Glossary of
Green Terminology

Biodegradable: process in which substances are broken down by other organisms.

Fair Trade: a system that promotes equitable standards for international labor, environmental and social policies in developing countries exporting to developed countries. No standard definition of fair trade exists; however, some products are certified as fair trade based on labor and social issues, while others include all issues. These products must be labeled as such.

GOTS: acronym for Global Organic Textile Standards. Designed to incorporate several old standards thus minimizing the number of them in overall existence.

Green: green textiles are generally referring to fibers that are grown or manufactured in an environmentally responsible manner.

LOHAS: acronym for Lifestyles of Health And Sustainability. According to Karp Research in Toronto, Canada, there are 79 million LOHAS consumers who spent an estimated $350 billion on related products.

Natural: fibers that are derived from animals and plants, i.e. silk, cotton, linen, wool and hemp.

Organic: Anything called organic in the area of textiles means that it has been “certified organic.” What constitutes a certified organic textile varies from country to country, but it generally means the following:

• Avoids synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides
• Does not contain genetically modified products
• Land is free of chemicals for a specific number of years
• Documented production and sales records
• Maintains physical separation of organic and non-organic certified products
• Periodic site inspections.

Recyclable: includes the reuse, reconditioning, and remanufacturing of products or parts in another product. Similarly, “recycled content” includes products that contain reused, reconditioned or remanufactured materials, as well as recycled raw material.

Renewable: any natural resource that is depleted at a rate slower than the rate at which it regenerates. The resource must have a way of regenerating itself in order to qualify as renewable.

Sustainable: a product that meets the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs tomorrow. It provides a positive impact economically, socially and environmentally.

source: Textile Intelligence