The reduction of the net energy level and change in chemical composition of organic matter caused by microorganisms in an oxygen-free environment.  (US EPA)

A term that relates to regulations that limit pollutant discharges following an abatement strategy.  The term involves moving targets on practices, since societal values and advancing techniques may change what is “reasonably achievable” or “best available” at the present moment.  The most effective and advanced stage in the development of activities and their methods of operation which indicate the practical suitability of particular techniques for providing in principle the basis for emission limit values designed to prevent and, where that is not practicable, generally to reduce emissions and impact on the environment as a whole.  (EEA)

The entire product or package will decompose into elements found in nature within a reasonably short period of time after customary disposal.  (FTC)

An infiltration basin that is used to manage stormwater runoff, prevent flooding and downstream erosion, and improve water quality in an adjacent river, stream, lake or bay; a shallow artificial pond that is designed to infiltrate stormwater though permeable soils into the groundwater aquifer. Infiltration basins do not discharge to a surface water body under most storm conditions, but are designed with overflow structures (e.g. pipes, weirs) that operate during flood conditions.  (EEA)

Many biopolymers are biodegradable, in that they can be broken down into CO2 and water by microorganisms.  Some of these biodegradable biopolymers are compostable in that they can be put into an industrial composting process and will break down by 90% within 6 months. 

Abandoned, idled, or under used industrial and commercial facilities/sites where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination.  I.e. brownfield.  (US EPA)

The international standard practice is to express greenhouse gases in carbon dioxide equivalents.  Emissions of gases other than carbon dioxide are translated into carbon dioxide equivalents using global warming potentials in order to establish a common metric and compare their impacts directly.  (US EPA)

A reduction in emissions of carbon or greenhouse gases made in order to compensate for an emission made elsewhere; measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) and can represent the six primary categories of greenhouse gases.  One carbon offset represents the reduction of one metric ton of carbon dioxide or its equivalent in other greenhouse gases.  (US EPA)

 Requires certain facilities to employ BAT to control emissions.  Imposes an emission limitation based on the maximum degree of reduction of each pollutant emitted from any major emitting facility, which the permitting authority determines is achievable for such facility through application of production processes and available methods, systems, and techniques (e.g. fuel cleaning, clean fuels, innovative fuel combustion techniques.)   (Clean Air Act, section 169(3), 42 U.S.C. § 7479(3))

Aerobic treatment of the biodegradable parts of commercial waste under controlled conditions, which produces stabilized organic residues.  (OIA EWG)

All materials in a product or package will break down into, or otherwise become part of, usable compost (e.g. soil-conditioning material, mulch) in a safe and timely manner in an appropriate composting program, facility, or residential pile or device.  (FTC)

 The controlled biological decomposition of organic material in the presence of air to form a humus-like material. Controlled methods of composting include mechanical mixing and aerating, ventilating the materials by dropping them through a vertical series of aerated chambers, or placing the compost in piles out in the open air and mixing it or turning it periodically.  (US EPA)

Any packaging that is located on the product while displayed on the retail floor.  This includes, but is not limited to, header-cards, hang-tags, marketing stickers, clips, marketing brochures and catalogs for example.

Any of two or more products from the same unit process or product system.  (ISO 14040)

 A specific kind of cradle-to-grave assessment, where the end-of-life disposal step for the product is a recycling process. It is a method used to minimize the environmental impact of products by employing sustainable production, operation, and disposal practices and aims to incorporate social responsibility into product development.

 An assessment system that considers impacts at each stage of a product's life-cycle, from the time natural resources are extracted from the ground and processed through each subsequent stage of manufacturing, transportation, use, and disposal.  (EEA)

 A stormwater management facility installed on, or adjacent to, tributaries of rivers, streams, lakes, or bays that is designed to protect against flooding and downstream erosion by storing water for a limited period of a time.

 Emissions from manufacturing, company-owned vehicles and reimbursed travel, and any other source directly controlled by the owner.

 The process of converting an industrial nutrient (material) into something of lesser value but still useful, in its second life. Downcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of lesser quality or reduced functionality. The goal of downcycling is to prevent wasting potentially useful materials, reduce consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. 

An Outdoor Industry environmental assessment tool for products containing: environmental guidelines, environmental performance indicators, environmental performance metrics and a comparative scoring system.

 The potential for biological, chemical, or physical stressors to affect ecosystems and disrupt the natural biochemistry, physiology, behavior and interactions of the living organisms that comprise the ecosystem.

Replaces elemental chlorine with chlorine dioxide in the bleaching process. (Natural Resource Defense Council http://www.nrdc.org/cities/living/chlorine.asp)

When a product is at the end of its functional life of the last user.

 A systematic gathering and analysis of energy use information that can be used to determine energy efficiency improvements. 

 An independent assessment of the current status of a party's compliance with applicable environmental requirements or of a party's environmental compliance policies, practices, and controls.  (US EPA)

The extension of the responsibility of producers, and all entities involved in the product chain, to reduce the cradle-to-cradle impacts of a product and its packaging; the primary responsibility lies with the producer, or brand owner, who makes design and marketing decisions. (http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/epr/Framework/Framework.pdf)

A raw material that is acted upon or used by human labor or industry to create a product or structure; a material from nature that is in an unprocessed or minimally processed state. The feedstock stage involves the growing or mining of the material to be used in the production of raw materials.

Products that are designed to be able to be packaged flat, requiring less packaging material or transportation space.

Naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and other solids; generally containing less than 1,000 mg/L of dissolved solids. The term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water.

A measure that corresponds to the unit of product. The functional units of two product systems must be the same in order to conduct a valid comparison of waste use.

The modification of the genetic characteristics of a micro-organism, plant or animal by inserting a modified gene or a gene from another variety or species.  GMOs may be microorganisms designed for use as bio-pesticides or seeds that have been altered genetically to give a plant better disease resistance or growth.(EEA)

Domestic wastewater that comes from kitchen, bathroom, and laundry sinks, tubs, and washers. (US EPA)

A gas that contributes to potential climate change, including: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).(US EPA)

All water which is below the surface of the ground in the saturation zone and in direct contact with the ground of the soil.(EEA)

Air pollutants which are not covered by ambient air quality standards but which, as defined in the Clean Air Act, may present a threat of adverse human health effects or adverse environmental effects. Such pollutants include asbestos, beryllium, mercury, benzene, coke oven emissions, radionuclides, and vinyl chloride.(US EPA)

A device built for efficient heat transfer from one medium to another (e.g. car radiator.)

Use of combustible waste as a means to generate energy through direct incineration with or without other waste but with recovery of the heat and using best available technology.

Within the Eco Index framework, indicators are environmental performance parameters or attributes that demonstrate environmental impact or improvement. Indicators can be either qualitative or quantitative and include a comparative scoring system.

Deliberate degradation to help determine a chemical structure that promotes the recycling of the polymer waste and the reduction of environmental pollution.

Product that has undergone a partial processing and is used as raw material in a successive productive step. Material, component, or assembly that is an input to the manufacturing of another unit of product (e.g. fabric, thread, zipper.)(EEA)

A site used to dispose of solid waste without environmental controls. (US EPA)

A sanitary landfill that captures methane and uses it for beneficial purposes, such as electricity generation or heat production.

Lifecycle 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. It can be used to study the environmental impact of either a product or the function the product is designed to perform. LCA is commonly referred to as a "cradle-to-grave" analysis. LCA's key elements are: (1) identify and quantify the environmental loads involved (e.g. energy and raw materials consumed, emissions and wastes generated); (2) evaluate the potential environmental impacts of these loads; and (3) assess the options available for reducing these environmental impacts. (UNEP)

A widely used system for cataloging information on chemicals. Intended to provide workers and emergency personnel with instructions for the safe use and potential hazards associated with a particular product. (US EPA)

Common units of measurement established to help provide an industry-wide methodology to assess environmental impacts and improvements.

The use of exchangeable parts or options in the fabrication of an object.

Liquid waste (e.g. solvents) that is not processed through wastewater treatment or discharged into the sewer or an open water body as regulated wastewater.

Uncontrolled fires in an open dump. (US EPA)

A method of production, which puts the highest emphasis on environmental protection and, with regard to livestock production, animal welfare considerations. It avoids or largely reduces the use of synthetic chemical inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides, additives, antibiotics and growth hormones. I.e. sustainable farming or agriculture. (EEA)

A container providing a means of marketing, protection, or handling of a product, including a unit package, an intermediate package, and a shipping container as defined in American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D 996. It also includes such unsealed receptacles as carrying cases, crates, cups, pails, rigid foil, wrappers and wrapping films, bags, and tubs. (TPCH)

Any individual assembled part of a package such as, but not limited to, any interior or exterior blocking, bracing, cushioning, weatherproofing, exterior strapping, coatings, closures, inks, and labels. Tin-plated steel that meets the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specification A-623 is considered as a single package component. Electro-galvanized coated steel and hot dipped coated galvanized steel that meets the ASTM specification A-525 and A-879 is treated in the same manner as tin-plated steel. (TPCH)

An additive that increases the plasticity or fluidity of the material to which it is added (e.g. plastics, cement, concrete, wallboard, and clay.)

A material or finished product that has served its intended use and has been diverted or recovered from waste destined for disposal, having completed its life as a consumer item. Postconsumer materials are part of the broader category of recovered materials. (US EPA)

The use of materials generated from industrial waste for new or similar purposes.

A material or finished product that has served its intended use and has been diverted or recovered from waste destined for disposal, having completed its life as a consumer item. (US EPA)

The elimination of hazardous solids from liquid waste to permit safe disposal; the removal of particles from airborne emissions as in rain (e.g. acid precipitation). (US EPA)

Direct quantitative measurements (a.k.a., direct data or primary activity data) concerning the studied product or process made by the organization conducting the assessment or by another organization in the supply chain about the specific product’s life cycle.

Refers to materials that contain recycled content produced without elemental chlorine or chlorine derivatives, although one or more fiber components may have originally been bleached with chlorine or chlorine derivatives. (NRDC)

Water that is sourced from precipitation.

Supports Eco Index Environmental Indicators and includes an explanation of why a particular environmental attribute is important to address.

Materials that are accepted into recycling streams easily accessible by customers or can be easily separated from the other materials in a product (e.g. multiple materials are not combined with adhesives); a product or package that can be collected, separated, or otherwise recovered from the solid waste stream for reuse. For products or packages that are made of both recyclable and non-recyclable components, the recyclable claim should clearly identify which components of the product or package are recyclable. A product or package that is made from recyclable material but because of its shape, size, or some other attribute is not accepted in recycling programs, it should not be marketed as recyclable. (FTC)

The percentage of materials consumed that is recovered for recycling. I.e. recovery rate.

Used water that is cycled back into the same, or higher, stage of the processing phase before discharge for final treatment or discharge to the environment.

A system is set up for: (1) the collection and return of the package for refill; or (2) the later refill of the package by consumers with product subsequently sold in another package. (FTC)

Material created by grinding up and purifying recycled content.

A list created by the AAFA and intended to provide apparel and footwear companies with information related to regulations and laws that restrict or ban certain chemicals and substances in finished home textile, apparel, and footwear products and to support environmental compliance. (AAFA)

Data obtained from sources other than by direct measurement. Secondary data are used when primary activity data are not available or are impractical to obtain. Secondary data are representative of an average or general measurement of similar processes or materials (e.g. industry datasets or reports or aggregated trade association data.)

A substance in which another substance is dissolved, forming a solution.

A supplier contracted to another supplier to provide material, labor or operations.

A company that supplies parts or services to another company.

Any water source naturally open to the atmosphere (e.g. rivers, lakes, reservoirs, ponds, streams, impoundments, seas, estuaries); water that flows over or is stored in the ground surface.

An artificially produced filament or threadlike strand used by manufacturers to produce clothes or other goods that require weaving, knitting or felting (e.g. polyester, nylon, rayon.)

A measure of the combined content of all inorganic and organic substances contained in a liquid in suspended form that survive filtration. Primary sources for TDS in receiving waters are agricultural and residential runoff, leaching of soil contamination and point source water pollution discharge from industrial or sewage treatment plants.

Virgin paper produced without chlorine or chlorine derivatives (the bleaching process uses oxygen-based compounds). (Natural Resource Defense Council http://www.nrdc.org/cities/living/chlorine.asp)

In the cotton industry, this is cotton that has been grown organically, but for less than the three years that are mandatory for it to be labeled organic. Therefore, it cannot be labeled organic during the three year period farmers transition their land from conventional production to organic production.

Wastewater that has been subjected to one or more physical, chemical, and biological processes to reduce its potential of being health hazard. (US EPA)

The unit in which an intermediate product is typically passed from one entity to another within the value chain or a finished product that is sold to the customer. Different units of intermediate products passed within the supply chain may be 1 kg of yarn, 1 m2 of fabric, or one readymade garment. E.g. each supplier along the value chain may need to convert water data from its own suppliers to match the unit of product that the reporting covers. (OIA EWG)

The process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value.

Organic chemical compounds that under normal conditions are gaseous or can vaporize and enter the atmosphere, including: methane, benzene, xylene, propane and butane. Methane is primarily emitted from agriculture (from ruminants and cultivation), whereas non-methane VOCs (or NMVOCs) are mainly emitted from transportation, industrial processes, and the use of organic solvents. (EEA)

Incineration process in which solid waste is converted into thermal energy to generate steam that drives turbines for electricity generators.

Effluent from manufacturing facilities that may contain contaminants that adversely impact human health and ecological systems when releases into the environment.

The flow of treated effluent from any wastewater treatment process; he overall volume of water returned to a body of water after a particular process. (EEA)