| A | B |
|---|
| Audit | A methodical examination and review. |
| Biodegradable | Items that can easily degrade by natural processes such as exposure to sun and water or the action of bacteria or fungi. |
| By-Product | A product from a manufacturing process that is not considered the principal material. |
| Climate Change | Any significant change in measures of climate, such as temperature, precipitation, or wind, lasting for an extended period of a decade or longer. |
| Compost | The conversion of dead vegetation into useful soil through the process of decay. |
| Condution | The movement of heat through a solid material or between two solid materials that touch each other. |
| Convection | The way in which heat travels by movement or circulation within liquids or gases. Warmer masses of fluid usually rise while cooler masses usually sink. |
| Energy Conservation | Reduction in the amount of energy consumed in a process or system, or by an organization or society, through economy, elimination of waste, and rational use. (e.g. turning lights out when you leave the room) |
| Energy Efficiency | Long term energy reduction due to the installation of efficient building materials, equipment and appliances. |
| Heat | The transfer of thermal energy. |
| Insulation | A material used to prevent the passage of heat, electricity, or sound. |
| Incinerate | To destroy by burning. |
| Integrated Waste Management | Employing several waste control and disposal methods such as source reduction, recycling, re-use, incineration, and landfills to minimize the environmental impact of residential, commercial and industrial waste streams. |
| Landfill | Disposal of solid waste by burying in layers of the earth in low ground. |
| Organic Materials | Materials with carbon-based structures that originate from or relate to living organisms. |
| Pollution | A contaminant to the environment, especially human-made waste. |
| Product Life Cycle | The stages a product goes through, including obtaining raw materials, processing, manufacturing, packaging, transporting, using, and disposing or recycling. |
| Radiation | The way in which heat travels through air in the form of electromagnetic waves. |
| Raw Material | A material that is human-made or is from natural resources that is used to produce a product. |
| Recycle | The process of making new products from materials that were used in another product |
| Reduce | To decrease the amount of products purchased or produced with the intent of minimizing waste. |
| Reuse | The process of reusing a product so the product’s life does not end; instead, it becomes a continuous cycle. |
| Solid Waste | Garbage and other waste. |
| Sustainable Engineering | Engineering that focuses on the development of a sustainable future through renewable energy, wise use of natural resources, recycling, and assessment of environmental impact. |
| Temperature | The degree or intensity of average thermal energy present in one location of a substance or object. |
| Thermal Energy | Energy created by friction between vibrating atoms and molecules. |
| Trash | Waste material; refuse. |
| Waste-to-Energy Plant | A plant that shreds and burns waste. The heat energy is then used to produce electricity for industrial processes. |
