Arisings are materials considered as waste, and commonly referred to as waste generation.
Biological capacity refers to the total of the biologically productive areas. See also 'biologically productive areas'.
Biologically productive areas are those areas of a country with quantitatively significant plant and animal productivity. Biologically productive areas of a country comprise its biological capacity. Arable land is potentially the most productive area.
Brown grid electricity is electricity that is not sourced from renewables ('green electricity').
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is a gas, which is naturally emitted by living organisms as well as during the combustion of fossil fuels. The latter is problematic since it leads to increased concentrations in the atmosphere.
Ecological footprint is the land and water area that is required to support indefinitely the material standard of living of a given human population, using prevailing technology. (Measured in global hectares).
Embodied energy of a commodity is the energy used during its entire life cycle for manufacturing, transporting, using and disposing.
Fossil fuels. Coal, natural gas and fuels derived from crude oil (for example, petrol and diesel).
Global hectares (gha). One global hectare is equivalent to one hectare of biologically productive space with world average productivity.
Gross Domestic Product. A measure of the total flow of goods and services produced over a specified time period. It is obtained by valuing outputs of goods and services at market prices.
Hectare one hectare (ha) is 10,000 square metres (100 x 100 metres). One hectare is equivalent to 2.47 acres.
Inert waste is chemically inert, non-combustible, nonbiodegradable and non-polluting waste.
Miscellaneous articles. A category used by the DTLR (CSRGT, 2000) to report road-freighted goods.Miscellaneous articles include arms and ammunition; commodities not elsewhere specified and unknown commodities.
Miscellaneous manufactures. A category used by the DTLR (CSRGT, 2000) to report road-freighted goods. Miscellaneous manufactures include paper and paperboard, plastics, leather, textiles and clothing not elsewhere specified and other manufactured articles not elsewhere specified.
Natural Capital refers to the stock of natural assets that yield goods and services continuously. Main functions include resource production (such as fish, timber or
cereals), waste assimilation (such as CO2 absorption, sewage decomposition) and life support services (UV protection, biodiversity, water cleansing, climate stability).
Per Capita is a measure per person within a specific population.
Priority Waste Streams are waste identified by the European Commission (EC) as posing a potential threat to the environment. Wastes identified are: construction and demolition waste, packaging waste and accredited reprocessor, batteries, solvents, oils, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), tyres, end of life vehicles (ELV), fragmentiser waste, waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and fluorescent tubes.
Productivity is measured in biological production per year and hectare. A typical indicator of biological productivity is the biomass accumulation of an ecosystem.
Proxy is normally used to compensate for a lack of raw data. It is an estimation derived from an existing data set using a statistical modifier. For example, deriving local water consumption data by using average per capita consumption of a region in which the locality is part.
Recycling is the process of collecting, sorting, cleansing, treating and reconstituting materials that would otherwise become waste, and returning them to the economic stream as raw materials for new, reused or reconstituted products.
Reuse is the recovery or reapplication of a product for uses similar or identical to its original application, without manufacturing or preparation processes that significantly alter the original product.