - Uphold the effective abolition of child labor;
6 - Uphold the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation;
7 - Support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;
8 - Undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility;
9 - Encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies;
10 - Work against all forms of corruption, including extortion and bribery.
Global Reporting Initiative(GRI): A private, multistakeholder US initiative set up by a Boston-based NGO, CERES, and the UNEP. It offers sustainability reporting guidelines that take into account environmental, social and economic performance.
Grab crane, hydraulic crane: A hydraulic crane equipped with four mobile teeth forming a clamshell bucket. Grab cranes are used for demolition and/or handling waste and other materials.
Green waste: Residual plant waste from gardening and green space maintenance. Garden waste, which is produced by individuals, is distinguished from municipal green waste, which is produced by community parks and engineering departments.
Greenhouse effect: The atmosphere lets most of the sun's rays filter through to warm the surface of the earth. The earth re-radiates this energy into space as high wavelength infrared radiation. Water vapor, carbon dioxide and other gases absorb this radiation emitted by the earth, preventing the energy from passing directly from the earth's surface into space, and so heating up the atmosphere. The increased greenhouse gas content in the atmosphere acts like double-glazing: If the input of the sun's rays remains constant within the greenhouse, the temperature will rise.
Greenhouse gas(GHG): Greenhouse gases are gases that absorb a portion of the sun's rays, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), CFCs and HCFCs; synthetic gases that attack the ozone layer; and CFC substitutes, such as HFC, PFC and SF6. Veolia Environmental Services' emissions consist chiefly of CO2 and CH4. The latter has a greenhouse gas impact 21 times greater than CO2.
GWh: Gigawatt hour

H

Hazardous waste: Generally, hazardous waste is waste that poses a health or environmental threat and requires appropriate treatment.
HDPE: High Density Polyethylene
Hg: Hydrargyrum or Mercury
HOKLAS: The Hong Kong Laboratory Accreditation Scheme；is an accreditation scheme operated by Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS). The scheme is open to voluntary participation from any Hong Kong laboratory that performs objective testing and calibration falling within the scope of the Scheme and meets the HOKLAS criteria of competence.
Household and similar waste: Waste generated by retailers, trades people, offices and industry collected at the same time and under the same conditions as household waste.
Household waste: Waste generated by household activity.
HWIP: Hazardous Waste Incineration Plant.
Hydrocarbons: Binary carbon and hydrogen composites. Oil and natural gas are hydrocarbons.

I

Incineration: A thermal waste treatment method involving combustion (the technology and temperature vary depending on the type of waste), and flue gas treatment. This technique yields three types of residue: bottom ash, fly ash and flue gas treatment residue. The heat generated by incineration is recovered at most facilities to produce energy (electricity or heat).
Inert waste: Waste that undergoes no significant physical, chemical or biological transformation. Inert waste does not dissolve, burn or otherwise physically or chemically react. It is not biodegradable and does not adversely affect other matter with which it comes into contact in a way likely to give rise to environmental pollution or harm to health.
(Source: European Council Directive 1999/31/CE of April 26, 1999.)
ISO: International Standards Organization
ISO 9001 Quality management systems: The ISO 9001 standard assesses the capacity of an organization to meet the client's requirements with regards to the quality of a product or service.
ISO 14001 Environmental management systems: The ISO 14001 standard evaluates the ability of an organization to control the impact on the environment of its activities and to comply with regulations.
ISO 14031: This standard evaluates an organization's compliant use of management indicators, comparing the past and present environmental performance of the company's business on the basis of the "plan, do, check, act" process.

L

Land application: The even distribution on land of effluent from animal husbandry, soil improvers, fertilizers, crop-care products and wastewater treatment sludge, etc.
Landfill: An installation designed to treat and store waste under optimal safety conditions. The European Union recognizes three classes of landfill: stabilized hazardous waste landfills, called class 1; landfills that take in household and similar waste, called class 2; and inert waste, or class 3, landfill sites.
In the United States, there are two classes of landfill: Class 1 for non-hazardous solid wastes and Class 2 for hazardous wastes.
Landfill gas: The biogas that is produced by landfills is also known as landfill gas.
Leachate: Stored waste subject to the combined action of rainwater and natural fermentation produces a liquid fraction called "leachate." Rich in organic matter and trace elements, leachate cannot be returned directly to the natural environment and must be carefully collected and treated.
LHV: Lower Heating Value (also known as net calorific value)
Lipofit: Fatty concentrate produced by the treatment of fatty waste using the Lipoval process. The properties of Lipofit are close to those of heavy fuel, except that is has a much lower sulfur content. Under regulations, it is considered a fuel in its own right, and can be used in facilities classified 2910B (combustion plants).
Lipoval: This separating process is designed for the treatment of liquid fatty waste mainly from restaurant gully traps (80%), but also from food industry and wastewater treatment plant oil extractors. The Lipoval process dynamically separates fatty waste into three phases: a fatty concentrate that can be used as a replacement fuel (Lipofit), solid sediment, and a treated aqueous phase discharged into the sewer.

M

Market capitalization: The value attributed at a given instant by the stock exchange to a company. It is obtained by multiplying the number of shares issued and outstanding by the price per share.
Marpol Convention: The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, known as the Marpol Convention, was adopted on November 2, 1973 by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London and has been signed by 130 Member States. The Convention, which came into force in 1983, aims to guarantee the safety of shipping and the prevention of pollution by oils, chemicals, harmful substances transported in bulk or packaged form, wastewater and waste. The Marpol Convention includes safety regulations that shipowners must observe, defines what constitutes a violation and the methods for curbing violations.
Materials recovery: Operation consisting of collecting and/or sorting waste with a view to recycling the goods and materials it contains.
MBR System: Membrane Bioreactor System; is the combination of a membrane process like micro filtration or ultra filtration with a suspended growth bioreactor, and is now widely used for municipal and industrial wastewater treatment
Mechanized sorting center: Veolia Environmental Services is increasing the number of mechanized sorting centers to make selective sorting more efficient and improve working conditions. Each center can treat a minimum of 15,000 metric tons of waste a year, this volume being the threshold needed for cost-effective industrialization of operations.
The centers also help to improve the quality of secondary raw materials supplied to users.
MEDD: French Ministry for the Environment and Sustainable Development
Medical waste: Medical waste is generated by hospitals and healthcare professionals. It includes syringes, needles and other sharp instruments. Under no circumstances can these be put in conventional waste bins. Medical waste must be disposed of in compliance with national regulations.
Methane (CH4): A gas that helps create the greenhouse effect (see Biogas and Greenhouse gas).
Methane production: A natural method for treating organic waste. It leads to the production of gas (biogas) that can be converted into energy. The gas comes from the biological decomposition of organic matter in an air-deprived environment (known as "anaerobic digestion" because it is without oxygen). A digestate ("digested" waste) is also produced and can be used raw or after treatment (dewatering and composting, sanitization) as a compost.
Organic waste, which has a high water content and is highly biodegradable, is used primarily for methane production. Organic waste includes putrescible household waste, wastewater treatment plant sludge, oil, grease and night soil, some agrifood industry waste and some agricultural waste.
The example of the Varennes-Jarcy plant, France: Veolia Environmental Services has been operating the Varennes-Jarcy methane production plant since 2002. Located near Paris, the plant has the capacity to treat 100,000 metric tons of waste a year. The gas is recovered to produce the electricity needed to operate the plant, any surplus being sold to EDF, the French electricity utility. The digestate is treated and recycled as compost.
MRF: Materials Recovery Facility
Municipal waste: Household and other waste collected by municipalities. Its great diversity, and the leeway left to municipalities to collect or not certain types of waste, explains the lack of comprehensive figures in this area.
Municipal waste flue gas treatment: The residue from the treatment of municipal waste incineration flue gases is a solid residue collected after chemically treating flue gas to reduce pollution. The treatment is based on neutralization combined with filtration. The target pollutants are acid gases and particulate matter, plus heavy metals, nitrogen oxides and dioxins, which are treated by supplementary processes. The neutralizing reagents can be injected dry in the form of powder (lime or sodium bicarbonate), by semi-wet means (pulverized milk of lime), or by wet means in a soda washing column. These processes generate residual products, mainly comprised of fly ash. Flue gas treatment residue is stabilized before being stored in authorized landfills. These processes are used to treat over 98% of municipal waste incineration flue gas.
MWh: Megawatt hour
MWIP: Municipal Waste Incineration Plant

N

Natural gas for vehicles(NGV): Natural gas consists mainly of methane. Compressed at 200 bar, it is used as an alternative fuel in gaseous form. The combustion of natural gas produces no sulfur, lead or particles, and only a little nitrogen oxide. It does not generate black smoke or odors.
Natural gas fuel burns more slowly than other hydrocarbons. It also significantly reduces vibrations, thereby reducing engine noise. The noise level is lowered by about 4 decibels, which is the equivalent of half the noise generated by a diesel engine. Methane can be extracted from natural reserves or produced from biomass.
In the spring of 2002, Veolia Environmental Services signed a contract with the Paris authorities to introduce natural gas powered waste collection vehicles. This is a first in France and an innovative experience for Paris, illustrating the city's determination to protect the environment. It also represents a good business opportunity for Veolia Environmental Services.
NGO (Non-governmental organization): Non-governmental organization. In the United Nations sense, NGOs are groups of volunteers organized locally, nationally or internationally. They work in the humanitarian arena, inform governments of citizens' concerns, encourage people to participate in politics at community level, etc.
Non-hazardous industrial waste: All non-inert and non-hazardous waste generated by companies, manufacturers, retail outlets, self-employed tradesmen and service providers. It includes scrap iron and other metals, paper and cardboard, glass, textiles, wood and plastics.
NOx: NO (nitrogen oxide) and NO2 (nitrogen dioxide).

O

O&M: Operation and Maintenance
OHSAS 18001 Specification: OHSAS 18001 augments and is compatible with ISO 14001. It is designed to assess and certify occupational health and safety management systems.
Organic matter: Organic matter in soil is made up of living organisms, plant and animal residue, and decomposing products. In general, it only represents between 0.5% and 10% of the soil's mass. Organic matter disappears as a result of erosion, clearing or natural oxidation. However, it boosts fertility and plays an essential role in the stability of the ecosystem. It therefore fulfills important environmental functions (preserving soil, protecting water resources and trapping carbon).
Produced from biodegradable waste, compost supplies organic matter to depleted soil. By increasing waste recycling for agricultural purposes, Veolia Environmental Services is helping to restore the land's fertility while complying with very stringent quality and safety criteria.
Organic soil improver: A stable, dry product with high agricultural value. Organic soil improvers are generated by composting organic waste, which includes food waste, green waste and wastewater treatment sludge. Rich in humus, it is applied to land to improve various soil properties:
. physical: stabilization, aeration and erosion resistance;
. chemical: fertilization and addition of trace elements;
. biological: strengthening of plant resistance and the soil's
biological activity.
Organic waste: Residual waste of plant or animal origin that can be broken down by microorganisms, which use it as a source of food.
Ozone: Ozone is a powerful respiratory irritant. At low altitude, the gas contributes to the greenhouse effect; at high altitude, it protects the earth from ultraviolet rays.

P

PCB: Polychlorinated Union (b) benzene
Pollutant: • Primary: a pollutant emitted directly by human activities or nature (sulfur dioxide, for example).
• Secondary: a pollutant produced by the chemical interaction of primary pollutants in the atmosphere (ozone, for example).
Public-private partnership: A PPP is a locally tailored contract through which the municipality assigns certain tasks to a private-sector company and sets performance targets. The municipality retains ownership of the asset and the controlling power, unlike privatization, which is based on the transfer of ownership of assets. Municipalities are increasingly turning to PPPs for the management of their water services.

Q

QHSE: Quality, Health, Safety, Environment

R

Reclamation: Conversion of solid wastes into useful products, for example, composting waste to make soil conditioners, and separating aluminum and other metals for melting and recycling.
RECS: Renewable Energy Certificate System
R&D: Research & Development
Recycling: Direct reintroduction of a waste material into the production cycle by which it was generated, to replace new raw materials in whole or in part. For example, taking broken bottles (cullet), and melting them to make new bottles.
Recypulpe: Innovative process for the treatment of pulp mill waste from paper mills using recycled paper. The pulp mill waste is generated by recycling paper (a process that recovers the cellulose fiber and uses it to make new paper). The waste is a heterogeneous mixture of fiber, plastic, wood, metals, glues, etc. The Recypulpe technique separates out the plastics and fibers, which are then recycled.
Renewable energy: Energy produced using natural elements (sunlight, wind, water, earth) without affecting the environment. Among them: solar and wind power, hydroelectricity, geothermal energy, biomass and tidal power, biogas, etc.
Résoplast: The Résoplast unit produces fuel from waste plastic from industrial plants. The properties (homogeneity, calorific value, specific gravity, and composition) of the process's fuels are comparable to those of standard fossil fuels used in certain heavy-energy consuming industrial sectors (cement works, lime plants, paper mills, etc). Résoplast is an alternative to landfilling non-recyclable industrial waste plastic, thereby saving natural hydrocarbon resources.
Reuse: Operation whereby a product or component designed and manufactured for a specific purpose is used again for the same or a different purpose. Recycling and reconditioning are special forms of reuse.
Revenue: Total annual revenue from ordinary activities (i.e., sales).

S

Sb: Stibium or Antimony
SBR: Styrene-butadiene rubber
Screen: A type of large sieve used to sort and separate different types of waste: biodegradable waste from light packaging with plastic film, for example.
Se: Selenium
Seveso: The Seveso Directive was issued following the accidental release of dioxins in 1976 in Seveso, northern Italy. The European Union Member States adopted a common policy aimed at preventing major accident hazards. From June 24, 1982, the so-called Seveso Directive required Member States and companies to identify the risks associated with certain hazardous industrial activities and take the necessary measures to deal with them. The directive has been modified numerous times and its scope has been gradually extended, in particular following the accident at Basel in 1986.
Sewer cleaning waste: Waste produced by the cleaning and maintenance of wastewater and storm water collection systems. It is predominantly organic (sludge, fats, waste from screening operations at wastewater treatment plants, oil, grease and night soil, etc.) and mineral waste (wastewater treatment sand and grit, sludge, sewer cleaning sand, residue from dredging rivers and canals, etc.).
Share or stock: A certificate representing ownership of one unit of the company's capital. Shares may earn a dividend and give the owner a voting right. They may or may not be quoted on the stock market. Veolia Environnement is quoted on the Euronext Paris and New York stock exchanges.
Sites whose investment we control: Tracking indicators for Veolia Environmental Services' quantified objectives to reduce dioxin and methane emissions and treat leachate apply only to "sites whose investment we control". These are sites we own or are contractually obligated to invest in as an operator.
Sludge: There are several different types of sludge depending on its source.
Primary sludge is generated in the settler-digesters of wastewater treatment plants. It is rich in mineral substances such as microsand and earth, and contains organic matter.
Physical-chemical sludge is a variant of primary sludge obtained by the addition of reagents such as iron salt and aluminum to agglomerate the fine particles in wastewater.
Biosolids, or secondary sludge, is generated by the biological treatment of wastewater.
Sludge may be disposed of in four different ways depending on its quality and composition: land application, landfilling, incineration or composting.
Sorting: The sorting of mixed waste into different categories (cardboard, plastics, wooden palettes, etc.) with a view to facilitating treatment through processes specific to each category.
Sorting rejects: Materials not recovered during industrial sorting. Some rejects can be subjected to treatment later.
Source separation: The separation of different waste flows where they are produced.
Source-separated waste collection: Collection of household solid waste, pre-sorted at the source (glass, paper, board, newspapers, magazines, plastics, fermentable waste, etc.), so that it can be recycled at specific treatment centers. Each round collects a different type of waste.
SRF: Solid Recovered Fuels
Stabilization: From a regulatory viewpoint, stabilization refers to all the techniques and operations used to obtain stabilized waste. From the technical viewpoint, stabilization consists of improving the chemical retention of pollutants with a view to limiting their solubility and, thus, their discharge into the environment (chemical immobilization of pollutants by forming less soluble compounds).
Subcell: A pit into which waste is deposited in a landfill. Landfills are divided into cells, which are subdivided into subcells.
Sustainable development: Sustainable development focuses on three areas: environmental protection, social improvement and economic development. Production and consumption methods must respect the human and natural environment so that all earth's inhabitants can meet their fundamental needs (food, accommodation, clothing, education, work, living in a healthy environment). Sustainable development education is the only way to bring about a change in attitudes and behavior. Not only people but also companies, municipalities, governments and international institutions must change in order to combat the threats to the earth (social inequalities, industrial and health risks, climate change, loss of biodiversity, etc.).
SVDU: French union for energy recovery from municipal waste.
SYCTOM: Intermunicipal waste authority for Paris and the surrounding area.

T

Te: Tellurium
Thermal desorption: Method for decontaminating polluted soil by heating it to between 400°C and 600°C so that the pollutants are volatilized; the particulate matter is extracted from the resultant gas in baghouse filters. Thermal desorption almost entirely decontaminates soil: it is appropriate for heavy hydrocarbons (heavy fuel, tars and PAH) and light hydrocarbons (solvents: benzene, toluene, and xylene). Treated soil can be used as backfill. The process does not generate odors or waste.
Ti: Titanium
Treatment: Physical, thermal, chemical and biological processes, including sorting, which change the characteristics of waste in a way that reduces its volume or hazardous nature, making it easier to handle and/or foster recycling (Directive 1999/31/CE of the European Council of April 26, 1999):
- Biological treatment: controlled transformation of putrescible waste into a slowly changing organic residue by microorganisms. Biological processes are also used in soil remediation but not in waste treatment.
- Thermal treatment: heat treatment of waste, including incineration.
- Physical-chemical treatment: includes emulsion breaking, neutralization, chromate removal, cyanide removal, dewatering, resin regeneration and chlorine removal.
Transfer station: Waste collected from municipalities or industrial sites transits via a transfer station, where it is sorted and forwarded for treatment or disposal as appropriate. Recyclable waste is sent to recycling or treatment plants; non-recyclable waste is sent to waste-to-energy plants or landfills. For Veolia Environmental Services, transfer stations are flow control centers that represent value-added business.
Truck scales or weighbridge: A platform used for weighing vehicles.

U

UASB: Up-flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket; is a form of anaerobic digester that is used in the treatment of wastewater.

V

Vitrification: A physical-chemical process used to trap pollutants contained in waste in a vitreous solid. The solid is obtained by heating the waste components (possibly mixed with other waste or noble materials) to a very high temperature and then rapidly cooling them (sol-gel process).

W

Waste collection: All the operations involved in collecting waste and channeling it to a transfer or sorting center, incineration plant or landfill.
Waste collection operative: A refuse collector or public sanitation worker who collects household or specific waste.
Waste-to-energy plants (or energy recovery facilities): Waste incineration plants that have an energy recovery system to generate electricity or supply a heating utility.
Wastewater management: All the techniques used to collect, transport and treat the wastewater and storm water of a municipality, industrial plant or privately owned plot of land before returning it to the environment, as well as to treat the sludge generated by wastewater treatment.
Wastewater treatment plant: Receives and treats wastewater generated by households (and industry) connected to the collection system, together with storm water (in combined systems). The plant discharges water into the natural environment after treatment to make it compliant with limits set by the authorities. The treatment also produces a residue known as sludge.
WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment): Electrical and electronic equipment accounts for an increasing amount of the waste managed by cities. It consists of brown (TV sets, radios, phones, etc.), white (appliances, etc.) and gray (IT) products. The quantity of WEEE is growing constantly. Electronic waste can harm the environment if it is not adequately treated first.
Windrow: A professional term to describe the action of arranging waste to be composted into long, high rows (windrows) in order to facilitate its decomposition.

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Glossary

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