Going Green

What was once seen as a fringe movement; the trend toward taking care of our environment through independent and collective action has recently developed into what is now known as the "Green" business ethic. Today's average consumer is interested in healthy living and looks for products that support this ideal. The following terms will help in understanding more about being “Green”.

Allergens
A substance, such as pollen, that causes an allergy.

Bio-Based
The state of an ingredient or product being entirely or in part comprised of renewable agricultural materials; also can refer to materials made using biological processes regardless of the feedstock source.

Bio-Based Materials
Materials that are derived in whole or in part from a renewable resource such as corn via biological processes that contain recently fixed (new; within our lifetime) carbon; also can refer to materials made using biological processes regardless of the source of the raw materials.

BIODEGRADABLE
The ability to break down or decompose rapidly under natural conditions and processes.

Carbon Footprint
The total amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted over the full lifecycle of a product or service, expressed as grams of CO2 equivalents. Greenhouse gases contribute to global warming and climate change, so reducing carbon footprints is desirable for a healthier earth.

Certified Wood
Under the guidance of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), wood-based materials used in building construction that are supplied from sources that comply with sustainable forestry practices, protecting trees, wildlife habitat, streams and soil.

Cradle-to-Cradle
Synthetic products can be collected and returned to manufacturing of the original product again and again.

Eco-chic
A product or good that is both eco-friendly and hipn.

Eco-efficiency
This means choosing the method for production, service, disposal or recovery that makes most ecological and economic sense, ensuring optimum conservation of resources, minimum emissions and waste and low overall costs. Doing more with less.

EnviroCore
A high-density fiber core derived from recycled wood fiber.

Environmentally friendly
A commonly used phrase that can refer to materials or products that are considered to inflict minimal harm on the environment.

Forestry Stewardship Council
The Forestry Stewardship Council is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world's forests. FSC-labeled wood products indicate that the wood is harvested from sustainably-managed forests.

FSC-Certified
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) trademark is the best available guarantee that the wood is from a responsible source that is not contributing to habitat destruction, water pollution and displacement of indigenous people and wildlife.

Going Green
A phrase referring to individual action that a person can consciously take to curb harmful effects on the environment through consumer habits, behavior, and lifestyle.

Green Label Plus Certification for Carpet
CRI (Carpet & Rug Institute) Green Label Plus is a testing program, overseen by independent labs, that identifies carpets with very low VOC’s. Receiving certification gives assurances that carpet and adhesive products meet the most stringent criteria for low chemical emissions and helps improve indoor air quality. Currently, carpet, cushion and adhesives as well as vacuum cleaners are tested in these programs.

Greenwashing
a term that is used to describe the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.

Hypoallergenic
Designed to reduce or minimize the possibility of an allergic response, as by containing relatively few or no potentially irritating substances.

LEED Program
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria.

LEED for Commercial Interiors
This is the green benchmark for the tenant improvement market. It is the recognized system for certifying high-performance green interiors that are healthy, productive places to work; are less costly to operate and maintain; and have a reduced environmental footprint. LEED for Commercial Interiors gives the power to make sustainable choices to tenants and designers, who do not always have control over whole building operations.

Lifecycle
Consecutive and interlinked stages of a product system, from raw material acquisition or generation of natural resources to the final disposal.

LOHAS
A term used to describe the market and lifestyle of consumers interested in issues of health, wellness, ecology, sustainability, and the environment.

Natural
A product that is made from materials and ingredients found in nature, with little or no human intervention. For example, wood is a natural material while plastic is not.

Non-renewable Energy
Energy derived from sources that cannot be replenished in a short period of time relative to a human life span. Non-renewable sources of energy are typically divided into two types: fossil fuels and nuclear fuels. Fossil fuels include oil, natural gas, and coal.

Off-Gassing
Offgassing is the evaporation of volatile chemicals in non-metallic materials at normal atmospheric pressure. This means that building materials can release chemicals into the air through evaporation. This evaporation can continue for years after the products are initially installed which means you continue to breathe these chemicals as you work, sleep and relax in your home or office.

P.E.T. Polyethylene Terepthalate
A type of high grade plastic used to make soft drink bottles and other kinds of food containers. PET is also used to make fabric.

Post-Consumer
A term used to describe material that is being reused/recycled after it has been in the consumer’s hands (e.g., a newspaper going back to the paper mill to be recycled into new recycled content paper products). Material or product used by the consumer for its original purpose and then discarded.

PVC - Polyvinylchloride
Polyvinylchloride is a common thermoplastic resin, used in a wide variety of manufactured products, including rainwear, garden hoses, phonograph records, and floor tiles.

Pre-Consumer
A term used to describe material that is being reused/recycled before it ever goes to market (e.g. paper scraps off of a paper mill floor going back into the next batch of paper). Waste material generated during the manufacturing process.

RECYCLING
Process, by which materials that would otherwise become solid waste are collected, separated or processed and returned to the economic mainstream to be reused in the form of raw materials or finished goods.

Renewable Energy
Energy harvested from sources that are not depleted when used, typically causing very low environmental impact. Examples include solar energy, hydroelectric power, and wind power.

Renewable Resource
A resource that can be renewed or regenerated by natural ecological cycles or sound management practices within a short time relative to a human life span. Sun, wind, water, fish, trees, cotton, wool.

Renewably Sourced
Being derived in whole or in part from renewable resources such as corn, wheat, or sugar cane.

Sustainability
The concept of meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Basically, sustainability refers to doing something with the long term in mind. Today's decisions are made with a consideration of sustaining our activities into the long-term future.

Sustainably-harvested
A renewable resource that as been harvested in a way that allows it's inherent regeneration and continued ongoing supply.

VOC
VOC’s are volatile organic compounds that react with nitrous oxides in the atmosphere to form smog. One example of a VOC that is commonly found in paint is benzene, which is a known human carcinogen.  You want to choose products that are low VOC or no VOC.

Zero Waste
The goal of developing products and services, managing their use and deployment, and creating recycling systems and markets in order to eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials and conserve and recover all resources. Implementing zero waste eliminates all discharges to land, water, or air that may be a threat to planetary, human, animal or plant health.