An introduction to words and phrases that will assist you to become more sustainable.

Alternative energy
Usually environmentally friendly, this is energy from uncommon sources such as wind power or solar energy, not fossil fuels.

Biodegradeable
The ability to break down, safely and relatively quickly, by biological means into
the raw materials of nature and disappear back into the environment.

Biomass
An energy source derived from organic matter such as plant material or agricultural waste.

Biosphere
The term for the components of the earth and atmosphere that support life.

Black water
Wastewater containing biological or bodily wastes.

Carbon Footprint
The total amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted over the life cycle of a product or service.

Carrying capacity
A finite quantity (measured in K) of organisms that a given environment can support in equilibrium.

CFLs
Compact fluorescent light bulbs, which are more energy-efficient and last longer than standard incandescent light bulbs.

Chain of custody
The successive path taken by raw materials and products from the forest to the end user. This includes processing, transformation, manufacturing and distribution.

Cradle to Cradle
A design paradigm proposed in the book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things that models human industry on natural processes, in which materials act as nutrients that nourish and circulate through a healthy ecological system.

Compostable
A product that is made of materials that will break down over time in a landfill.

Corn Plastic
Derived from corn & 100% biodegradable

Cotton-Organic
Organic cotton is grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers, growth regulators,
chemical pesticides, irrigation or genetic engineering.

Downcycling
Refers to the recycling of a material into a new one with inferior properties. The most common example is the recycling of plastic into lower quality plastic products.

Elemental Chlorine
A compound used to bleach pulp. The US phased out elemental chlorine in 2001.

Elemental Chlorine Free (“traditional ECF”)
Uses chlorine dioxide instead of elemental chlorine.

ECF with extended or oxygen delignification ("enhanced ECF")
Reduces use of resources by removing more lignin before bleaching. Enhanced ECF uses ozone or hydrogen peroxide as the brightening agent.

Ecodesign
An approach to design that considers a product's environmental impact throughout its entire lifecycle from procurement, manufacture, use and disposal.

Ecological design
The design of human systems that are compatible with ecological systems.

Ecological footprint
The measure of land and water area a human population requires to produce the resources needed to support itself and absorb its wastes under prevailing technology.

Endangered forest
Forests that are so rare, threatened, or vulnerable, and are of such global biological importance that any logging or commercial use could cause irreparable damage.

Energy efficiency
The ratio of useful energy output by a conversion process to the energy input.

FSC-certified
A product, process or service that has been certified by the FSC as being in compliance with an FSC-endorsed standard.

Forest certification
Is the process by which the environmental, social, and economic integrity of forest management is measured and verified by a credible third party.

FSC-eligible products
Products that are approved by an FSC-accredited certification body as being covered by the scope of a chain of custody certificate, AND that meet the minimum content requirements for FSC labeling.

FSC-pure wood/fibre
Virgin or fibre wood which originates from an FSC-certified forest and is sold as ‘pure wood/fibre’ by the holder of a valid FSC chain of custody or joint forest management and chain of custody certificate.

Forest stewardship council (FSC)
A non-profit, membership-based organization that promotes responsible management of the world’s forest through developing standards, a certification system, and trademark recognition. It provides certification for companies and organizations who practice responsible forestry.

Fuel cell
An electrochemical device in which the oxidation of a gas fuel produces electrical energy with heat and water as its by-products.

Geosphere
Denotes the inorganic components of the earth made up mostly of rock, minerals, and water.

Global warming
The gradual temperature increase of the earth's lower atmosphere as a result of the increase of greenhouse gases. It is believed that global warming is linked to climate change and a rise in sea levels.

Green design
A design process that aims to reduce use of non-renewable resources, minimize environmental impact, and recognize connections between people and the natural environment.

Greenwashing
A deceptive marketing technique used to make a company or product appear environmentally conscious, sometimes in an effort to mask environmentally unsound practices.

Greenhouse gases
Man-made gaseous emissions that contribute to global warming by trapping the heat of the sun in the earth's atmosphere.

Greywater
Waste water from personal or general domestic washing activities.

Hannover Principles
A set of design guidelines formulated by William McDonough and Michael Braungart for Expo 2000 that consider environmental connections, long-term sustainability, and social impact.

Hemp
A paper fibre alternative that can be harvested annually and has been widely used in the production of cloth, cord, and other products.

Hydroelectric energy Electric energy produced by moving water.

Kenaf
A fast-growing annual plant and promising paper fibre alternative. An acre of kenaf can annually outproduce an acre Southern pine, one of the most productive trees used for paper fibre.

Kyoto protocol
An amendment to the international treaty on climate change that requires signatory nations to meet designated targets for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Life cycle assessment
Methodology developed to assess a product's full environmental costs, from raw material to final disposal

Non-renewable resources
Natural resources of finite supply that cannot be renewed or regenerated within any reasonable timescale. These include fossil fuels and minerals.

Off-gasing
Emissions of volatile compounds into the air from synthetic or natural polymers.

Ozone
A molecule that occurs naturally in the Earth's atmosphere: both the upper atmosphere, the stratosphere, and the lower atmosphere, the troposphere. It is important to life on Earth primarily because it absorbs biologically harmful ultraviolet radiation, preventing it from reaching the Earth.

PET
Polyethylene terephthalate is the most popular thermo plastic packaging material used for drinks and food. It is lightweight, transparent, and has a good moisture barrier, making it good for bottled mineral water, food trays for oven use, videotapes, and mechanical components. PET soda bottles are the most recycled container.

Post-consumer waste
Waste produced from end-users that includes routinely discarded garbage.

Post-consumer waste paper
Paper that was printed on, used by consumers and then collected for recycling.

Pre-consumer waste
Waste that is created through the manufacturing and production process, such as paper trimmings and defective aluminum cans. This waste never reaches the consumer.

Processed chlorine free (PCF) and Totally chlorine free (TCF)
Papers that are bleached without harmful chlorine-compounds. The chlorine-bleaching process creates a carcinogenic byproduct called dioxin. PCF means no chlorine compounds were used in creating the product, but it is impossible to know if chlorine compounds were used in creating the products from which PCF paper's recycled content comes from. TCF papers are made using 100% virgin fibres only.

Recycled fibre
Fibre reclaimed from a previous product and reprocessed into a new product.

Recycled paper
Paper that contains 30 percent post-consumer waste.

Renewable resources
Sustainable resources that are derived either directly or indirectly from the sun's energy such as solar power, wind energy, hydroelectric power, and living organisms.

Soy ink
An environmental alternative to traditional petroleum-based inks that is available in brighter colours, improves the life span of printers, and makes it easier to recycle paper.

Sustainable
Able to continue a certain behaviour indefinitely.

Sustainable development
Economic development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Sustainable products
Products that serve human needs without depleting resources, damaging the environment, or restricting the options available to future generations.

Technosphere
The component of the world that consists of man-made materials such as synthetic polymers (plastics) that cannot re-enter the biosphere through the process of biodegradation alone.

Tree-free paper
Paper that excludes the use of virgin tree pulp and instead uses sustainable resources like kenaf and hemp.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Compounds that evaporate from many housekeeping, maintenance and building products made with organic chemicals. These compounds may be released from the products both in use, and in storage.

Virgin wood
Wood used in manufacturing processes that is traceable to forest sources

Wind Power: Systems that convert air movement into mechanical or electrical energy. Driven by the wind, turbine blades turn a generator or power a mechanical pump

Resources
designcanchange.org
greenwerkspro.com
envirocitizen.org