Dictionary

Capable of decomposing rapidly by microorganisms under natural conditions (aerobic and/or anaerobic). Most organic materials, such as food scraps and paper are biodegradable.
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_{Source: European Environment Agency}

A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions that come from the production, use, and end-of-life of a product or service.

_{Source: New York Times}

A carbon offset is a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases made in order to compensate for (“offset”) an emission made elsewhere. Carbon Offset scheme allows individuals and companies to fund environmental projects around the world to compensate for emissions created.

_{Source: IPCC}

Clean beauty products are made without ingredients that are proven to be harmful to our bodies. Clean beauty products are usually made with non-toxic ingredients; for example, they are free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, artificial fragrances, and other harmful ingredients.

A circular economy is an alternative to the traditional linear economy, where resources are taken, made into products, used, and then discarded (take-make-waste). A circular economy better manages resources to reduce waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use and out of the landfill, and regenerate natural systems.

_{Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation}

Conscious consumption means engaging in the economy with more awareness of how your consumption impacts society at large.

_{Source: PwC}

Cruelty-free items are not tested on animals. The Leaping Bunny Program certifies a product as 100% cruelty-free if it has no new animal testing in any phase of product development by the company, its laboratories, or ingredient suppliers.

_{Source: Leaping Bunny}

ESG investing stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance Investing. It is investing in companies that score highly on environmental and societal responsibility measures as determined by independent third-party companies and research groups. More investors are applying ESG factors as part of their analysis process to identify material risks and growth opportunities.

_{Source: CFA Institute}

A gas that contributes to the natural greenhouse effect. The Kyoto Protocol covers a basket of six greenhouse gases (GHGs) produced by human activities: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulpfur hexafluoride.

_{Source: European Energy Agency}

Companies giving a false impression of their environmental impact or benefits. Greenwashing misleads market actors and does not give due advantage to those companies that are making the effort to green their products and activities.

_{Source: European Commission}

Impact Investing is defined by the Global Impact Investing Networks (GIIN) as “investments that are made with the intention to generate positive, measurable social and environmental impact with a financial return.” Impact investors are looking to make a positive impact by using the power of capital for good.

_{Source: GIIN}

Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is a process of evaluating the effects that a product has on the environment over the entire period of its life thereby increasing resource-use efficiency and decreasing liabilities.

_{Source: European Energy Agency}

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that result from both commercial product development and the breakdown of larger plastics. As a pollutant, microplastics can be harmful to the environment and animal health.

_{Source: National Geographic}

Non-GMO means a product was produced without genetic engineering which includes any process in which genetic material is artificially manipulated in a laboratory, and may involve creating combinations of plant, animal, bacteria, and virus genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.

_{Source: Non-GMO Verified Project}

Organic ingredients are grown without using pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. USDA National Organic Program (NOP) verifies products with more than 95% organic ingredients. These are the 4 different organic labeling categories set by the USDA NOP for agricultural products and eligible cosmetics and personal care products:
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“100 percent organic”: Product must contain (excluding water and salt) only organically produced ingredients and may display the USDA Organic Seal

“Organic”: Product must contain at least 95% organically produced ingredients (excluding water and salt) with the remaining 5% of ingredients being nonagricultural substances approved on the National list or agricultural products that aren’t commercially available in organic form. These products may display the USDA Organic Seal.

“Made with organic ingredients”: Products contain at least 70% organic ingredients (excluding water and salt), and the label can list up to three organic ingredients on the display panel. These products may not display the USDA Organic Seal.

Less than 70% organic ingredients: Products cannot use the term “organic” on the principal display panel but can identify specific ingredients that are organic on the ingredients. These products may not display the USDA Organic Seal.

_{Source: USDA}

Post-consumer recycled material refers to everything we put into the recycling bin, such as empty plastic bottles or aluminum cans.

_{Source: Sustainable Packaging Coalition}

Upcycling means to use a certain material again in a manner different than what it was originally intended for. Recycling is the process of recovering material from waste and turning it into new products.

_{Source: Terracycle}

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 global goals for 2030 set by the United Nations to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. Here are the 17 interconnected goals to address global challenges:
_{Source: UN}