Green Glossary

Below is a list of common green terms:

Ancient Forest Friendly
A philosophy of not contributing to the destruction of ancient and endangered forests in the production of paper materials, manufactured with a high percentage of post-consumer waste and no virgin fiber from old-growth, ancient or endangered forests. For more information we recommend visiting www.AncientForestFriendly.com.

Biogas
A gas fuel sourced from the decomposition of waste, converting a waste stream and potent greenhouse gases into an energy source.

Eco Footprint
The total measurable effect that human related activities have had on the organic life in Earth's environment: Pollution has left a large eco-footprint on the atmosphere due in part to the greenhouse gases that have been released.

Eco-Friendly
Having minimal to no harmful or threatening impact on the natural environment.

Green
A philosophy of creating eco-friendly products, using sustainable technologies that will not deplete our planet of its remaining resources.

Green-e
The nation's leading program that verifies and certifies renewable energy products that reduce the emissions contributing to global warming and air pollution. Visit www.Green-e.org for more information.

LEED
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an ecology-oriented building certification program run under the auspices of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED concentrates its efforts on improving performance across five key areas of environmental and human health: energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, materials selection, sustainable site development, and water savings.

Post-Consumer Waste
Waste produced by the end consumer, and following use is separated from other waste with the intent of recycling for re-use.

Recycled
Manufactured from used or waste materials that have been reprocessed for further use.

Rainforest Alliance
The Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior. In addition, the Rainforest Alliance works to strengthen supply chain and build market linkages for certified wood and forest products, by helping companies incorporate sustainability into their sourcing strategies. For more information, visit www.rainforest-alliance.com.

Renewable Energy
Energy that is generated from regenerative resources; or energy that cannot be exhausted, such as wind, water and sunlight.

Sustainable Material
Materials that are generated from resources that are managed in a way that they are, for all practical purposes, sustainable over an extended period of time (i.e., the resource is not depleted).

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)
Organic chemical compounds that have high enough vapor pressures that, under normal conditions, allow them to significantly vaporize and enter the atmosphere, potentially inflicting damage on the environment. * The paints we purchase are "Low VOC."

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