Mission to Earth: Glossary | Resources for Waste Education

Asphalt
A hard, black petroleum-based material used to pave roads. Asphalt can be mixed with recycled tires to make roads last longer.

Aquifer
Underground layer of rock or sand that stores water. Humans use wells to get drinking water from aquifers.

Bulk
A large amount of something that is not divided into separate packages. Many stores allow shoppers to scoop out the amount they need of bulk goods like popcorn or potato chips. This reduces waste and packaging.

Compost
A rich, soil-like substance that can be added to a garden to help plants grow. Grass, leaves, paper, and some types of food can naturally decay and turn into compost.

Conserve
To use wisely, avoiding waste.

Cullet
Crushed pieces of used glass that can be melted to form new products.

Decay
To rot, or waste away.

Durable goods
Sturdy items, like furniture or appliances, that can be used for many years. When people repair these products instead of buying new ones, they save money and reduce waste.

Energy
The power to do work. Making new items from recycled ones takes less energy than making products from brand new materials.

Flake
Chopped up pieces of recycled plastic bottles. These tiny pieces are melted and formed into pellets, which are stretched into long fibers like thread and woven into fabric for clothing.

Fossil Fuel
A substance found beneath the Earth's surface that can be used as a source of energy. Petroleum (which is often used to make plastic), natural gas, and coal are fossil fuels.

Fuel
Any material, like wood, coal, oil, or gas, that is burned to supply heat or energy.

Landfill
A specially constructed site for safely and effectively disposing of garbage.

Natural resource
Materials in nature, like trees, that are necessary for life. Resources provide ingredients for food, fuel, and goods.

Nonrenewable resource
A natural resource from the Earth that exists in limited supply, like oil or coal. Once this supply is used up, the resource is gone forever.

Oxygen
A gas that exists naturally in the atmosphere and is produced by plants during photosynthesis that humans and other animals breathe.

Packaging
Wrappers or containers used to protect food or other products from dirt, germs, and damage. Packaging often provides information about the product. Sometimes goods contain more packaging than they need.

Pellets
Little plastic balls that can be stretched into long fibers to make thread.

Petroleum
An oily liquid that can be pumped from the Earth and used to make items like plastic and gasoline.

Photosynthesis
During this process, leaves use sunlight to turn water from tree roots and carbon dioxide gas from the air into sugar. This helps plants grow and provides oxygen for people and animals to breathe.

Pollute
To make the air, soil, or water unclean or unsafe to use.

Polymers
Long chains of chemicals, that can be twisted and molded into products. Petroleum is heated at very high temperatures to be broken down into polymers and made into plastic.

Products
Items made from raw or recycled materials; people buy and use these items everyday.

Pulp
A moist, mushy material made from ground up trees or torn up old paper that is mechanically and chemically made into paper.

Recharge
To restore the energy in an old battery so that it can be used again.

Recycle
To make new products from old ones. Recycling used items, such as paper, cans, or bottles, saves energy, produces less pollution, and uses up fewer natural resources.

Reduce
To use less.

Re-refine
To clean used oil so that it can be used again. This process saves energy and money and prevents possible pollution from oil that is improperly handled.

Renewable resource
A naturally-occurring resource from the Earth that can replenish itself or grow back again, such as sun, water, trees, and animals.

Retread
To remove the outside, or tread, of a tire and add a new tread. Retreaded tires work just as well as new ones and require less energy and money to make.

Reuse
To clean or repair something old and use it again instead of throwing it away.

Sisal
A strong fiber, found in the leaves of a certain plant, which is used to make rope. Other plants, such as jute and hemp, can also be used to make rope.

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