Waste Management

Waste Management (pronunciation: /weɪst ˈmænɪdʒmənt/) is the process of treating solid wastes and offers a variety of solutions for recycling items that don't belong to trash. It is about how garbage can be used as a valuable resource.

Etymology

The term "Waste Management" is derived from the English words "waste" and "management". "Waste" comes from the Old Norse word "vestr", meaning "waste, desert", and "management" comes from the Italian word "maneggiare" which means "to handle" — especially tools or a horse.

Related Terms

Landfill: A site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment.
Recycling: The process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects.
Composting: A process that allows organic material like food scraps and leaves to decompose naturally, resulting in a product rich in minerals that is beneficial to plant life.
Incineration: A waste treatment process that involves the combustion of organic substances contained in waste materials.
Hazardous Waste: Waste that has substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment.
Waste Treatment: The activities required to ensure that waste has the least practicable impact on the environment.
Waste Reduction: The process and the policy of reducing the amount of waste produced by a person or a society.
Waste Collection: The process of collecting different types of wastes and hauling them away to locations where they can be processed or disposed of.