Glossary and abbreviations

Specification OHSAS 18001 augments and is compatible with ISO 14001. It is designed to assess and certify occupational health and safety management systems.

Organic matter in soil is made up of living organisms, plant and animal residue, and decomposing products. In general, it only represents between 0.5% and 10% of the soil's mass. Organic matter disappears as a result of erosion, clearing or natural oxidation. However, it boosts fertility and plays an essential role in the stability of the ecosystem. It therefore fulfills important environmental functions (preserving soil, protecting water resources and trapping carbon).
Produced from biodegradable waste, compost supplies organic matter to depleted soil. By increasing waste recycling for agricultural purposes, Veolia Environmental Services is helping to restore the land's fertility while complying with very stringent quality and safety criteria.

A stable, dry product with high agricultural value. Organic soil improvers are generated by composting organic waste, which includes food waste, green waste and wastewater treatment sludge. Rich in humus, it is applied to land to improve various soil properties:

• physical: stabilization, aeration and erosion resistance;
• chemical: fertilization and addition of trace elements;
• biological: strengthening of plant resistance and the soil's biological activity.

Residual waste of plant or animal origin that can be broken down by microorganisms, which use it as a source of food.

Ozone is a powerful respiratory irritant. At low altitude, the gas contributes to the greenhouse effect; at high altitude, it protects the earth from ultraviolet rays.