2013 Maryland Code
ENVIRONMENT
§ 9-1701 - Definitions

§9-1701.

(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.

(b) “Compost” means the product of composting in accordance with the standards established by the Secretary of Agriculture under § 6-221 of the Agriculture Article.

(c) “Composting” means the controlled biological decomposition of organic waste material in accordance with the standards established by the Secretary under this title.

(d) (1) “Computer” means a desktop personal computer or laptop computer, including the computer monitor.

(2) “Computer” does not include:

(i) A personal digital assistant device;

(ii) A computer peripheral device, including:

1. A mouse or other similar pointing device;

2. A printer; or

3. A detachable keyboard.

(e) (1) “Covered electronic device” means a computer or video display device with a screen that is greater than 4 inches measured diagonally.

(2) “Covered electronic device” does not include a video display device that is part of a motor vehicle or that is contained within a household appliance or commercial, industrial, or medical equipment.

(f) “Covered electronic device takeback program” means a program, established by a covered electronic device manufacturer or a group of covered electronic device manufacturers, for the collection and recycling, refurbishing, or reuse of a covered electronic device labeled with the name of the manufacturer or the manufacturer’s brand label, including:

(1) Providing, at no cost to the returner, a method of returning a covered electronic device to the manufacturer, including postage paid mailing packages or designated collection points throughout the State;

(2) Contracting with a recycler, local government, other manufacturer, or any other person; or

(3) Any other program approved by the Department.

(g) “Director” means the Director of the Office of Recycling.

(h) “Manufacturer” means a person that is the brand owner of a covered electronic device sold or offered for sale in the State, by any means, including transactions conducted through sales outlets, catalogs, or the Internet.

(i) (1) “Natural wood waste” means tree and other natural vegetative refuse.

(2) “Natural wood waste” includes tree stumps, brush and limbs, root mats, logs, and other natural vegetative material.

(j) (1) “Natural wood waste recycling facility” means a facility where recycling services for natural wood waste are provided.

(2) “Natural wood waste recycling facility” does not include a collection or processing facility operated by:

(i) A nonprofit or governmental organization located in the State; or

(ii) A single individual or business that provides recycling services for its own employees or for its own recyclable materials generated on its own premises.

(k) “Office” means the Office of Recycling within the Department.

(l) “Recyclable materials” means those materials that:

(1) Would otherwise become solid waste for disposal in a refuse disposal system; and

(2) May be collected, separated, or processed and returned to the marketplace in the form of raw materials or products.

(m) (1) “Recycling” means any process in which materials that would otherwise become solid waste are collected, separated, or processed and returned to the marketplace in the form of raw materials or products.

(2) “Recycling” includes composting.

(n) “Recycling services” means the services provided by persons engaged in the business of recycling, including the collection, processing, storage, purchase, sale, or disposition of recyclable materials.

(o) “Resource recovery facility” means a facility in existence as of January 1, 1988 that:

(1) Processes solid waste to produce valuable resources, including steam, electricity, metals, or refuse-derived fuel; and

(2) Achieves a volume reduction of at least 50 percent of its solid waste stream.

(p) (1) “Solid waste stream” means garbage or refuse that would, unless recycled, be disposed of in a refuse disposal system located in this State.

(2) “Solid waste stream” does not include:

(i) Hospital waste;

(ii) Rubble;

(iii) Scrap material;

(iv) Land clearing debris;

(v) Sewage sludge; or

(vi) Waste generated by a single individual or business and disposed of in a facility dedicated solely for that entity’s waste.

(q) (1) “Video display device” means an electronic device with an output surface that displays or is capable of displaying moving graphical images or visual representations of image sequences or pictures that show a number of quickly changing images on a screen to create the illusion of motion.

(2) “Video display device” includes a device that is an integral part of the display and cannot easily be removed from the display by the consumer and that produces the moving image on the screen.

(3) A video display device may use a cathode-ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), gas plasma, digital light processing, or other image-projection technology.

(r) “White goods” includes:

(1) Refrigerators;

(2) Stoves;

(3) Washing machines;

(4) Dryers;

(5) Water heaters; and

(6) Air conditioners.

(s) (1) “Yard waste” means organic plant waste derived from gardening, landscaping, and tree trimming activities.

(2) “Yard waste” includes leaves, garden waste, lawn cuttings, weeds, and prunings.