Sustainable Glossary

With all of the jargon surrounding sustainability and green living today, it is hard to keep up. We have put together the first list in our series of “sustainable glossary” articles; we hope this is helpful!

Alternative energy: energy generated in ways that do not deplete natural resources or harm the environment, substitutes for fossil fuels and other existing forms of energy

Biodegradable: materials that can be broken down and decomposed naturally by bacteria and other organisms

Carbon footprint: the carbon dioxide and other carbon containing compounds emitted from the consumption of fossil fuel by an individual or group

Carbon neutral: no net release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and often carbon offsetting activities, or carbon absorbing practices, are employed to negate the carbon emitted

Ecological footprint: the impact of an individual or a community on the environment, which is shown as the amount of land needed to sustain their resource use

Green washing: a process which many companies and brands have unfortunately resorted to, is the use of unspecific sustainability jargon to make a product or process seem eco-friendly without specifically stating what makes it so

Organic: when pertaining to food or natural materials, this means it was produced without the use of chemicals, pesticides, or artificial ingredients

Reclaimed: materials that are recycled, reused, and repurposed into new products or for new uses

Triple bottom line: an alternative to the double bottom line, which refers to economic and environmental impact, the triple bottom line refers to social, environmental, and economic impact

Zero waste: the conservation of all materials in all stages of a products life, including production, packing, consumption, reuse, and recovery

We wish you the best on your journey to greener living! Feel free to contact us if there is a topic you would be interested to learn about; chances are people in the Flourish community are looking for the same information, and we’ll give you a shout-out for your participation!