- Storage at source (Almacenamiento en la fuente): Accumulation of solid waste, immediate to its generation.
- Intermediate storage (Almacenamiento intermedio): Accumulation of solid waste subsequent to primary storage and prior to its final disposal.
- Trash (Basura): Solid waste without use value. This term is equivalent to non-usable solid waste.
- Collection centers (Centros de acopio): Places for the storage, classification, or packing of usable waste, under hygienic conditions that do not endanger human, animal, or plant health, or contaminate the environment. They must have sanitary infrastructure that allows employees to maintain commonly accepted standards of personal hygiene and occupational health.
- Compost (Compost): Organic fertilizer produced through thermophilic aerobic biodegradation from biodegradable organic materials.
- Biotechnologically usable waste (Desechos aprovechables biotecnologicamente): Biodegradable waste that can be used in the production of organic fertilizer, compost, bocaccio, or other reusable products, which complies with nationally established standards and with those of this regulation.
- Paper, cardboard, or fabric waste (Desechos de papel, cartón o telas): Objects made from natural fibers with the potential to be reused in the manufacture of paper or cardboard.
- Hazardous biological and non-biological waste (Desechos biológicos y no biológicos peligrosos): Those that can cause puncture/cut injuries, infections, poisoning, large-scale environmental contamination, food in an advanced state of decomposition, highly flammable material or material impregnated with hydrocarbons, with heavy or toxic metals, waste from transgenic organisms, and trash that contains organic waste and has been stored inadequately for more than fifteen calendar days. Other types of high-hazard waste are: waste that can transmit infectious diseases, diseases and epidemics, hospital waste contaminated with diseased human tissues, human tissue remains, decomposed food carrying botulism or similar diseases, grains contaminated with aflatoxins, high-potency poisons or those with high environmental persistence, radioactive waste, veterinary clinic waste that may cause infections in animals or people.
- Solid waste (Desecho sólido): Any object or material in a solid state or of pasty consistency, excluding human or animal excreta and sludge from wastewater treatment plants, biodigesters, and septic tanks, whose owner does not wish to possess it, regardless of whether or not it has use value.
- Usable solid waste (Desecho sólido aprovechable): Solid waste that can be reincorporated into nature within a reasonable period, or be reused by society, without harm to human health or the environment, such as biodegradable waste, paper and cardboard waste, glass waste, metal waste, some plastic waste, and others.
- Separated usable solid waste (Desecho sólido aprovechable separado): Usable solid waste, which is previously separated into different packaging or containers, a task carried out at the source or at the collection center. It includes various materials that are usable, such as: glass, paper, cardboard, plastics, aluminum cans, biodegradable waste.
- Recalcitrant biodegradable solid waste (Desechos sólidos biodegradables recalcitrantes): Solid waste that, subjected to biotechnological processes, can be biodegraded in a period of no less than 6 months.
- Biodegradable solid waste (Desechos sólidos biodegradable): Solid waste that, subjected to biotechnological processes, can be biodegraded in a period of less than 6 months.
- Commercial solid waste (Desecho sólido comercial): Solid waste generated in commercial mercantile establishments.
- Daily solid waste (Desecho sólido cotidiano): Commercial, residential, and industrial waste collected on a daily basis by the collection service. Excluded from this category are non-daily waste, hazardous waste, and bio-infectious waste.
- Residential solid waste (Desecho sólido domiciliar): Solid waste generated in dwelling houses as a product of daily family activities.
- Hospital solid waste (Desechos sólidos hospitalarios): Solid waste generated in hospitals, medical offices, dental offices, microbiological analysis laboratories, veterinary clinics, and veterinary offices.
- Industrial solid waste (Desecho sólido industrial): Solid waste generated as a consequence of industrial and manufacturing processes.
- Institutional solid waste (Desecho sólido institucional): Solid waste generated in public or private institutions excepting hospitals and air terminals.
- Non-daily solid waste (Desechos sólidos no-cotidianos): Residential, commercial, and industrial solid waste that is not generated on a daily basis or that due to its size or weight clearly exceeds that of family solid waste.
Within this category, non-traditional residential trash and solid waste from green areas or gardens of the canton's urban properties are included. Excluded from this category are non-daily waste, hazardous waste, and bio-infectious waste.
- Primary delivery of solid waste (Entrega primaria de desechos sólidos): Action by which the waste generator, after prior separation and storage, places the solid waste properly packaged in such a way that waste collection can be carried out without difficulty.
- Waste delivery (Entrega de desechos): This delivery refers to the act of delivering waste at the compost plant, the collection center, or the technical deposit.
- Barrel (Estañón): Equivalent to 220 cubic decimeters.
Waste reduction (Reducción de desechos sólidos): Measures aimed at avoiding and reducing the generation of solid waste; these can be taken from the design of goods, whether by avoiding the incorporation of dispensable parts, using materials and systems that provide a longer useful life, or facilitating the reuse and recycling of the product or its parts.
- Fermentation of biodegradable waste (Fermentación de desechos biodegradables): This denomination is given to the process of biodegradation in the absence of oxygen (anaerobic) with optional capture of biogas and its incineration. During the process, it is not permitted for bad odors to cause nuisance to people or to originate a proliferation of insects or other pests. The products of biodegradation must be harmless to plants and be biologically stabilized.
- Generators of solid waste (Generadores de desechos sólidos): Any natural or legal person who generates any type of solid waste.
- Management of solid waste (Gestión de desechos sólidos): Set of measures at the family, institutional, or industrial level to avoid, store, collect, and utilize solid waste with the objective of reducing waste generation to the maximum, maximizing its utilization, reducing management costs, minimizing the amount of trash, as well as avoiding nuisances and damages to the well-being of people or the environment.
- The Municipality (La Municipalidad): The Municipality of Vázquez de Coronado.
- Discriminated waste management (Manejo discriminado de desechos): Set of actions aimed at collecting, storing, and treating solid waste classified according to its physical and chemical nature and according to the conveniences for its commercialization or industrialization.
- Compost plant (Planta de compostaje): Installation that allows the conversion of biodegradable waste into compost, bocaccio, or others.
- Collection of solid waste (Recolección de desechos sólidos): Service of transporting solid waste between primary or intermediate storage and compost plants or collection centers, or utilization, treatment industries, or the final disposal of non-usable solid waste in technical deposits.
- Complete separation of solid waste (Separación completa de desechos sólidos): Action of separating and properly packaging traditional solid waste into its main usable components, namely: paper, glass, plastic, cardboard, aluminum cans, biodegradable waste, non-usable waste or trash, and others that technology makes possible to utilize in the future.
- Complete separation of solid waste at source (Separación completa de desechos sólidos en la fuente): Action of separating and properly packaging traditional solid waste into its main usable components: paper, cardboard and derivatives, glass, plastics, aluminum cans, biodegradable waste, non-usable waste or trash, and others that technology makes possible to utilize in the future. This action is carried out by the generator of the waste.
- Primary waste separation (Separación primaria de desechos): Action of separating and properly packaging waste at the generating source into its main usable components, namely: paper, cardboard and derivatives, glass, plastics, aluminum cans, biodegradable waste, non-usable waste or trash, and others that technology makes possible to utilize in the future.
General Provisions