Buzz words like sustainability, compostable and cradle-to-grave are regularly bandied about by authorities and spin-meisters. Many use terms interchangeably or incorrectly. So Inside Outdoor decided to parse the greenwash lexicon and take a stab at a short glossary of definitions. The following definitions are as organic as the topics they address. They are more operative than definitive, with the underlying subtext being about the discourse that we hope to continue. Indeed, these definitions are “alive,” and we expect them to evolve as new standards are set, technologies are developed and our industry grapples with the “sustainability” (see below) of our businesses. A la Wikipedia, we welcome anyone who would like to add, change or modify definitions to submit their insight to ernest@bekapublishing.com. The Green Glossary will continue to appear in future issues of IO.
3P (People, Planet, Profit)
See Triple Bottom Line
Aerosols
Aerosols are solid or liquid nano-sized particles dispersed within another gas. Aerosols are of growing interest among climate scientist researching climate change. NASA concludes 90 percent of most aerosols are naturally formed by actions such as volcanism. The remaining 10 percent are anthropogenically produced by smog and coal, natural gas or oil fired-power generating plants. The effect aerosols play upon the earth’s climate is not fully understood. However, it has been shown aerosols cool the atmosphere by reflecting or scattering solar radiation back into space.
Biodegradable
Aerobic decomposition of a organic matter through the action of microorganisms or aerobes. There are no standards for eco-toxicity or length of time before degrading to biomass and, in some cases, eco-toxins.
Biodiversity
Biodiversity refers to the multiplicity of biological organisms within an interrelated environment. The scale of biodiversity ranges from the size of distinct ecosystems to the atomic molecular level. Anthropogenic climate change is often cited as a disrupting influence to biodiversity. The concern over these disruption centers around three essential services biodiversity brings to humanity. These ecosystem services are provisioning, regulating and cultural. Provisioning relates to the loop providing renewable resources such as food, water and air. Regulating services maintain equilibrium within the environment (e.g. population control, climate feedback loop). The cultural component refers to the value humanity places upon the environment.
Bluesign Standard
Launched in 2000 as an initiative by Albers Group/Schoeller Technologies AG, among others, the bluesign standard is a certification scheme for textile ecology. Using OECD’s (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) test methods for determining the various ecotoxicological data needed for the standard, it strengthened its global marketing and technical reach when 50% of bluesign was purchased by Société Générale de Surveillance in 2008. SGS’s business model is built around ocean-going cargo inspection, raw material testing and testing of products from exporting companies or governments worldwide.
Cap and Trade
See Emissions Trading.
Carbon Neutral or Carbon Offset
To offset or neutralize net greenhouse gas emissions.
This can be achieved by planting trees, using renewable energy, energy conservation and emissions trading. Critics contend there is no definitive evidence that carbon offsets work since there are no models or standards that clearly demonstrate the equilibrium.
(Carbon) Sequestration
See Uptake
CERES (Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies)
CERES is a non-profit 501(c)(3) group of investors, corporations and public interest groups using sustainable prosperity as a byline to describe its work to promote change through capital markets. Its mission is “Mobilizing investor and business leadership to build a thriving, sustainable global economy.” Among coalition group members are, the AFL-CIO, CalPERS (California Public Employees’ Retirement System), Earth Island Institute, Friends of the Earth, Natural Resources Defense Council, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), the Sierra Club, the Union of Concerned Scientists, Walden Asset Management, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). www.ceres.org
Compostable
The biodegradability of an organic material, mostly to biomass, water and carbon dioxide. Compostable environments include industrial settings and common garden or open space locations. All standards agree on a six-month period for the organic matter to degrade. Most standards support these tests:
• Does it biodegrade to carbon dioxide, water, biomass at
the rate paper biodegrades?
• Does the material disintegrate leaving no distinguishable
or visible residue?
• Are there any eco-toxic materials left, and can the
remaining biomass support plant growth?
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D6400-99 says to be considered compostable, materials must undergo degradation by biological processes during composting to yield carbon dioxide (CO2), water, inorganic compounds and biomass at a rate consistent with other compostable materials, leaving no visible, distinguishable or toxic residue.
The EN (European Committee for Standardization or Comité Européen de Normalisation) standard is even more specific. EN13432 states that a material is deemed compostable if it will breakdown to the extent of at least 90 percent to H2O and CO2 and biomass within six months.
There are other standards as well with DIN V49000 from the German Institute for Standardization being the strictest in the allowance of heavy metals. Many might be familiar with DIN standards for their safe release ski bindings.
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is a U.S. Federal agency in charge of public safety associated with consumer products. The CPSC Web site states “Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard.” For example, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) was enacted to protect children from lead and phthalates 12 years of age or younger. www.cpsc.gov
Cradle-to-cradle
The life cycle of a product from manufacture to re-manufacture.
Cradle-to-gate
The life cycle of a product or process from manufacture to end user. Also known as environmental product declarations (EPD).
Cradle-to-grave
The life cycle of a product from manufacture to end-of-use disposal.
Degradable
A material that undergoes chemical change and a loss of original characteristics due to environmental conditions. There are no requirements for time, process or toxicity for this method.
Emissions Trading (Cap and Trade)
A practice in which businesses are given an emissions cap, in the form of credits, that allows them to pollute up to a maximum credit level. Businesses that exceed their cap must purchase (or trade) credits from a company that has not exceeded its cap or from trading platforms such as the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), the European Climate Exchange (ECX) and/or Montreal Climate Exchange (MCeX). Problems with the Cap and Trade concept include where to set the initial levels of the caps, retiring old credits, resetting caps and regulatory/compliance standards.
Environmental Product Declarations (EPD)
The life cycle of a product from manufacture to end user. Also know as cradle-to-gate.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
The FCS’s mission is to encourage sustainable development (see Sustainable Development) practices among the world’s forests. Ten principles and 57 criteria define forests certified by the FSC. There are two certifications awarded by the Forest Stewardship Council: a Forest Management and Chain of Custody certification. Both certifications use FSC’s principles and criteria to obtain a certificate of compliance. Manufacturers such as Armstrong (flooring) are among a growing number of manufacturers adopting the Forest Stewardship Council’s shared vision. us.fsc.org/index.htm
Gate-to-grave
The life cycle of a product from the end user to end-of-use disposal.
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
The Global Reporting Initiative, based in Amsterdam the Netherlands, is a registered, not-for-profit organization. It is funded by donations from all over the world including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Organizational Stakeholders. Considered the de facto world standard in sustainable development reporting, the GRI uses a global network of stakeholders to form a consensus-based process in shaping and revising its accounting structure. GRI encourages reviewing of the report outcomes by third-party assurance providers. However, there is no mechanism in place requiring these audits.
Greenhouse Gas (GHG)
A greenhouse gas is an atmospheric gas which absorbs and/or emits radiation within the infrared light range, which causes a greenhouse effect. The Kyoto Protocol identifies six atmospheric gases as key greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), hydrofluorocarbon (HFCs) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). Each compound has a different global warming potential (GWP). GWP is based on the difference between incoming and outgoing solar radiation energy (radiative forcing). With carbon dioxide used as one unit of GWP, also known as the carbon dioxide equivalent, GHGs have had their GWP calculated in terms of their carbon dioxide equivalent.
Higg Index
The Higg Index is a self-described “Holistic self-assessment tool used for educational purposes that allows the user to benchmark performance over time. It’s a starting place for engagement and understanding of sustainability impacts. Further it encourages continuous improvement and promotes collaboration and transparency.” Introduced in 2012, The Higg Index targets the apparel and footwear industries’ environmental and social performance. Since this is an educational, self-help tool, there is no mechanism in place for verification or validation of the outcomes derived by its use.
LEED Green Building Rating System
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a certification rating system for structures designed and built with the goal of water efficiency, good indoor air quality, energy savings and an overall reduction in its carbon footprint. LEED is an open source tool created by a 501 (c) (3) non-profit, the US Green Building Council (USGBC). The USGBC, headquartered in Washington D.C., finances its activities by conducting educational programs for builders, designers, suppliers and operators, selling publications, accepting donations and sponsoring conferences. This allows the USGBC to revise LEED and conduct research. Third-party verification to assure compliance on commercial and institutional projects as of 2008 has gone to the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). Regardless of the LEED project, all must undergo third-party verification in order to receive LEED ratings of certified, silver, gold and platinum.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
A comprehensive environmental assessment of the impact of a product or process, from inception to the end of its “life.” The assessment includes transportation of raw materials to the manufacturer, manufacturing of materials, transportation of materials to the product manufacturer, manufacturing of product, transportation of product
to end users, impact of product by
end user including disposal of product
at its end of life.
The assessment has been used as a tool to evaluate a product’s or company’s eco-performance, which in turn can be used to improve it.
There are three different methods used in lifecycle analysis:
1. process or bottom-up LCA using ISO 14040-2006 and 14044-2006 protocols;
2. economic input output or EIO-LCA; and
3. hybrid LCA, a combination of process LCA with economic input output LCA.
LCAs are used as a tool to evaluate a product or company’s eco-performance, which in turn can be used to improve it.
Life Cycle Management (LCM)
An integrated approach to sustainable production and consumption through the management of a product’s or process’ life cycle.
Life Cycle Energy Analysis (LCEA)
The total life cycle energy input. Criticism in utilizing LCEAs include the argument that different energy sources have different potential value (exergy). Additionally, critics contend that LCEAs’ energy currency cannot supplant economic currency as the determinant in business.
Methane
Methane is a colorless odorless gas at room temperature and standard pressure. It is the main component of natural gas. One of the greenhouse gases, methane is of interest because of its abundance on earth and its continually growing, climate-changing potential. Its carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent over a 100-year period is 34, revised up nine units of equivalence with the newly released 2013 Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In other words, CO2 is the base unit of equivalence or one (for one metric ton). So over 100 years, one ton of methane is equal to 34 tons of CO2.
As the earth continues to heat up, more permafrost, methane clathrates under the ocean floors and the Antarctic Ice Sheet continue to melt, adding CO2 at an accelerating rate.
Montebello Agreement (see REACH)
The Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) also is known as the Montebello Agreement, so named for the city in Quebec where the summit was held. The SPP Web site states that this is a Bush Administration, White House-led initiative to increase security and economic prosperity in North America. Part of this voluntary framework is to establish risk characterization by 2012 of over 9,000 chemical substances produced in the U.S. in quantities over 25,000 pounds per year. By 2020, Canada, Mexico and the U.S. will “strive to achieve…inventories of all chemical substances in commerce.” Many view the Montebello Agreement as a North American reaction to REACH, the European Union’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals, which went into EU law last June.
National Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
A not-for-profit 501(c)(3), the NRDC is an international environmental advocacy group based in New York City. Membership tops more than 1.3 million people, with an operating budget exceeding $120 million and employing more than 400 people including attorneys, policy experts and scientists. The NRDC policy focus is on climate change, clean air, clean water, nuclear proliferation, urban quality-of-life, habitat preservation and a host of related sustainable development (see Sustainable Development) concerns. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is a Senior Attorney at NRDC. www.nrdc.org
Net Zero Building (NZB)
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Paul Torcellini, et al, define a net zero building as “…a building with greatly reduced energy needs through efficiency gains such that the balance of the energy needs can be supplied by renewable technologies.” Torcellini, et al point out there is no commonly understood definition or understanding of NZB. Factors such as net-zero site energy, net-zero source energy, net-zero energy costs and net-zero energy emissions shape the evolving definition of this building concept. A working definition of NZB is building construction designs that produces zero annual carbon emissions or nearly zero energy consumption. Net zero building is also referred to as, net zero energy building, zero net building and zero net energy building.
Non-Renewable Energy
Non-renewable energy is an energy source that cannot renew itself at a rate commensurate with economic demands within human lifetimes. Fossil fuels such as petroleum, coal and natural gas are not renewable as the timeframe to renew what has been consumed takes hundreds of millions of years. Such is the case with petroleum where plant matter undergoes catagenesis on its way to becoming fossil fuels. Uranium, aluminum, gold and other elements or compounds extracted from the earth are also non-renewable. Uranium, a non-renewable fuel for nuclear power generation, according to OECD’s Robert Vance, reached its Hubbert Peak (i.e. peak uranium – similar to peak oil) in the 1980s.
Oeko-Tex
International Association for Research and Testing in the Field of Textile Ecology or Oeko-Tex, was established in 1993 by the Austrian Textile Research Institute, the German Hohenstein Research Institute and the Swiss Textile Testing Institute Testex. Today it has evolved into a group of 14 test institutes throughout Europe and Japan. Its certification programs, Oeko-Tex 100, Oeko-Tex 100plus and Oeko-Tex 1000 focuses on what they term the four parts of textile ecology: production, human, performance and disposal ecology. Verification of Oeko-Tex 100, 100plus and 1000 submissions are achieved through the ISO 14000 suite of environmental protocols, ISO laboratory testing protocols, DIN EN, and IEC standards. Oeko-Tex’s standards also exceed the current best practices as defined by the EU’s REACH (see REACH). The testing institutes forward their results to the Oeko-Tex Secretariat, which evaluates the applications, issues certificates to passing applications and tests for compliance during the issued period.
Organic
In textile technology, organic refers to standards ensuring sustainable practices during all phases of fiber production. Beginning with every aspect of cultivation under the National Organic Program (NOP) guidelines, post-harvest wet processes such as dying and bleaching, textile fabrication, manufacturing of goods, transportation, worker environment, labeling/compliance, packaging, exportation and importation are comprehensively addressed.
Presently, there are no processing standards for organic fibers from the U.S. federal government beyond cultivation ending with the consumer.
For standards related to organic food, please see: http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/indexIE.htm.
Oxo-biodegradation
A two-step process that begins with degradation by oxidation, followed by biodegradation.
A variation of this developed for polymers, such as polyethylene, add a degradability component during the material’s manufacturing. The added component allows the polymer to thermo- (heat), photo- (light) or hydro- (water) degrade within 90 days in a commercial composting environment.
It is purported that in non-commercial composting environments, the biodegradation will take place but at a much slower rate.
The Precautionary Principle
The EEB (European Environmental Bureau 1999) defines the Precautionary Principle as follows:
2.1 The Precautionary Principle justifies early action to prevent harm and an unacceptable impact to the environment and human health in the face of scientific uncertainty
2.2 Precaution places the burden of proof on the proponents of the activity.
2.3 Precaution applies the substitution principle, seeking safer alternatives to potentially harmful activities, including the assessment of needs.
2.4 Precaution requires public participation in decision-making.
REACH (See Montebello Agreement)
Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)
The European Union’s REACH EC 1907/2006 regulation was established on December 18, 2006 and became law on June 1, 2007. The regulation’s intent “should ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment as well as the free movement of substances, on their own, in preparations and in articles, while enhancing competitiveness and innovation. This Regulation should also promote the development of alternative methods for the assessment of hazards of substances.”
This law is the most comprehensive legislation ever completed regulating all chemical substances. A full 401 pages of this 849 page document are 10 appendices that mostly call out carcinogens, mutagens and substances toxic to reproduction. The rest of the document outlines and defines the requirements of compliance.
REACH will affect chemical industries worldwide by requiring testing and registration with the European Chemicals Agency on any imported chemical substance over 1,000 kg in weight. Chemical substances manufactured in the European Union are subject to the same regulation.
Recycling
The U.S. Department of Energy defines recycling as “the process of converting materials that are no longer useful as designed or intended into a new product.”
Renewable Energy
The U.S. Department of Energy defines renewable energy as “energy derived from resources that are regenerative or for all practical purposes cannot be depleted.
“Types of renewable energy resources include moving water (hydro, tidal and wave power), thermal gradients in ocean water, biomass, geothermal energy, solar energy and wind energy.
“Municipal solid waste (MSW) is also considered to be a renewable energy resource.”
Reservoir
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change defines reservoir as: “A component of the climate system, other than the atmosphere, which has the capacity to store, accumulate or release a substance of concern, for example, carbon, a greenhouse gas or a precursor. Oceans, soils and forests are examples of reservoirs of carbon. Pool is an equivalent term (note that the definition of pool often includes the atmosphere). The absolute quantity of the substance of concern held within a reservoir at a specified time is called stock.” For example, uptake or (carbon) sequestration, adds greenhouse gases to rainforests (reservoir) and their soils (reservoir).
RoHS
An acronym for Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (the lead-free directive).
Although not a law, the European Union passed this directive in 2006, limiting the use of six materials in any part of electronic and electrical products. The six materials limited by RoHS are: lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium (chromium VI or Cr6+), polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE). PBB and PBDE are flame retardants used in some plastics.
Similar standards have been adopted in China, Japan, Korea and California. The U.S. federal government currently has no plans to adopt a similar directive.
Sink
“Any process, activity or mechanism that removes a greenhouse gas, an aerosol or a precursor of a greenhouse gas or aerosol from the atmosphere” is considered a sink, according to sources at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. A sink removes a greenhouse gas, for example, from the atmosphere, then by uptake or (carbon) sequestration, the greenhouse gas is added to a reservoir (see Reservoir and Uptake/Sequestration).
Stakeholder(s)
The online Business Directory describes this as, “Person, group or organization that has direct or indirect stake in an organization because it can affect or be affected by the organization’s actions, objectives and policies. Key stakeholders in a business organization include creditors, customers, directors, employees, government (and its agencies), owners (shareholders), suppliers, unions and the community from which the business draws its resources. Although stake-holding is usually self-legitimizing (those who judge themselves to be stakeholders are de facto so), all stakeholders are not equal and different stakeholders are entitled to different considerations. For example, a firm’s customers are entitled to fair trading practices but they are not entitled to the same consideration as the firm’s employees.”
Sustainable development
Economic, social (political) and environmental development that is harmonized for the good of all interests.
Many, including the United Nations, use the definition from the Brundtland Report Our Common Future that “sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Others contend that this is not an operational definition and that the concept is best defined as “a socio-ecological process characterized by ideal-seeking behavior on the part of its human component,” which is adapted from the work of Russell Ackoff and Fred Emery, among others.
Nevertheless, there are some that consider the phrase a greenwash oxymoron. To many, the concept of growth and depleting non-renewable resources are mutually exclusive.
Triple Bottom Line (TBL or 3BL)
The addition of social and environmental metrics within full cost financial reporting. In 1994 John Elkington coins the phrase and in his 1997 book, Cannibals with Forks, he elucidates this concept. “The idea behind the TBL idea was that business and investors should measure their performance against a new set of metrics – capturing economic, social and environmental value added – or destroyed – during the processes of wealth creation.”
He also authored the term 3P for people, planet profit.
Uptake (Sequestration)
“The addition of a substance of concern to a reservoir. The uptake of carbon containing substances, in particular carbon dioxide, is often called carbon sequestration,” says the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Most trees and certain crops such as potatoes, rice and soybeans, uptake more CO2 than other plants and crops.
Volatile Organic Compound (VOC)
VOCs as they relate to environmental concerns refer to compounds with high vapor pressures (a vapor at room temperature and pressure) that can be potentially harmful and therefore regulated. VOCs occur naturally but can also be synthesized. In recent years, the roll of VOCs in new home or building construction and their contribution to sick building syndrome has heighten awareness of indoor air quality. The Environmental Protection Agency maintains a list of regulated VOCs.
Zero Waste
An approach to the cradle-to-cradle concept that includes reduction of product or process waste and consumption, plus advancing the notion of reuse, repair or return to the environment.
