Green Glossary
Biodegradable
Material is that which, when left to itself, will be decomposed by natural processes.
Chlorine-free
Chlorine-free includes three classifications: Totally chlorine-free (TCF) is virgin paper produced without chlorine or chlorine derivatives; Processed chlorine-free (PCF) contains recycled content produced without elemental chlorine or chlorine derivatives; and Elemental chlorine-free (Traditional ECF) replaces elemental chlorine with chlorine dioxide in the bleaching process.
Compostable
Those materials that decay into organic substances and can be used for fertilizing soil. Compostable items are made from plant materials such as corn, potato, cellulose, soy and sugar. The easy rule for composting is – if it came from a plant or an animal, it’s compostable!
Green
We label products ‘green’ when they include one or more of the following qualities: biodegradable or compostable; made of at least 20% post-consumer recycled content; emits low VOCs (volatile organic compounds); uses renewable resources or is rechargeable, or when the product is certified as such by an established third party.
Eco-Labels
An eco-label is a label given to qualifying consumer products (excluding foods and medicine) that are made in a fashion that avoids detrimental effects on the environment. When evaluating the credibility of an eco-label one should look at the independence of the certifier. Check out www.greenerchoices.org for more information on how to evaluate eco-labels. Examples include:
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) – certifies paper,www.fsc.org
Green Seal – certifies cleaning products and paper, www.greenseal.org
Design for the Environment – certifies cleaning products, www.epa.gov/dfe/
Scientific Certification Systems – (SCS) Currently certified products include office furniture systems, components, and seating, building materials, carpet and rug, hard surface flooring, paints, finishes, wood products, and cleaning products, among others. www.scscertified.com
LEED Certified
A U.S. Green Business Council certification, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating system is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings. LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building project is environmentally responsible, profitable, and a healthy place to live and work. It encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria.
Recycled Paper
Recycled paper comprises two main categories: Pre–consumer recycled, which contains scrap and trimmings from paper mills as well as paper products that were never used in the consumer market (e.g. returned magazines and newspapers) and Post-consumer recycled, which includes materials that have been through their intended life and would otherwise have been disposed of, such as office paper, cardboard and magazines. The higher the post-consumer recycled content, the more material diverted from municipal waste to landfill.
Sustainability
Sustainability is defined by 35-year environmental expert William Blackburn as "respect for people and other living things and the wise use of resources for the purpose of promoting the long-term well-being of the organization and society." It is defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
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