Green Glossary

Learning the Language of Green
Green Glossary

Alternative energy — this is energy obtained from sources other than fossil fuels such as wind, solar, nuclear energy.

Bio-based Product — A product (other than food or feed) that is produced from renewable agricultural (plant, animal and marine) or forestry materials

Biodegradable — something when left alone break down and be absorbed into the eco-system

Carbon dioxide — (CO2) is a naturally occurring greenhouse gas in the atmosphere and is a by-product of burning fossil fuels, which can contribute to climate change.

Carbon Footprint — The total measurable effect that human related activities have had on the organic life in Earth’s environment: Pollution has left a large eco-footprint on the atmosphere due in part to the greenhouse gases that have been released.

Carbon neutral — an activity that does not produce any carbon emissions or whose carbon emissions have been offset

Closed-loop Recycling — When a used product is recycled into a similar product; a recycling system in which a particular mass of material (possibly after upgrading) is remanufactured into the same product (e.g., glass bottles into glass bottles).

Coated recycled board packaging — also referred to as paperboard or clay-coated news back (CCNB), this is a multi-ply paperboard made of recycled material that is coated for printability.

Conservation — Preserving and renewing, when possible, human and natural resources. The use, protection and improvement of natural resources according to principles that will ensure their highest economic or social benefits.

Compostable — refers to a material that is able to break down in the soil under aerobic conditions.

Conservation — preserving and renewing, when possible, human and natural resources.

Earth Day — A day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. It is on 22 April. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-Wisconsin) as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year. The first Earth Day was in 1970. Earth Day is spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.

Ecosystem — The interaction of organisms from the natural community with one another and their environment to sustain one another.

Energy Star — An international standard for energy efficient consumer products. It was first created as a United States government program by the Clinton Administration in 1992, but Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan and the European Union have also adopted the program. Devices carrying the Energy Star logo, such as computer products and peripherals, kitchen appliances, buildings and other products, generally use 20%–30% less energy than required by federal standards.

Energy Vampires — This term refers to electric appliances such as televisions, chargers, and clock radios that use energy even when turned off. The energy they use is also called a "phantom load."

Energy efficient — refers to technology and behaviors that can reduce the amount of electricity or fuel used to do the same work, thereby reducing environmental impact.

Fuel Efficiency — A form of thermal efficiency, meaning the efficiency of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier fuel into kinetic energy or work. Overall fuel efficiency may vary per device, which in turn may vary per application, and this spectrum of variance is often illustrated as a continuous energy profile. Non-transportation applications, such as industry, benefit from increased fuel efficiency, especially fossil fuel power plants or industries dealing with combustion, such as ammonia production during the Haber process.

Glass recycling — Glass bottles and jars can be recycled endlessly. That means that unlike some other recycled products, a recycled bottle can be recycled into another glass bottle. And another, and so on forever. Find out more about the endless cycle of glass.

Greenhouse effect — refers to the process that raises the temperature of air in the lower atmosphere due to heat trapped by greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide. This is generally considered one of the contributory causes of global warming and climate change.

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions — a group of gases (mainly carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor) that trap heat in the atmosphere. GHG is measured in equivalent mass of CO2.

Life Cycle of a Product — All stages of a product's development, from extraction of fuel for power to production, marketing, use and disposal.

Mobius Loop — the “chasing arrows” symbol, is commonly used to convey that a product or package is recyclable and/or is made from recycled material.

Non-renewable resources — Resources that are in limited supply, such as oil, coal, and natural gas. Also see renewable resources.
Non-Toxic — refers to materials deemed safe by toxicological evaluation.

Offsetting — the process of compensating for carbon emissions by a counteracting or offsetting activity. An example of offsetting activities is to plant trees that will absorb the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide produced by the carbon emitting activity.

Organic — often relates to foodstuffs or other plant or animal products grown or raised without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or hormones. The scientific definition of organic refers to any carbon containing compounds or materials originally derived from living or previously living material.

Post-consumer waste (PCW) — refers to recycled materials (plastics, paper, etc.) collected after the consumer has used and disposed of them. The use of PCW reduces landfill burden and PCW paper reduces the need for new wood logging, thus reducing the impact on natural resources.

Pre-consumer waste — waste materials recovered during the manufacturing process and diverted from landfill to be reused by another company to make new products. They are sometimes referred to as post-industrial waste. Pre-consumer waste materials do not include “in-plant” wastes or manufacturing scrap. Both pre and post-consumer waste materials can make up the Total recycled content.

Recycling — The process of collecting, sorting, and reprocessing old material into usable raw materials.
Recycled material — also referred to as recycled content, are those materials that have been recovered or diverted from the solid waste stream either during the manufacturing process (pre-consumer) or after consumer use (post-consumer).

Renewable — A natural resource if it is replaced by natural processes at a rate comparable or faster than its rate of consumption by humans. Solar radiation, tides, winds and hydroelectricity are perpetual resources that are in no danger of a lack of long-term availability.

Renewable energy — alternative energy sources such as wind power or solar energy whose energy source can be replenished.

Renewable materials — resources that can be replenished such as soy and vegetable oils.

Soy and Vegetable-Based inks — soy and vegetable oil based inks substantially replace the use of petroleum oils in printing inks. These inks produce fewer emissions in the printing process and are derived from renewable materials.

Sustainable — Capable of being maintained at a steady level without exhausting natural resources or causing severe ecological damage

Total Recycled Content — refers to the percentage of total recycled material used in a product.

Vermicomposting — The process whereby worms feed on slowly decomposing materials (e.g., vegetable scraps) in a controlled environment to produce nutrient-rich soil.