Glossary and abbreviations

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Waste drop-off center: Closed area where householders can come and deposit free of charge all waste that is not collected in the conventional manner: bulky waste (household appliances, computer equipment, furniture, etc.), toxic, inflammable or polluting products (motor oils, car batteries, paints, solvents, etc.), green waste (lawn clippings, pruning waste, leaves, etc.), gravel, scrap metal, etc. Depending on the type, the waste is then transferred to the appropriate recovery treatment.
Waste from hospitals and healthcare professionals.: These include sharp objects and cutting implements that should never be disposed of in standard trashcans. Their removal must comply with the applicable regulations (for France: Decree 97-1 048 of November 6, 1997 and the Decisions of September 7, 1999).
Waste material recovery: Use of all or part of waste to replace a component or material.
Waste organic recovery: Use of digestate or other organic waste treated by biological processes to improve soil in the form of compost.
Waste transfer and grouping station: Transit site for waste. Waste collected from various municipalities and industries is temporarily stored in a transfer station ready for sorting and dispatch to the appropriate treatment process. The recoverable portion of the waste is sent to recycling or treatment units, while the non-recoverable part is sent to incinerators or landfills. For Veolia Environmental Services, such stations are considered an important crossroads and a significant added value step.
Waste-to-Energy plant: Municipal waste incineration plant used to generate electricity or produce steam supplied to a district heating network or industrial site.
Wastewater services: All collection, transportation and treatment techniques for wastewater and stormwater from an urban community, an industrial site or private land prior to its discharge into the natural environment. The removal of sludge from the treatment systems is part of wastewater services.
Wastewater system: Public system for the collection and transportation of wastewater to a treatment plant.
Wastewater treatment plant: Receives and treats the wastewater generated by the population (and industry) connected to the wastewater network, as well as stormwater (for combined networks). It discharges treated water (compliant with the limit values designated by the authorities) into the environment and a produces a waste product called sludge. Wastewater treatment plant Plant specifically for the treatment of wastewater.
Wastewater waste: This waste is produced by operating wastewater treatment facilities and the maintenance of wastewater and stormwater systems. Its content is largely organic (sludge, grease, treatment plant screening waste, tank draining waste, etc.) or mineral (treatment plant grit, sludge, wastewater network cleaning grit, water course dredging waste, etc.).
WEEE Electrical and Electronic Equipment Waste: Electrical and electronic equipment is generating an increasing volume of household waste handled by city services: brown goods (TVs, radios, telephones, etc.), white good (refrigerators, etc.) and gray goods (computers). Their volume is steadily rising. Electronic waste can be harmful for the environment if it is not first adequately decontaminated.
Weighbridge: Platform used to weigh vehicles.
Wellfield: Area including a series of water intake structures pumping underground water from the same aquifer.
Windrows: A professional term to designate long, high piles of waste to be composted in order to facilitate its decomposition.