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Definitions (Section 4)

Environmentally-preferable facilities, products, and services. Those that help reduce environmental impact

Life-cycle cost analysis. Evaluation of the total installed cost of a project, the annual operating costs, and closure costs

Mixed waste. Waste that has both hazardous and radioactive components

Pollution prevention. A broader term that includes waste minimization. It is defined by the EPA as measures that reduce the generation of non-hazardous and hazardous waste and that prevents deterioration of the earth's atmosphere, water, land, and biota caused by pollution. Pollution prevention also includes spill prevention measures and resource conservation through sustainable design and environmentally-preferred purchasing measures.

Pollution prevention hierarchy. Measures to prevent pollution, ranked by desirability:

1. Reduce the generation of waste through improvements in the design, manufacture, processing, purchasing, or use of material (such as equipment, products and packaging) to prevent the generation of a waste or to reduce the amount and/or toxicity of the waste generated.
2. Reuse potential waste that cannot be eliminated, in a manner that is similar to its original use or for an alternative use without creating additional pollution.
3. Recycle waste that cannot be reused, using discarded material as raw material for producing new products. Complete recycling consists of three major components: segregating and collecting materials, using the material as raw material to make new products, and purchasing the recycled products.
4. Treat waste that cannot be recycled through any operation that changes or is designed to change the physical, chemical, or biological character to remove or reduce its hazardous characteristics.

Pollution prevention opportunity assessment. A systematic, structured appraisal of a process, activity, or operation to identify and evaluate potential activities that will eliminate or reduce waste, conserve natural resources, reduce toxic chemical or hazardous material use, and recycle materials

Source reduction. See reduce

Sustainable design. Improving environmental performance of facilities, products, and services through measures such as optimizing site potential, minimizing energy consumption, protecting and conserving water, using environmentally preferable facilities, products, and services, enhancing indoor environmental quality, and optimizing operational and maintenance practices.

Waste minimization. Defined by the US EPA as measures that reduce the volume and toxicity of hazardous waste disposed to landfills. California defines waste minimization as those measures to reduce or recycle hazardous waste at the point in a process where it may be generated.

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