Definitions

Below we present definitions regarding our waste management activities. They include medical waste, hazardous waste, and veterinary waste. The definitions refer to the provisions of Polish law on waste.

Should you have any additional questions, our specialists remain at your disposal.

Medical waste - this means waste generated in connection with the provision of health services and conducting research and scientific experiments in the field of medicine.

Veterinary waste - this means waste generated in connection with the examination, treatment of animals or the provision of veterinary services, as well as in connection with conducting scientific research and experiments on animals.

Waste - this means any substance or object that the holder disposes of, intends to dispose of or is obliged to dispose of.

Neutral waste - this means waste that does not undergo significant physical, chemical or biological changes; are insoluble, do not enter into physical or chemical reactions, do not cause environmental pollution or a threat to human life or health, are not biodegradable and do not adversely affect the matter with which they come into contact; the total content of pollutants in these wastes and the ability to wash them out, as well as the negative impact of the leachate on the environment are insignificant, and in particular do not pose a threat to the quality of surface water, groundwater, soil and earth.

Biodegradable waste - this means waste that undergoes aerobic or anaerobic decomposition with the participation of microorganisms.

Bio-waste - this means biodegradable waste from gardens and parks, food and kitchen waste from households, catering, collective catering establishments, retail units, as well as comparable waste from plants producing or introducing food to the market.

Waste management - this means the collection, transport, processing of waste, including supervision of such activities, as well as subsequent handling of waste disposal sites and activities performed as a waste seller or intermediary in waste trade.

Waste storage - this means the temporary storage of waste, including:
a) initial storage of waste by its producer,
b) temporary storage of waste by the person conducting waste collection,
c) storage of waste by the person conducting waste processing.

Waste producer - this means anyone whose activity or existence causes the generation of waste (primary waste producer), and anyone who performs preliminary processing, mixing or other activities causing a change in the nature or composition of such waste; the producer of waste generated as a result of the provision of services in the field of construction, demolition, renovation of facilities, cleaning of tanks or devices and cleaning, maintenance and repairs is the entity that provides the service, unless the service agreement provides otherwise.

Waste collection - this means the collection of waste before its transport to processing sites, including preliminary sorting that does not lead to a fundamental change in the nature and composition of the waste and does not change the classification of waste, and temporary storage of waste.

Processing - this means recovery or disposal processes, including preparation preceding recovery or disposal.

Energy recovery - this means the thermal conversion of waste in order to recover energy.

Recycling - this means recovery in which waste is reprocessed into products, materials or substances used for the original purpose or for other purposes; this includes the reprocessing of organic material (organic recycling), but does not include energy recovery and reprocessing into materials that are to be used as fuels or for backfilling purposes.

Waste incineration plant - this means a plant or part thereof intended for thermal processing of waste with or without recovery of the generated heat energy, including installations and devices used to conduct the thermal processing of waste together with the purification of waste gases and their introduction into the atmosphere, control, steering and monitoring of processes and installations related to the receipt, preliminary processing and storage of waste delivered for thermal processing and installations related to the storage and processing of substances obtained as a result of the combustion and purification of waste gases.

Thermal processing of waste - this means:
a) incineration of waste by oxidation,
b) other than the ones indicated in letter a, thermal processing of waste, including pyrolysis, gasification and plasma process, provided that the substances generated during these processes are subsequently incinerated.

Waste disposal - this means a process that is not recovery, even if the secondary effect of such a process is the recovery of substances or energy.

Source of definition - Waste Act of 14 December 2012.