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An A-Z glossary of waste definitions
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
ABPO
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
CA 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
DCF
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
EA
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)
ESA
Environmental Services Association
ETSU
Energy Technology Support Unit
EWC
European Waste Catalogue
F
FEL
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
Inc
inerator 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
LA
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
MRF
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
ODS
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
PAS
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
RAGS
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
SEA
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
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