George Hopkins Oct 10, 2012:

Please It would be better if Chris S would keep to the point and avoid being personal. My Google still shows some 2500 hits for "refuse management and recycling". There is a difference between refuse and waste, as I've tried to explain. The choice is open.

Christopher Schröder Oct 10, 2012:

Dog + bone George, split hairs all you like, but "refuse management and recycling" actually gets just 18 Google hits (well, maybe 19 now) and the asker is American anyway, so this really is just a refuse of time. I'll get my coat...

George Hopkins Oct 10, 2012:

The difference Not so many years ago practically all refuse was dumped as waste in landfills. Nowadays there is an increasing tendency to recycle it. Accordingly, refuse that can be recycled is not waste it is an asset.
According to Collins English Dictionary the word waste means, eg, 10 “anything or anyone rejected as useless, worthless” or 11 “garbage, rubbish, or trash”. The word refuse means “anything thrown away; waste; rubbish”.
If something can be recycled then it is not ‘useless or worthless’. Consequently it is not really ‘waste’ but it can very well be ‘refuse’, ie, ‘anything thrown away’.

George Hopkins Oct 9, 2012:

More rubbish "rubbish management and recycling" has 3 hits on Google. "refuse" ditto has 9500, and "waste" ditto has 437000. Take your pick. My preference is "refuse". I leave it to the Asker.

Christopher Schröder Oct 9, 2012:

Rubbish! Refuse is being used less and less often these days and would only ever refer to household refuse. Even then, household waste is now more normal. Waste is the word used in the context of waste management and recycling. It has no negative connotations.

It was just a minor point, taken the wrong way.

George Hopkins Oct 9, 2012:

Usage again In Deane's EU link the word waste is preferred. The link also uses a decimal comma and not a decimal point. Is this correct English?

Deane Goltermann Oct 9, 2012:

Seems my link below doesn't work. Am enjoying the discussion, and George's reponse seems dependent on the context. Anyway, this is another link to the EU Directive http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2... But, some people don't like their usage of the English language either!!

George Hopkins Oct 9, 2012:

Value Choosing the right word in relation to recycling, revenue and income is to some extent a matter of feeling. My feeling, in the context, is that the word waste is more negative and definite than refuse.

JaneD Oct 9, 2012:

Illiteracy You're no doubt right about these occurrences, George - sadly the fact that British people can't write their own language isn't proof that it's correct! In fact I think you *could* use "refuse", but it would be much more standard in UK English to use "waste".

George Hopkins Oct 9, 2012:

Usage A comment to my Answer claims that "refuse is not appropriate here in UK English". A Google search, eg, recycling of refuse, gives several examples of the word being used in the UK on official sites.

George Hopkins Oct 9, 2012:

Slogans, UK or/and US Waste is a resource - don't refuse it
Refuse is a resource - don't waste it

Deane Goltermann Oct 8, 2012:

waste incineration Entering this a little late David, Everyone else was working this weekend, but I took the (rare) chance to avoid it this time. But. I'd like to see some reference to incineration, which these revenues refer to -- not burning. And it seems the term 'fuel' is appropriate, which is what the waste is being used as. These 'revenues' are paid for using the fuel content of the waste. There is even an EU directive about this (see http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/environment/waste_man... if your customer isn't too yankeefied about things.
How's the election campaign going?