Eco Glossary

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To help you understand some of the eco terms you may come across in the new green world, we have provided a detailed glossary of terms and their meanings for you to use.

Absorption - Process by which a substance of particle is drawn into the structure of another
Acid Free - papers which are free from traces of acid. i.e. made under neutral sizing conditions
Acid Rain - The precipitation of dilute solutions of strong mineral acids, formed by the mixing in the atmosphere of various industrial pollutants (primarily sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides) with naturally occurring oxygen and water vapour.
Aerosal - Suspended droplets of liquid or liquid dispersions in air.
Air Pollution - The presence of contaminants or pollutants substances in the air that interfere with human health or welfare, or produce other harmful environmental effects
Alternative Energy - Energy from a source other than the conventional fossil-fuel sources of oil, natural gas and coal (i.e. wind, running water, the sun).
Aluminium - Aluminium is a lightweight, silver-white, metallic element that makes up approximately 7% of the Earths crust. Aluminium is mined and used in a variety of ways, but perhaps most familiarly in the manufacture of soft drink cans. Recycles well and suffers no loss in quality when recycled.
Biodegradable - A 'biodegradable' product has the ability to break down, safely and relatively quickly by biological means into the raw materials of nature and disappear into the environment.
Biosphere - The part of the earth and its atmosphere in which living organisms exist or that is capable of supporting life.
Carbon Dioxide (Co2) - Produced by burning fossils fuels or wood based, which raise atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and contribute to the greenhouse effect.
Carbon Emissions - Emissions to the atmosphere principally from the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. Increased atmospheric concentrations of CO2 and other greenhouse gases trap more of the earth's heat leading to the phenomenon known as global warming
Carbon Footprint - A representation of the effect human activities have on the climate in terms of the total amount of greenhouse gases produced (measured in units of carbon dioxide).
Carbon Offsetting - Offsetting the amount of carbon emissions (Co2) produced in the manufacture, production, transport, energy, food etc with the planting of trees
Carbon Tax - A charge on fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) based on their carbon content. When burned, the carbon in these fuels becomes carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, a significant greenhouse gas.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) - Stable, artificially created chemical compounds containing carbon, chlorine, fluorine and sometimes hydrogen. Chlorofluorocarbons, used primarily to facilitate cooling in refrigerators and air conditioners, have been found to deplete the stratospheric ozone layer which protects the earth and its inhabitants form excessive ultraviolet radiation.
Climate Change - The term 'climate change' is sometimes used to refer to all forms of climatic inconsistency. The term more often used to imply a significant change from one climatic condition to another. In some cases 'climate change' has been used synonymously with the term 'global warming'.
Compost - Process whereby organic wastes, including food wastes, paper and yard wastes, decompose naturally, resulting in a product rich in minerals and ideal for gardening and farming as a soil conditioner, mulch resurfacing or landfill cover.
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.
Contaminant - Any physical, chemical, biological or radiological substance or matter that has an adverse effect on air, water or soil.
Contamination - Introduction to water, air and soil micro organisms, chemicals, toxic substances, wastes or wastewater in a concentration that makes the medium unfit for its next intended use.
Dioxin - Any of several heterocyclic hydrocarbons that occur especially as persistent toxic impurities in herbicides. Also formed by burning plastics that contain chlorine, i.e. PVC
Disposal - Final placement or destruction of toxic, radioactive or other wastes; surplus or banned pesticides or other chemicals; polluted soils; and drums containing hazardous materials from removal actions or accidental releases.
Ecology - a branch of science concerned with the interrelationship of organisms and their environment.
Eco-Spun - a textile product using PET (Recyclable plastic bottles) and processed to create fibres to be knitted or woven into the fabric.
Ecosystem - An interconnected and symbiotic grouping of animals, plants, fungi and micro-organisms that sustains life through biological, geological and chemical activity.
Emissions - The release of gases, liquids and/or solids from any process or industry. Liquid emissions are commonly referred to as effluents.
EMS (Environmental Management System) - An internal system for handling environmental issues within a company. It sets requirements for how activities impacting the environment shall be accounted for and documented. The existing standardisation systems in Europe are ISO 14001 and EMAS.
Environmental Footprint - For an industrial setting this is a company's environmental impact determined by the amount of depletable raw materials and non-renewable resources it consumes to make its products and the quantity of wastes and emissions that are generated in the process.
Environmental Impact - Any change to the environment whether adverse or beneficial, wholly or partially resulting from human activity, industry or natural disasters.
Fossil Fuels - Fossil fuels are the remains of plant and animal life that are used to provide energy by combustion, coal, oil and natural gas.
Fairtrade - Producer or organisations that supply Fairtrade products are inspected and certified by FLO (Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International) and receive a minimum price that covers the cost of sustainable production together with an extra premium which is invested in social or economic development projects.
FSC Wood - Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests are managed to ensure long term timber supplies while protecting the environment and live of forest-dependent peoples.
Glass - Most commercial glass is made from molten mixture of soda ash, sand and lime. An excellent material for re-using and recycling. The recycling process can be repeated endlessly without any loss of quality.
Global Warming - A process that raises the air temperature in the lower atmosphere due to heat trapped by greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, CFCs and ozone. Applied to the warming predicted to occur as a result of human activities. (i.e. emissions of greenhouse gases)
Greenhouse Effect - The warming of the earth's surface and lower atmosphere as a result of carbon dioxide and water vapour in the atmosphere, which results in an increase in temperature.
Greenhouse Gases - The most important greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons and ozone.
Habitat
- The natural home of an animal or plant
- The sum of the environmental conditions that determine the existence of a community in a specific place.
Hydrocarbons (HC) - Chemical compounds that consist entirely of carbon and hydrogen.
HDPE - High Density Polyethylene. A type of plastic that is commonly used in milk cartons.
Landfills
- Sanitary landfills are disposal sites for non hazardous solid wastes spread in layers, compacted to the smallest practical volume and covered by material applied at the end of each operating day
- Secure chemical landfills are disposal sites for hazardous waste, selected and designed to minimize the chance of release of hazardous substances into the environment.
Life Cycle of a Product - All stages of a product's development, from extraction of fuel for power to production, marketing, use and disposal.
Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) - The assessment of a products full environmental costs, from raw materials to final disposal, in terms of consumption of resources, energy and waste - 'from the cradle to the grave'
Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) - An accounting of the energy and waste associated with the creation of a new product through use and disposal.
PET - Polyethylene Terepthalate. A type of plastic used to make soft drink bottles and other kinds of food containers. PET is also used to make fabric.
Non-renewable Energy - Energy derived from depletable fuels (oil, gas, coal) created through lengthy geological processes and existing in limited quantities on the earth.
Non-renewable Resource - A resource that cannot be replaced in the environment (i.e. fossil fuels) because it forms at a rate far slower than its consumption.
Organic Cotton - A typical conventional cotton t-shirt uses about 150 grams of acutely toxic pesticides and insecticides; that's the size of a cup of sugar. (source: Soil Association). Organic cotton is manufactured from organically grown cotton plants. No chemical pesticides or fertilisers are used to grow it, and the final cloth is unbleached and dyed with natural plant dyes.
Ozone Hole - A thinning break in the ozone layer. Seasonal ozone holes have been observed over the Antarctic and artic regions, part of Canada, and the extreme north eastern United States.
Ozone Layer - The protective layer in the atmosphere, about 12-15 miles above sea level, which absorbs some of the sun's ultraviolet rays, thereby reducing the amount of potentially harmful radiation that reaches the earth's surface.
Pathogens - Micro-organisms (i.e. bacteria, viruses or parasites) that can cause disease in humans, animals and plants.
Post-Consumer Waste - Post consumer waste is collected through commercial and household recycling schemes and recycled content could include both post-consumer waste and post-industrial waste.
Post-Industrial Waste - Post industrial waste (or pre-consumer waste) is produced during the manufacturing process, for instance paper off-cuts from printing processes or mill-broke.
Recycling - Process by which materials that would otherwise become solid waste are collected and separated or processed and returned to the economic mainstream to be reused in the form of raw materials or finished goods.
Re-Use - To find a new function for an item that has outgrown its original use, use again waste saving.
Sustainable - Sustainability is all about preserving the world's natural resources for future generations. A fully sustainable industry would be one that has zero impact, or a positive impact on the environment.
Toxic - Capable of having an adverse effect on an organism; poisonous; harmful or deadly.
Triple Bottom Line - People, Planet and Profit - the idea being that environmental quality and social equity are just as important as black ink at the bottom of the ledger.
Waste to Energy - Burning of industrial waste to provide steam, heat or electricity. Sometimes referred to as waste-to-fuel process.
Waste Neutral - When a greater weight of products made from recycled materials is the same or greater weight of materials sent to be recycled, Waste Neutral will be achieved.
Unbleached - Unbleached cotton is Ecru colour, sounder for the environment than bleached or dyed cotton. Unbleached paper may not attain the same high white finish as that of bleached paper but is good for general use, however buying recycled paper could even be seen as more important than recycling used paper because demand for recycled paper in the U.K. currently lags behind supply!
Vegetable based Inks - Using vegetable oil, rather than petroleum solvents, as the vehicle for carrying pigment. Vegetable ink colours tend to be more vibrant than petroleum-based inks, but may take longer to dry