jätelajike

Jätelajike is a term used in Estonian waste management discourse to denote a category of materials derived from municipal and industrial waste streams that are intended for resource recovery, recycling, or energy production. The concept supports the idea of treating waste as a source of secondary materials rather than a single waste stream.

The word "Jätelajike" combines jäte (waste) and lajike (variety or strain) in Estonian, reflecting its use to describe the diversity of waste-derived outputs.

In practice, jätelajike may refer to processed fractions such as sorted plastics, paper and cardboard, organics suitable for composting or anaerobic digestion, metals, glass, and residuals that meet defined quality criteria for specific recycling or energy pathways. The exact scope varies by jurisdiction and program.

Classification aims to standardize feedstock quality for downstream processes. Criteria may include contaminant limits, moisture content, calorific value, and trace element thresholds, with different streams designated for recycling, composting, anaerobic digestion, or energy recovery.

Advocates argue that the term helps planners optimize material flows and resource recovery, reduce landfill, and improve circular economy outcomes. Critics contend that "jätelajike" can be vague and risk conflating disparate materials, potentially hindering precise treatment decisions.

Related concepts include circular economy, waste sorting, material recovery facilities, and waste-to-energy.