Glossary

Acid rain: rain of higher than normal acidity (pH less than 5) resulting from human-induced pollution effects, particularly sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, in the atmosphere.
BAT (Best Available Techniques): a balance between state-of-the-art technology / management techniques and what an industrial sector can actually afford.
Biodegradable: capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other biological means.
Board material: particleboard such as medium density fibreboard, chipboard and melamine faced chipboard which comprises wood fibres bound with a resin matrix
BS 7750: former British Standard for Environmental Management. The standard encourages organisations to establish an effective environmental management system, as a foundation for sound environmental performance and participation in environmental auditing schemes.
BS 8555: Guide to the Phased Implementation of an Environmental Management System. The newest of the environmental management system standards, BS 8555 is split down into 6 stages to which companies can be assessed.
Carbon tax: a tax on different types of fossil fuels calculated according to the amount of carbon that would be emitted when the fuel is burned for energy.
CO₂ (Carbon dioxide): gas produced when organic matter decomposes or when fossil fuels are burned. Carbon dioxide is one of the principal greenhouse gases, accounting for around 50% of the effect attributed to man's actions
CO (Carbon monoxide): gas produced by incomplete combustion, e.g. in wood burning. Also found in vehicle exhaust fumes and cigarette smoke. CO combines with haemoglobin in the blood stream in preference to oxygen, and thus leads to a form of suffocation.
Coated wood: timber to which stains, sealers or lacquers have been applied. This category does not included wood which has been impregnated with preservative (treated wood)
CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons): compounds whose molecules contain atoms of carbon, chlorine and fluorine bonded together in various proportions. CFCs were used as refrigerants, propellants for aerosol spray cans, foaming agents, solvents and cleaning fluids. Because they are so inert and very stable, CFCs have atmospheric lifetimes in excess of 50 years. They are broken up in the stratosphere by UV radiation, producing free chlorine atoms which can destroy ozone. CFCs are also important greenhouse gases.
Cradle to grave: consideration of every aspect of product design and use, from the environmental impact of the raw materials to their disposal, re-use or recycling.
Dioxins: produced when chlorinated organic compounds, such as PCBs and PVC, are burned at low temperature. Highly toxic to certain animals, they may cause cancer in humans, genetic damage and damage to the unborn child.
Duty of Care: waste legislation which requires that a company demonstrates it has taken all reasonable precautions to ensure that all waste is properly cared for on site and is disposed of in a responsible manner.
End-of-life furniture: furniture which has come to the end of a particular cycle in its life. For example, a table which is discarded by its first owner and passed to a charity based organisation for reuse. “End-of-cycle” furniture is a more correct term as the life of the item continues until it has been remanufactured or recycled. However, EOL is the term in most common use
Environment Agency (EA): environmental regulator responsible for a number of regimes including waste, certain air emissions, water and packaging
EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme): a voluntary European Union scheme to encourage environmental management systems in industry.
Global warming: atmospheric warming due to the absorption by the so called Greenhouse Gases of infra-red radiation emitted from the surface of the earth.
GWP (Global Warming Potential): an index of the global warming potential of a set amount of a given gas compared with the same amount of CO₂ over a given period e.g. the GWP over 100 years for methane is 21 (i.e. 21 times the contribution to global warming of the same amount of CO₂)
Greenhouse Effect: mechanism by which the earth is kept warmer than it would be otherwise due to greenhouse gases absorbing long wavelength (infra-red) radiation.
Greenhouse Gases: gases which absorb infra-red radiation reflected from the earth's surface.
HCFCs (Hydrochlorofluorocarbons): halogenated hydrocarbons containing chlorine and fluorine. They are less ozone depleting than CFCs and will probably be used as a transitional substitute during the CFC phase out period. HCFCs are greenhouse gases.
HFCs (Hydrofluorocarbons): Halogenated hydrocarbons, similar to HCFCs. They do not contain chlorine and are not ozone depleting, but they are greenhouse gases.
ISO 9000: International Standards Organisation Quality Management standard.
ISO 14000: International Standards Organisation Environmental Management standard.
Landfill: excavated areas or natural depressions into which waste is deposited. Modern sites are engineered with the use of liners (clay or synthetic) to control the escape / migration of the products of bio-degradation; principally leachate and landfill gas.
Landfill gas: a by product of the bio-degradation of waste, this gas typically consists of 65% methane and 35% carbon dioxide, together with a variety of trace gases. The gas has to be managed, due to the properties of methane, which is an asphyxiant and can explode in air. Landfill gas may be vented to atmosphere, burnt, or used to generate power.
Leachate: Liquid effluent produced during the bio-degradation of waste in landfill sites, which can impact on local water resources if it is not contained and treated.
LCA (Life Cycle Analysis): a technique to examine the entire life of a product, from the extraction of raw materials through manufacture to final disposal.
Medium density fibreboard (MDF): form of particleboard in common use within furniture manufacturing
Melamine faced chipboard (MFC): chipboard with a plastic foil covering – a material which is used extensively on low to middle quality office desks and kitchen cabinets
Methane (CH₄): a potent greenhouse gas generated by biodegradation, for example in landfill sites
NOx (Nitrogen oxides): range of compounds formed by the oxidation of atmospheric nitrogen. Some of these oxides contribute to acid rain and photochemical smog. Nitrogen dioxide is a major factor in photochemical ozone formation.
Non-renewable energy: finite stores of energy in fossil fuels (from ancient photosynthesis) and nuclear fuels (from older cosmic processes) which cannot be replaced once used.
Nuisance: nuisance is defined as an unreasonable interference with someone's enjoyment of their land. It is an offence under the Environmental Protection Act Part III, and is controlled by the local authorities. Examples of statutory nuisance may include noise, odour, smoke and dust.
Ozone: a form of oxygen, each molecule of which contains three atoms of oxygen bonded together. Ozone is formed in the upper atmosphere by ultraviolet light and can be generated at ground level by the reaction of VOCs and NOx in the presence of sunlight.
Ozone hole: massive loss of ozone from the lower stratosphere over Antarctica that occurs with the return of the sunlight each southern spring.
Ozone layer: region of the stratosphere lying roughly between 15 and 40 km above the Earth's surface. It contains most of the atmospheric ozone, which is constantly being created and destroyed through natural chemical cycles. The layer is critical to life on Earth because it filters out damaging ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.
Packaging recovery note (PRN): a certificate to prove the recovery or recycling of an amount of packaging. PRNs enable obligated companies to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997
Particulates: small suspended particles, measured by filters, that can be found in smoke, mist and air. PM 10 are defined as those particles which are <10µm in diameter. These fine particles are released during the combustion of fuels such as diesel, and they have been linked to adverse health effects.
pH: measure of acidity and alkalinity. Values below pH7 are acid, values above are alkaline. The pH scale is logarithmic.
Photochemical smog: layer of pollutants generated in the lower atmosphere by the action of sunlight on gaseous pollutants such as VOCs and NOx. Also known as summertime smog
Polluter Pays principle: the principle that polluters bear the costs of dealing with the problems caused by the pollution they generate.
PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls): group of organic compounds containing biphenyls and chlorine. PCB's can accumulate in food chains and are thought likely to produce harmful side effects, particularly during the reproductive cycle of some marine animals. Previously used in electrical equipment such as transformers, in the form of cooling oils.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC): substance which generates hydrogen chloride when burned. Therefore, it must be removed from furniture in wood combustion units to prevent the requirements of the Waste Incineration Directive becoming applicable
Producer responsibility: a term used to describe a policy approach which requires producers who place products on the market to take greater responsibility for those products when they become waste. For example, the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 require those who own packaging and supply it down the packaging chain to contribute to the cost of its recovery and recycling
Recycling: reprocessing of materials for reuse. For example, chipping of wood waste for use in chipboard manufacture
Remanufacturing: the process of disassembly and reassembly of products during which time parts are cleaned, repaired or replaced. For example, an office table which is dismantled and has the surface stripped and recoated prior to reassembly with clean fittings. The process can occur in a closed loop where the goods are returned to the original owner or an open loop where they enter the general market
Reuse: the continued use of an item for its original purpose. For example, a table which is discarded by the first owner and passed onto a subsequent owner for use as a table. A small amount of work may be required to make an item suitable for reuse, e.g. the cleaning of the table surface
Stratosphere: region of the atmosphere, between about 10 km and 50 km, where the temperature-altitude curve changes direction and temperature beings to rise with altitude. The ozone layer occurs in the stratosphere.
SO₂ ( Sulphur dioxide): compound of sulphur and oxygen which is emitted into the atmosphere by the combustion of fuels containing sulphur, such as coal, diesel oil and fuel oil. It is toxic at high concentrations and contributes to the acidity in rain, resulting in acid rain.
SOx ( Sulphur oxides): range of compounds formed by the oxidation of sulphur; includes sulphur dioxide.
Sustainable development: development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the validity of future generations to meet their own needs.
Troposphere: bottom-most layer of the atmosphere where the warmth of the Earth is the predominant source of heat; consequently air temperature drops with altitude as distance from the Earth's surface increases.
VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds): compounds which evaporate readily and contribute to air pollution (photochemical smog).
Waste management hierarchy: a series of options in decreasing order of environmental and economic desirability ranging from elimination at source through to disposal via landfill