Glossary

Decode the eco-speak with our friendly glossary list of green buzzwords and certifications.

E. coli: A bacterium found in the lower intestines of mammals. When the bacteria makes its way into food supplies, it can cause a life-threatening gastrointestinal infection, especially among young children and the elderly.
Ecocert: This French cosmetics certification program provides two degrees of labeling. Its "Eco" label requires that 95 percent of a product's ingredients are natural or from natural origin, that a minimum of 50 percent of the vegetable ingredients are certified organic and that at least 5 percent of the ingredients in the finished product are certified organic. Ecocert's more rigorous "Bio" Label requires the same 95 percent of ingredients to be natural or from natural origin, that 95 percent of the vegetable ingredients are certified organic and that at least 10 percent of the ingredients in the finished product are certified organic. Both labels disallow mineral oils, silicone, parabens or animal products, and the agency also analyzes a producer's manufacturing process, from the transportation and storage of ingredients and products to energy use and waste disposal.
Electronic waste or E-waste: Electronics that are no longer being used because they are broken, obsolete, or discarded.
Endocrine Disruptor: Any substance that, when inhaled or consumed, behaves like hormones in the endocrine system and can interfere with reproductive processes, development, and other processes mediated by hormones. See Hormone Disrupting Compounds
Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER): A rating system for air conditioners that indicates how much heat is removed per hour for each watt of energy used. Heat is measured in British thermal units (Btu) and the rating is expressed in Btu per hour per watt.