BIO-BASED

Derived wholly or partly from biomass.
 

BIOCHEMICAL

Substances, meaning monomers and/ or solvents, that are biodegradable and/or derived wholly or partly from biomass of plant origin. Note 1: Novamont monomers to date are obtained entirely from plant-derived biomass.
Note 1: As of today, all Novamont monomers are produced from plant-based biomass.
 

BIODEGRADATION

It refers to a process that leads to the breakdown of an organic compound by microorganisms in the presence of oxygen into carbon dioxide, water, mineral salts and new biomass, or in the absence of oxygen into carbon dioxide, methane, mineral salts and new biomass.
 

BIODEGRADABILITY 

Biodegradability is an intrinsic property as it refers to the innate potential for biodegradation, regardless of extrinsic properties, which on the other hand depend on the amount of material present and the shape of the material (e.g. size: thickness).

BIOMASS

Material of biological origin, excluding material incorporated into geological formations or transformed into fossilised material and excluding peat. The biomass used by Novamont is renewable and plant based. 

BIOPLASTICS 

Biodegradable and/or bio-based plastic.
Note 1: A type of plastic is biodegradable if it is a nutrient substrate for at least one life form (in the case of biodegradation tests, a micro-organism) and under environmental conditions the life form can be active.

BIOPRODUCT

Biodegradable product and/or derived wholly or in part from renewable raw materials of plant origin. The term includes both finished products (biolubricants, phytosanitary and cosmetic products) and raw materials and intermediates that are themselves subject to processing within the value chain (bioplastics and biochemicals).

BIOREFINERY FOR BIOPRODUCTS

An industrial activity that applies appropriate conversion technologies to biomass to transform it partly into fuel and partly into products such as food, materials, chemicals for the polymer industry, for cosmetics or for pharmaceutical industry, etc. 
 

BLOWN FILM

In polymer technology, it is a process used to obtain less thick films (15÷500 µm). These films are used for example, to produce packaging, bags, or films for greenhouses and mulching.

CARBON FOOTPRINT

The carbon footprint is a measure that expresses the total greenhouse gas emissions, usually expressed in kg or tonnes of CO2 equivalent, associated directly or indirectly with the life cycle of a product, a service or the activities of a business.

CO2 e – CO2 EQUIVALENT

Standard reference used to measure the impact of greenhouse gases on global warming (Global Warming Potential - GWP). The contribution of each gas is normalised to the contribution of one CO2 molecule, used as the unit of measurement.
 

COMPOST

The result of the bio-oxidation and humification of a mixture of organic matter (e.g. pruning residues, kitchen waste, garden waste such as leaves and mown grass) by macro- and micro-organisms in the presence of oxygen. Compost is used as a soil nutrient in agriculture.

COMPOSTABILITY

The ability of biodegradable, organic matter (i.e. plant cuttings, kitchen scraps, gardening waste, some types of bioplastics, etc.) to be turned into compost in composting plants.

COMPOSTING

Composting is an end-of-life process for compostable waste (Directive 2008/98/EC clarifies this concept). Controlled biological decomposition, in the presence of oxygen, of organic waste from which a humus-rich material called compost is formed. Composting involves a thermophilic phase and takes place on an industrial scale in special plants.
 

FOOD SERVICE

Large-scale preparation and delivery of complete meals for communities (e.g. company canteens, schools, hospitals, prisons, etc.).
 

GRADE (MATER-BI) 

Referring to Mater-Bi, it indicates a specific type of material identified by a specific chemical composition and a unique product code. The trademark Mater-Bi® therefore denotes a set of material families consisting of different grades.  
 

HOME COMPOSTING

Small-scale composting process operated by individuals for gardening purposes with the aim of producing compost for personal use from garden waste and occasionally kitchen waste.

 

ORGANIC CARBON

Carbon found in those chemical compounds in which it is joined by covalent bonds to atoms of other elements (mainly hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen). This definition excludes the carbon of carbon dioxide, carbonic acid and its salts, such as calcium carbonate. 
 

LCA - LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT

Objective process of assessing the energy and environmental loads related to a process or activity, carried out by identifying the energy and materials used and the waste released into the environment. The assessment includes the entire life cycle of the process/ activity/product, including extraction and processing of raw materials, manufacturing, transport, distribution, use, reuse, recycling and final disposal
 

LCT - LIFE CYCLE THINKING

An approach with which the environmental, economic and social sustainability of products, services, technologies and systems is analysed, considering all phases of the life cycle (extraction of raw materials, production, use, distribution and end of life).
 

MARGINAL LANDS

Land on the farm not used for agricultural purposes, unproductive for economic, social or other reasons, located in areas with natural handicaps, in mountain areas or other areas but which could be used for agricultural purposes by means normally available to the farm. They are usually referred to by different terms: unused, degraded, underused, uncultivated, desolate and abandoned. Fallow land is excluded (land included in the crop rotation system but temporarily uncultivated, whether worked or not, and not providing any harvest for the duration of the crop year).
 

MONOMER

A chemical molecule with a low molecular mass with functional groups capable of reacting with itself or with other chemicals to form macromolecules, called polymer chains of a certain length, with a certain molecular weight distribution, which together we call polymers. For example, 'styrene' is the monomer of 'polystyrene'. Azelaic acid is one of the monomers used in the polymerisation process to produce a type of Mater-Bi. 

MULCHING

An agronomic technique for weed control that consists of covering the soil, with the exception of the area of growth and development of the plant of interest, with an opaque material capable of retaining solar radiation, thus preventing weed growth. The most common mulches are plastic films, bioplastic films, paper films, layers of straw, layers of bark.
 

ORGANIC RECYCLING

Processing the organic waste fraction using microorganisms and under controlled conditions. The treatment can take place under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. In the case of aerobic treatment, the organic fraction of waste is treated in an industrial composting plant with free oxygen, producing biomass (compost), CO2 and H2O. In anaerobic treatment, the organic fraction is degraded in an anaerobic digestion plant in the absence of free oxygen. The process leads to the production of biogas (containing CO2 and CH4 and can be used as biofuel to produce heat and electricity) and a sludge called 'digestate'. Landfilling cannot be considered as a form of organic recycling.
 

PACKAGING

A product made from materials of any kind, designed to contain and protect certain goods, from raw materials to finished products, to enable their handling and delivery from the producer to the consumer or user, and to ensure their appearance.

POLYMERISATION

Process of synthesising a polymer through a chemical reaction from its constituent monomers.

PHYTOSANITARY PRODUCT

Product used to protect plants or plant products against all harmful organisms or to prevent their effects, to influence plant life processes, to preserve plant products, to destroy undesired plants or plant parts, to control or prevent undesired plant growth.
 

RENEWABLE (RESOURCE)

Resource (e.g. a raw material) that can be cultivated or regenerated naturally within a foreseeable time frame.
 

SEPARATE COLLECTION

Collecting and separating waste according to their type, i.e. Glass, plastic, paper, compost, metal, dry waste
 

STANDARD

Usually a formal document that establishes uniform engineering or technical criteria, methods, processes and practices.
 

TECHNOLOGY HUB

Experimentation space, located at an industrial plant and based on innovative technologies, which, with a view to open innovation, acts as an attractor of new technologies (auxiliary and/or complementary to the main ones) for initial validation on an industrial scale