Tennessee Code Title 7. Consolidated Governments and Local Governmental Functions and Entities § 7-58-101

(1) “Approved system” means a solid waste disposal facility that has as its primary purpose the creation and recovery of energy from solid waste, as defined in subdivision (a)(4), and has as a secondary or incidental purpose the recovery of recyclable commodities, and which facility has been approved by the department of environment and conservation under authority granted to it by title 68, chapter 211;

(2) “Department” means the department of environment and conservation;

(3) “Resource recovery” means the recovery of material physically and economically suitable for further processing, recycling, and ultimate reuse; and

(4) “Solid waste” means all municipal, commercial, or industrial solid waste normally collected and disposed of by local governments, such as garbage, rubbish, refuse, and other such similar and related materials, except those excluded by the department, which shall designate as “special waste” any hazardous or other waste it determines should not be processed in an approved system for reasons of public health or safety, or because the nature of the waste is such that it is not suitable for processing in an approved system, and such materials as are normally collected or accepted by private industry for the purpose of recycling and are not normally collected or accepted by local governments.

(1) Is planned to handle solid waste in a manner compatible with the public health and safety;

(2) Converts a substantial percentage of solid waste into fuel; and

(3) Conserves resources.