Glossary and abbreviations

A type of large sieve used to sort and separate different types of waste: biodegradable waste from light packaging with plastic film, for example.

The Seveso Directive was issued following the accidental release of dioxins in 1976 in Seveso, northern Italy. The European Union Member States adopted a common policy aimed at preventing major accident hazards. From June 24, 1982, the so-called Seveso Directive required Member States and companies to identify the risks associated with certain hazardous industrial activities and take the necessary measures to deal with them. The directive has been modified numerous times and its scope has been gradually extended, in particular following the accident at Basel in 1986.

Waste produced by the cleaning and maintenance of wastewater and storm water collection systems. It is predominantly organic (sludge, fats, waste from screening operations at wastewater treatment plants, oil, grease and night soil, etc.) and mineral waste (wastewater treatment sand and grit, sludge, sewer cleaning sand, residue from dredging rivers and canals, etc.).

A certificate representing ownership of one unit of the company's capital. Shares may earn a dividend and give the owner a voting right. They may or may not be quoted on the stock market. Veolia Environnement is quoted on the Euronext Paris and New York stock exchanges.
Sites whose investment we control Tracking indicators for Veolia Environmental Services' quantified objectives to reduce dioxin and methane emissions and treat leachate apply only to "sites whose investment we control". These are sites we own or are contractually obligated to invest in as an operator.

There are several different types of sludge depending on its source.
Primary sludge is generated in the settler-digesters of wastewater treatment plants. It is rich in mineral substances such as microsand and earth, and contains organic matter.
Physical-chemical sludge is a variant of primary sludge obtained by the addition of reagents such as iron salt and aluminum to agglomerate the fine particles in wastewater.
Biosolids, or secondary sludge, is generated by the biological treatment of wastewater.
Sludge may be disposed of in four different ways depending on its quality and composition: land application, landfilling, incineration or composting.

The sorting of mixed waste into different categories (cardboard, plastics, wooden palettes, etc.) with a view to facilitating treatment through processes specific to each category.

Materials not recovered during industrial sorting. Some rejects can be subjected to treatment later.

The separation of different waste flows where they are produced.

Collection of household solid waste, pre-sorted at the source (glass, paper, board, newspapers, magazines, plastics, fermentable waste, etc.), so that it can be recycled at specific treatment centers. Each round collects a different type of waste.

Solid Recovered Fuels

From a regulatory viewpoint, stabilization refers to all the techniques and operations used to obtain stabilized waste. From the technical viewpoint, stabilization consists of improving the chemical retention of pollutants with a view to limiting their solubility and, thus, their discharge into the environment (chemical immobilization of pollutants by forming less soluble compounds).

A pit into which waste is deposited in a landfill. Landfills are divided into cells, which are subdivided into subcells.

Sustainable development focuses on three areas: environmental protection, social improvement and economic development. Production and consumption methods must respect the human and natural environment so that all earth's inhabitants can meet their fundamental needs (food, accommodation, clothing, education, work, living in a healthy environment). Sustainable development education is the only way to bring about a change in attitudes and behavior. Not only people but also companies, municipalities, governments and international institutions must change in order to combat the threats to the earth (social inequalities, industrial and health risks, climate change, loss of biodiversity, etc.).

French union for energy recovery from municipal waste.

Intermunicipal waste authority for Paris and the surrounding area.