Waste management defines the whole cycle from "collection, transport, recovery and disposal of waste, including the supervision of such operations and the after-care of disposal sites, and including actions taken as a dealer or broker" (Direttiva 2008/98/CE del Parlamento europeo e del Consiglio del 19 novembre 2008). The object called WASTE refers to any substance that the holder, the one who produces or naturally or legally possesses the waste, discards or intends or is required to discard. In the amount of waste two categories appear totally opposite and that incorporate hazardous waste, potential dangerous for environment and human health, and bio-waste, which means biodegradable substances, like garden and food waste. Waste is produced, then can be object of a deal, purchased or sold by the dealer who does not necessarily possess physically the waste. The recovery or the disposal of waste is arranged on behalf of others by the brokers, including those do not take physical possess of the waste. The process starts with the gathering of the waste, including the preliminary sorting and storage of it for the purposes of transport to a waste treatment facility. Substances are divided by type and nature to facilitate the following specific treatments. Measure of prevention are taken to reduce the quantity of waste, the negative impacts on the environment and human health or the contents of harmful substances. Reintroducing the waste into the product cycle by recycling its components, that means reprocessing waste materials for the original or other purposes, represents a viable solution where there are ecological and economical methods to do it. Operations allowing waste recovery, permit waste serving a useful purpose by replacing other materials in the plant or in the wider economy. Also a recovery action means preparing waste to a specific function.

Editor: Marianna RONCHINI 2012