Glossary and abbreviations

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Sales

The sum of sales made in a given period.

Sanitation

Collection and depollution of waste and drain water.

Sanitation equipment

Systems for treatment of wastewater or waste, or well ventilated toilets, or toilets connected to a septic tank, according to the definition of the World Health Organization and the UNICEF.

Sapiens (Surveys and Perspectives Integrating Environment and Society)

Multidisciplinary scientific journal issued by the Veolia Environnement Institute publishing articles written by the best specialists describing significant progress in the field of environmental prospecting.

Screed

A large meshed screen used to sort and separate waste, such as, biodegradable waste from light packaging and plastic film.

Secondary raw materials

Raw materials derived from recycling of waste and that can be used in manufacturing of a new product.

Selective collection services

Collection aimed at collecting household waste pre-sorted by the producers or users (glass, paper, board, newspapers, magazines, plastic, compostable waste, etc.) for its recovery at specific treatment centers. Each collection round targets the collection of a specific type of waste.

Service concession (affermage) contracts

Contract for operation of a public service (for example drinking water services) drawn up between a delegating public authority and an operator. The local authorities makes investments, the private company is responsible for operation, renovation of facilities and invoicing. The operator's remuneration is derived from users of the service.

Seveso

The so-called Seveso Directive was adopted in the wake of the emotional outcry following the accidental discharge of dioxin in 1976 in the municipality of Seveso, Italy. At the time, the European States adopted a common policy with regard to the prevention of major industrial risks. On June 24, 1982, the so-called Seveso Directive required that States and companies identify the risks associated with certain dangerous industrial activities and take the necessary measures to ensure protection. The Seveso Directive has been modified several times and its scope gradually extended, in particular following an accident in Basel, Switzerland, in 1986.

Shared ride

Refers to three types of transport including car pool, car sharing, and transport on demand.

Sites where we control the investment

Indicators to track our quantified objectives concerning the reduction of dioxin emissions, the reduction of methane emissions and the treatment of leachate only apply to those sites where we control the investment. These are sites where we own or for which, as the operator, we have contractually agreed to make these investments.

Sludge

There are various types of sludge depending on its origin:
- Primary sludge comes, for example, from digester settling tanks at wastewater treatment plants. It is both rich in mineral matter (micro-sand, soil, etc.) and contains organic matter;
- Biological sludge is also referred to as secondary sludge, and comes from biological treatment processes;
- Physical-chemical sludge is a variant of the above types and results from the addition of reagents (iron or aluminum salts) to bind together the fine particles in wastewater.
Depending on its quality and composition, the sludge is disposed of in one of four ways: land application, landfilling, incineration or composting.

Small water cycle

Cycle of agricultural, industrial and domestic uses.

Socially Responsible Investing (SRI)

Investing based on social, environmental and ethical criteria combined with financial performance.

Socially responsible investment (SRI)

Socially responsible investment, which is made on the basis of social, environmental and ethical criteria, along with financial performance.

Sorting

Operation designed to separate household waste into several categories (board, plastic, wooden pallets, etc.) to facilitate its treatment in processes that are specific to each category. Source separation involves sorting waste into its various component types at the site where it is produced.

Sorting waste

Waste not recovered after industrial sorting. Some reject material can undergo subsequent treatment.

Source separation

Operation involving sorting waste into its various component types at the site where it is produced.

Stabilization

In regulations, the word stabilization refers to all those techniques and operations that produce stabilized waste. From a technical point of view, stabilization involves improving the chemical retention of pollutants to limit their solubility and so their discharge into the environment (chemical immobilization of pollutants through the formation of less soluble compounds).

Stakeholders

Internal and external parties concerned by operation of the enterprise: employees, clients, suppliers, shareholders, associations, civil partnership, public authorities, etc.

Stock

A title of ownership representing a portion of a company’s capital. Stocks or shares can pay a dividend and entitle the bearer or owner to vote. Securities may be listed on the stock exchange, but not necessarily. Veolia Environnement securities are listed on the Euronext Paris and New York stock exchanges.

Subcells

Pits into which waste is deposited at landfills.

Subsidized connection

The definition of this term varies from one country to another. Generally, it is a connection to low-income households, carried out at a reduced cost and offered at a reduced price and/or with payment facilities. In some countries, such as Gabon, this type of connection is offered to the inhabitants who then undertake to consume a volume of water and electricity below certain thresholds thereby also benefiting from preferential rates.

Sustainable development

Sustainable development is based on three criteria: environmental protection, social progress and economic development. Production and consumption methods must respect the human and natural environment to enable all the earth’s inhabitants to satisfy their basic needs (food, shelter, clothing, education, work, and live in a healthy environment). Education in sustainable development is fundamental: it is the necessary doorway that will lead to a change in mindset and behavior. A change in behavior by everyone (citizens, companies, local and regional authorities, governments and international institutions) to counter the threats looming over our planet (social inequality, industrial and health risks, climate change, loss of biodiversity, and so on).

SVDU

French association of municipal and assimilated waste treatment and recovery operators (Syndicat français du traitement et de la valorisation des déchets urbains et assimilés).

SYCTOM

Grouping of greater Paris municipalities for the treatment of household waste (Syndicat intercommunal de traitement des ordures ménagères de l’agglomération parisienne).