litter vs rubbish vs waste vs garbage

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litter vs rubbish vs waste vs garbage

chenchen_castrourdiales

litter vs rubbish vs waste vs garbage

Could you please help me to understand the difference between these words? Why it is used in street dustbins the word "litter"? Thanks for your help. Thank you very much indeed to the people who always spend their time answering our questions.

19 Jun 2010

yanogator

We �re all teachers, so of course we love to share information.

Litter is trash that people throw down outside, so the bins have "litter" on them, because the trash you deposit there would be litter otherwise.

As I understand it, rubbish is a somewhat general term for anything you want to get rid of, and generally in a large amount (but not absolutely necessarily).

Waste is generally some sort of byproduct, such as old chemicals from a factory, discarded medicines and things resulting from medical procedures, human or animal excrement, etc.

Garbage is usually discarded food products.

There �s also "trash", which is a very general term for the discarded items from everyday life.

That �s how I understand these words. I �m sure some others will have great things to contribute.

Bruce

19 Jun 2010

libertybelle

Rubbish as pertaining to trash is used more often in the UK.
Trash and garbage is mostly used in the States,
Trash cans in the UK are called rubbish bins
Litter is trash you throw out away in the streets and nature. (a real eyesore)
Trash as Bruce wrote is lighter throw-a-ways
and garbage is heavier matter - such as kitchen waste and more.
rubble and other building material waste is also called rubbish and not garbage.

19 Jun 2010

dturner

In western Canada we use the term garbage for anything we throw away from food scraps, meat bones, plastics that don �t recycle and so on. It is the same meaning as trash to others. We generally don �t use the term trash although we understand it and hear it often from our southern neighbours. We don �t use the term rubbish as used in the U.K., but we understand the meaning. And we use litter and waste the same way as Bruce has explained it.

20 Jun 2010