Waste Management Glossary

noun a person or thing that has been rejected or discarded

adjective discarded or rejected

• The castoff clothing was donated to the local charity.
• I found a bunch of castoff furniture on the curb.
• She's always wearing castoff clothes from her older sister.
• He felt like a castoff after being cut from the team.

noun a person who collects things as a hobby

verb to bring or gather things together

adjective related to the act of collecting

adverb in a manner that involves collecting

• The museum will collect donations for their upcoming exhibit.
• I collect stamps as a hobby.
• Let's collect some intel before making a decision.
• She collects memories like a squirrel collects nuts for winter.

noun Decomposed organic material, such as leaves, grass clippings, and kitchen scraps, used as fertilizer and soil conditioner.

verb To make compost.

• The gardeners used compost to enrich the soil and improve plant growth.
• I threw my leftover food in the compost bin to make fertilizer for the garden.
• Hey, don't toss that banana peel! We can add it to the compost pile.
• She believed that time spent in solitude was like compost for her creative ideas, helping them grow and flourish.

verb to break down or decay into simpler substances

• It is important to understand how organic matter decomposes in order to study the process of decomposition.
• Leaves decompose over time and create nutrient-rich soil.
• Don't worry about that old sandwich, it'll just decompose in the trash.
• Sometimes we need to decompose complex problems into smaller, more manageable parts to find a solution.

verb Decomposing is the present participle form of the verb decompose, which means to break down or decay into simpler substances.

• The process of decomposing organic matter is crucial for nutrient recycling in ecosystems.
• I found a pile of leaves decomposing in the backyard.
• Eww, there's a rotten banana decomposing in the kitchen.
• The relationship between the two countries was decomposing rapidly.

noun waste or impurity; something of low quality or value

• The dross from the metal smelting process is carefully removed to ensure a high-quality end product.
• I can't believe you're keeping all this dross in your garage, it's such a mess!
• I'm tired of dealing with all this dross, let's just throw it out and start fresh.
• She sifted through the dross of bad relationships before finding her true love.

noun a condition of being filled beyond capacity

verb to fill or become filled beyond capacity

• The container was overfilled, causing spillage.
• You overfilled the cup with soda and now it's all over the table.
• I always overfill my plate at the buffet.
• Her heart was overfilled with joy when she received the good news.

noun a septic tank or system

adjective relating to or caused by infection

• The septic tank needs to be emptied regularly to prevent overflow.
• I think there's something wrong with the septic system in the backyard.
• The septic situation at the cabin is grossing me out.
• The septic atmosphere of negativity was palpable in the room.

adjective able to be accumulated

• The benefits of the investment are accumulable over time.
• You can accumulate points on your loyalty card for future discounts.
• I'm saving up all my spare change, it's accumulable for a rainy day.
• Knowledge is accumulable, the more you learn, the more you can build upon it.