universal waste
n.— «It’s now illegal in California for households and any other entity to improperly dispose of a new list of widely used, but potentially harmful items containing mercury and other heavy metals that often wound up in garbage pails or recycle bins. Households must cart universal waste items—along with a host of hazardous waste, electronic waste and other potentially harmful, everyday items to sanctioned disposal centers.» —“Universal Waste Gets Universal Disposal Rule In California” by Broderick Perkins Reality Times Feb. 20, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Mary Beth in Greenville, South Carolina, wonders: Why do we say four-oh-nine for the number 409 instead of four-zero-nine or four-aught-nine? What are the rules for saying either zero or oh or aught or ought to indicate that arithmetical symbol...
Is there something inherent in English that makes it the linguistic equivalent of the Borg, dominating and consuming other languages in its path? No, not at all. The answer lies with politics and conquest rather than language itself. Plus: a new...