Glossary

Ammonia stripping

Chemical process to remove ammonia from wastewater. The process causes ammonia to volatilize as a gas, which can then be captured and used.

Anaerobic digestion

Biological process that breaks down organic material in the absence of oxygen.

Assessment

Activities that evaluate the current status, performance, impact etc. of systems, technologies or processes.

Audio

Sound-only content conveying relevant information on resource recovery.

Biogas

A renewable energy source composed of methane and carbon dioxide, produced through anaerobic digestion of sludge and other organic matter, often used for electricity, heating, or vehicle fuel.

Business models

The representation of the value logic of an organization in terms of how it creates and captures customer value.

Capacity development

Processes that support the development of skills, knowledge, infrastructure, and resources

Case studies

In depth analyses of real-world initiatives and projects related to resource recovery.

Compost

Soil-like substance resulting from controlled aerobic degradation of organic material in, e.g., co-composting facilities. Used to enhance soil stability and fertility.

Composting

Controlled process in which organic waste is broken down by microorganisms under aerobic conditions to produce nutrient-rich compost.

Datasets

Structured collections of data related to resource recovery.

Design

Initial stage of a process or an infrastructure project, where features, activities and function are planned and laid out.

Digestate

The material remaining after the anaerobic digestion of any feedstock. The feedstock can consist of food waste, agricultural or industrial organic wastes, sludge or wastewater fractions.

Electricity

Form of energy from charged elementary particles, supplied as electric current through cables, wires, etc.

Electrocoagulation

Process that uses electrical currents to remove suspended solids, emulsified oils, and other contaminants from wastewater.

Faecal sludge

The mixture of human excreta and any other materials (e.g. flushwater, cleansing materials, menstrual hygiene products and greywater, solid waste) collected in onsite sanitation systems.

Feed

Nutrient rich resources which are (typically) repurposed for animal nutrition.

Fermentation

Biological process where microorganisms convert organic materials, such as sugars or starches, into biofuels, biochemicals, or other products under anaerobic conditions.

Fertilizer

Any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil to supply one or more of the essential nutrients needed for plants to grow.

Financing and investment

Allocation of financial resources to specific goals, projects, products etc.

Frameworks

A system of rules, concepts or methodologies used to guide action.

Games

Interactive tools employing a playful approach to learning and capacity building.

Gasification

Process that converts organic materials into syngas by reacting them with oxygen and steam at high temperatures.

GHG emissions

The releases of greenhouse gases—such as CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O—into the atmosphere as a result of human activities (e.g., fossil fuel combustion, agriculture, waste management) or natural processes.

Greywater

Total volume of domestic or office used water generated from sources other than toilets (e.g. washing food, clothes and dishware, as well as water bathing and showering).

Guidelines and manuals

Documents that offer guidance into achieving specific resource recovery objectives by providing a set of directions, recommendations, or instructions.

Heat

Thermal energy recovered from waste processing that can be used for heating

Hydrothermal carbonization

Process of thermal decomposition of wet biomass at high temperatures without oxygen. The organic inputs are transformed into a solid carbon material resembling charcoal that is commonly referred to as biochar.

Hydrothermal liquefaction

Process that uses high temperature and pressure to convert wet biomass into bio-crude oil, which can be further refined into fuels and chemicals.

Incineration

Controlled combustion of waste producing heat which can be recovered as an energy source in district heating systems or for electricity and heat production utilizing steam turbines.

Knowledge hubs

Platforms that aggregate and curate a series of interconnected resources (e.g. tools linked to a same project, application, dataset etc.).

Materials

The organic and inorganic substances recovered from waste streams as reservoirs of energy and nutrient products.

Microbial electrolysis cells

A technology that uses microorganisms to catalyze the production of hydrogen or methane from organic waste in an electrochemical system under anaerobic conditions.

Microfiltration

A low-pressure membrane filtration process that removes particles and microorganisms larger than 0.1 microns from liquids, commonly used for water treatment.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

Activities that track progress, measure effectiveness, and derive lessons from implemented projects or processes to improve future outcomes and ensure accountability.

Nutrients

Recovered substances that enrich soil and support plant growth, derived from organic waste streams.

Operation and maintenance

Ongoing activities required to ensure systems, technologies, or processes continue to function efficiently and effectively throughout their lifecycle.

Organic solid waste

Biodegradable material primarily derived from plant or animal sources, commonly generated by households, industries, agriculture, and food systems.

Policy and regulation

Laws and authoritative frameworks established by governments and international organizations to govern specific matters.

Pyrolysis

Thermochemical conversion of biomass into biochar, bio-oil, and syngas (a mixture of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and other gases) in anaerobic conditions.

Reverse osmosis

Process of water purification that uses a semipermeable membrane to remove contaminants from water by applying pressure to force water molecules through the membrane.

Software

A set of instructions, data, or programs that tells a computer's hardware how to perform a task. Software-based resources in this Toolbox require the user to interact with a computer through data input and output.

Soil conditioner

Material which measurably improves specific soil physical characteristics or physical processes (e.g., soil structure, water infiltration), indirectly affecting plant growth.

Solid fuel

Combustible materials, such as pellets or biochar, produced from organic waste and used for heating or industrial applications

Standards and certification

Rules that establish authoritative benchmarks or criteria for resource recovery, and accreditation processes that certify compliance.

Struvite precipitation

Chemical process used to recover phosphorus from either urine or concentrated wastewater. The resulting product is predominantly a phosphorus fertilizer containing magnesium and nitrogen and can be used as a slow-release fertilizer.

Technologies

Practical applications of scientific knowledge, typically specific infrastructure or services.

Torrefaction

Mild pyrolysis process that heats biomass at low temperatures in anaerobic conditions to produce a dry, energy-dense material with improved combustion properties.

Training materials

Educational resources designed to provide a learning experience for the user, building skills and knowledge.

Transesterification

Chemical process that converts fats or oils into biodiesel and glycerol by reacting them with an alcohol in the presence of a catalyst.

Ultrafiltration

A membrane filtration process that separates suspended solids, bacteria, and large molecules from liquids while allowing smaller molecules, such as water and dissolved salts, to pass through.

Urine

Urine is the liquid produced by the body to rid itself of urea and other waste products. With the exception of some rare cases, Urine is sterile when it leaves the body.

Videos

Visual content conveying relevant information on resource recovery.

Wastewater

Used water from any combination of domestic, industrial, commercial or agricultural activities, surface runoff/ stormwater, and any sewer inflow/infiltration.