Eco speak.
Eco language that's easier to understand.

Biogas? LEED buildings? Green washing? No, it's not a foreign language. These are commonly used terms in the world of environmentalism. We've made it easy to help you better understand what being green is all about by highlighting some key phrases.

Carbon footprint

The amount of carbon that a product, service, event or person emits over a given time frame. The higher the carbon footprint, the bigger the impact on global warming.

Carbon credits

Received for supporting carbon emission-reduction projects that are used to mitigate the carbon emissions generated by an individual or organization.

Forest Stewardship Council certified

The FSC is a nonprofit organization devoted to responsible management of the world's forests. The FSC logo indicates wood products that come from responsibly managed forests.

Greenhouse gas

Any gas that absorbs infrared radiation in the atmosphere and contributes to global warming. Some greenhouse gases (like carbon dioxide) occur naturally, while others (methane, nitrous oxide) are caused by human activity.

Post-consumer recycled content

Material in a finished product that is composed partially or wholly from recycled material. Paper used by an office and then recycled is considered a post-consumer material.

Pre-consumer recycled content

Refers to wastes from a manufacturing process that have been collected, processed and recycled into new materials or products before ever going to a market.

Recycled content

The amount of pre- and post-consumer recycled content used in a material (usually shown as a percentage). The recycled "chasing arrow" icon is used to show that a product or package is made from recycled content.

Sustainability

A commitment to sustainability means explicitly taking into account the environmental and social impacts of business operations and taking action to eliminate the negative impacts.