Eco Glossary
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Green Glossary: Sustainable Manufacturing
Green Goes Simple: The Green Scoop
Green Glossary: Sustainable Manufacturing
By Marisa Belger for Green Goes Simple
Sustainably manufactured goods are products made in a manner that considers the well-being of the environment and its inhabitants. In turn, this helps keep us safe and healthy, today and in the future.
There are several ways a company can produce products sustainably, including:
Creating an Eco-friendly Design
Before a product hits the factory, it can be designed in a way that makes it easy to use, long-lasting and recyclable.
Using Alternative Energy
The use of alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar power, is an essential component of sustainable manufacturing. This energy is then used to power production, transportation and other steps in the manufacturing process.
Conserving Resources
Sustainable manufacturers work to ensure that they use the least possible amount of natural resources -- think water, fuel and raw materials -- when producing their goods.
Considering a Product’s End-of-life
Eventually, all products wear out. Sustainable manufacturers consider what will happen to the product once it has reached the end of its useful life. They ensure that the product is designed and produced in a way that will allow for easy recycling or reusing.
Marisa Belger’s work has appeared in Travel + Leisure Family, Natural Health, Prevention and TODAYShow.com, where she wrote a column about eco-friendly living. She was an editor at Lime.com and collaborated with author Josh Dorfman on his bestselling books, The Lazy Environmentalist and The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget.
Peak Soil Defined
Peak soil is a term you’ll hear all to often these days, usually in relation to the pending global food shortage. But what exactly is peak soil? No, it is not the soil that happens on a mountain peak (though grammatically speaking it could be). It’s a term used to explain why we basically won’t have enough soil to grow food or support the grazing needs of cattle. Scary? You bet it is.
Ocean Dead Zone Defined
When we think “Dead Zone,” we think of a surprisingly well-produced cable television show that starred an all-grown-up Anthony Michael Hall. However, dead zone is no longer a whimsical term describing A. Michael Hall’s psychic powers. It’s actually a somewhat terrifying term that refers to areas of the ocean that have or are dying.
Permaculture Defined
Permaculture is one of those sustainable living techniques that’s probably, frankly, a bit on the fringe for most people, though a number of celebrities including actress Daryl Hannah have begun adopting permaculture as a practice (she’ll always be our favorite mermaid). But what is this hard core sustainable living technique? Well, let us explain in detail.
Food Miles Explained
As the discussion of the value of eating locally produced sustainable food becomes increasingly front page (and somewhat heated), you’ll hear the term “food miles” bandied about. What, in fact, is a food mile? Can food travel a mile? Well it can, it just does it on the back of a truck. Food miles, in short, are the carbon footprint impact of the transport of food.
What is a Food Desert?
With Let’s Move taking a front seat in trying to end childhood obesity and unhealthy eating across the United States, First Lady Michelle Obama introduced a now famous term to the American public. That term was food desert, and it was a rude awakening about the availability of any type of healthy food for large parts of the population in America. However, before we all start throwing the term around, let’s be sure that we’re on the same page about what a food desert is.
Power Grid Defined
The power grid isn’t ready for renewable energy! That’s energy that’s feeding into the power grid! That company is using clean energy, but they’re still also connected to the grid! How many sentences just like this have you heard as you try to become more aware of and use more green energy options? But do you know what the power grid is, or, like us, does it just make you think of a scene in “The Matrix?” Well, here’s a handy explanation so that you seem to know a lot more about what the power grid is than everybody else does the next time the topic arises.
What is Wave Energy?
While wave energy isn’t the most commonly used form of hydro power (in fact, it’s used even less than tidal energy), it is an available and renewable form of energy that’s being explored as the world (a bit too slowly for our liking) moves towards adopting clean energy solutions. But how exactly does wave power work? And can it really create energy for us?
What Are BPAs?
There’s been a lot of fuss about BPAs. State governments have banned BPAs in baby bottles in the US. Most Canadians test positive for BPAs. There are BPAs in just about all canned goods, even the organic ones. But what exactly is a BPA, and why should you care if you’re being exposed to one of them or not?
Hydro Power Defined
You certainly hear hydro-power mentioned a lot these days in the quest for clean and renewable energy. From daily energy use to the ability to use hydro power as a storage method for solar energy and wind energy, hydro power can be a great solution to a renewable form of energy production. But what exactly is hydro power, and is it really a clean solution?