SEP 2025
A partnership approach to waste prevention and recycling
SEP 2025 is a partnership approach to waste prevention and recycling, and has been developed on behalf of all Surrey local authorities through the SEP. Read it below or download a PDF of the report.
Glossary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Anaerobic digestion | A process which uses micro-organisms (living things too small to be seen without a microscope) to break down biodegradable material. |
| Biodegradable | Able to decay naturally and in a way that is not harmful. |
| Capture rate | A measure of how much of material we are collecting for recycling. |
| Carbon neutral | If an organisation or activity is carbon neutral it does not add to the total amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, for example by doing things such as planting trees in order to remove as much carbon dioxide as it creates. |
| Circular economy | A concept where products are kept in use for as long as possible, making it easier to reuse, repair, refurbish or recycle them. |
| Climate emergency declaration | An action taken to acknowledge climate change exists and the impact its causing is dangerous and requires immediate attention to address the situation. |
| Community Recycling Centre | A place where Surrey residents can take household waste to be recycled or disposed of. |
| Composite packaging | When two or more substances are combined to create one that can be used for packaging products. |
| Consistency in household and business recycling | A measure that encourages all local authorities and businesses to collect the same suite of materials for recycling. |
| Contamination | Occurs when materials that cannot be recycled are put in recycling bins. |
| Decarbonise | A process to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide through the use of low carbon power sources. |
| Deposit return scheme | Where customers pay an upfront deposit on a product (such as a drinks bottle) which can be redeemed on return of the product. |
| Disposal | The last resort for managing waste where it is either landfilled or incinerated without energy recovery. |
| Dry mixed recycling | A combination of dry recyclables (paper, card, metal, plastic and glass) that are collected together. |
| Extended producer responsibility | Where producers are given significant responsibility (financial or physical) for the recycling or disposal of products at the end of their life. |
| Fly-tipping | The illegal deposit of any waste onto land that does not have a licence to accept it. |
| Gasifier | A facility that converts waste into energy. |
| Household waste | Waste generated by householders, of which the cost of disposal or reprocessing is included within council tax payments. |
| Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy | A legal requirement in a two-tier system of local government (county council and district, borough and city councils in an area) to have in place a joint strategy for the management of waste from households. |
| Mandatory labelling | Producers are required to label all packaging types with ‘recycle’ or ‘do not recycle’. |
| Mono-material flexible polyethylene | A single type of flexible plastic. |
| Net-zero | Means achieving a balance between the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere, and the carbon dioxide removed from it. |
| Term | Definition |
| Recovery | For waste that can’t be recycled, it may be possible to recover energy in the form of ‘waste to energy’. Waste to energy is the process of incinerating non-recyclable waste to produce electricity. |
| Recycling | Turns waste into a new item or product, reducing the number of raw materials required. |
| Repair | Mending items such as clothes or electricals so that they can continue to be used. |
| Reuse | Using an item straight away without any processing – for example refilling a water bottle, using a bag for life, or passing on items when you have finished with them. |
| Rubbish | Anything that cannot be reused or recycled. |
| Single-use | Any disposable item which is designed to be used only once. |
| Transfer station | Where waste from various sources is consolidated before being further transported to an end point of disposal, usually landfill or waste to energy facilities, but can also include recycling. |
| Waste | Refers to everything that is thrown away, recyclables and rubbish. |
| Zero waste | Means that at least 90% of operational waste has been reduced, reused, repurposed or recycled compared to the original baseline (starting point for making comparisons). |
| Forward |
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