• Circular Economy - it is a production and consumption model, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. In this way, the life cycle of products is extended.

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Source: Circular economy: definition, importance and benefits | News | European Parliament (europa.eu)

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• Industrial Symbiosis - the process by which waste or by-products of an industry or industrial process become the raw materials for another.

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Source: Kalundborg Symbiosis, http://www.symbiosis.dk/en/

 

• Recovery - energy recovery from waste is converting non-recyclable waste materials into useable heat, electricity, or fuel through various processes, including combustion, gasification, pyrolization, anaerobic digestion, and landfill gas (LFG) recovery. This process is often called waste-to-energy (WTE).

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Source: Energy Recovery from the Combustion of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) | US EPA

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• Recycling - any recovery operation by which waste materials are reprocessed into products, materials or substances, whether for original or other purposes, except use as fuel.

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Source: Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain DirectivesEUR-Lex - 32008L0098 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu)

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• Waste:  

  • any substance or object which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard OR

  • solid or liquid (but not being wastewater) by-product coming from production or consumption, useless in time and place where it was created and harmful or onerous for the environment or people.

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Source: Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain DirectivesEUR-Lex - 32008L0098 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu

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• Industrial Waste - waste materials discarded from industrial operations or derived from manufacturing processes; may be solid, sludge (wet solids) or liquid wastes and may or may not be considered hazardous.

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Source: industrial waste — European Environment Agency (europa.eu)

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• Sustainable Production - holistic approach to minimize the negative environmental impact of existing production and consumption systems. It is the production of goods and services that:

  • uses processes and systems that do not pollute the environment

  • saves energy and raw materials

  • is economically realistic 

  • is safe and not threatening people's health 

  • is socially and creatively profitable for all working people.

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Source: Sustainable Manufacturing | US EPA