Green Speak

Ever wonder what all these environmental terms mean? What exactly is sustainable? And what makes something organic? There's a lot more to something being labeled recyclable. For instance, even if something can be recycled, is there a recycling program in the area? We all want to do what's best for our planet, but we need to be well-informed. When shopping the shows you need to know which products are truly Green and what to look for. The following glossary will give you a better understanding of the terms and what they all mean.

Biodegradable: Materials that can decompose or break down, usually by the activity of bacteria or in sunlight, into basic components. Most organic materials — such as paper, grass, food scraps — are biodegradable under the right conditions. (Source: epa.gov)

Downcycle: Most recycled materials can only be used in a degraded form for components other than their original use. White writing paper, for example, is often downcycled into material such as cardboard and used to create more premium writing paper. (Source: sustainabilitydictionary.com)

Natural resources: Raw material or energy supplied by nature and its processes (i.e.: water, minerals or plants). Trees are a natural resource used to make paper, and sunlight is a natural resource that can be used to heat homes. (Source: epa.gov)

Organic: Something that comes from a living organism, such as a plant, animal, person or bacteria. It also refers to a product grown or manufactured only with natural materials, like corn grown with compost and without chemical fertilizer or pesticides, or shampoo made from plants instead of human-made materials. (Source: epa.gov)

Post-Consumer: Material that is being reused/recycled after it has been in consumer hands, such as newspapers going back to the paper mill to be recycled into new recycled content paper products. (Source: earth911.com)

Pre-Consumer: Material that is reused or recycled before it ever goes to market, such as paper scraps recovered from a paper mill floor going back into the next batch. (Source: earth911.org)

Recyclable: Material that still has useful physical or chemical properties after serving its original purpose and can be reused or remanufactured to make new products. Plastic, paper, glass, steel and aluminum cans and used oil are some examples. (Source: epa.gov) This term may be misleading as there may not be a recycling program that takes the material in the consumer's area. (Source: earth911.org)

Recycled: Material that has been separated from the waste stream, reprocessed into a new product and bought back by the consumer as a new item. (Source: earth911.org)

Recycled Content: The amount of pre- and post-consumer recovered material introduced as a feed stock in a material production process, usually expressed as a percentage. (Source: earth911.org)

Renewable Resource: A resource that is capable of being naturally restored or replenished, such as trees. (Source: earth911.org)

Upcycle: The process of converting a material into something of similar, or greater value, in its second life. For example, aluminum and glass can usually be upcycled into the same quality of aluminum and glass as the original products. (Source: sustainabilitydictionary.com)

Sustainability: Social and environmental practices that protect and enhance the human and natural resources needed by future generations to enjoy a quality of life equal to or greater than our own. (Source: epa.gov)

Now keep reading for a sampling of the many eco-friendly products available in the gift and home industry.

Cut down on those pesky plastic bags. According to Earth911.org, about 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are used each year and only 5.2 percent were recycled in 2005. Encourage shoppers to purchase reusable tote bags. The bags are stylish and environmentally friendly.

Who says you can't be Green and be chic? Accessories for the home are stylish and mindful of the planet. Designers and manufacturers are looking toward a variety of eco-friendly elements from jute to bamboo to recycled materials to create a selection of accents for every room in the house.

We buy organic food. How about organic kitchen and tabletop items? More and more manufacturers are offering environmentally friendly products to help us keep (almost) everything in the kitchen Green.

It's never too early to teach children about taking care of the planet. Green fashions and eco-friendly toys that show kids how they can protect the environment will get them on the right track to preserving the earth for their own and their kids' future.