Next Page --->
Definitions
Acute Toxicity - Capable of producing illness from
a single dose or minimal exposure.
Bioaccumulate - Ability of some substances to collect
in plant and animal tissue. These substances increase in concentration
as they pass through the food chain when the plants and animals
are consumed by larger animals (such as humans).
Biobased Product - Any product made substantially
from plant or animal matter instead of synthetically produced
chemicals or petroleum-based products. Biobased products can
be significantly more biodegradable when compared to their
petroleum- or synthetics-based counterparts. For the purpose
of Federal agencies complying with the Farm Security and Rural
Investment Act Section 9002, a biobased product is a product
"determined by the Secretary [of the U.S. Department
of Agriculture] to be a commercial or industrial product (other
than food or feed) that is composed, in whole or in significant
part, of biological products or renewable domestic agricultural
materials (including plant, animal, and marine materials)
or forestry materials."
Biodegradable - The ability of a substance to decompose
in the natural environment into harmless raw materials. To
be truly biodegradable, a substance or material should break
down into carbon dioxide (a nutrient for plants), water, and
naturally occurring minerals that also do not cause harm to
the ecosystem. In terms of environmental benefits, a product
should take months or years, and not centuries, to biodegrade.
Per the Federal Trade Commission, biodegradable means an "entire
product or package will completely break down and return to
nature, i.e., decompose into elements found in nature within
a reasonably short period of time after customary disposal"
(FTC 1998).
Buyer - Anyone authorized to purchase on behalf of
the organization or its subdivisions.
CAP - Cost, availability, and performance—the traditional
attributes used to evaluate a product
Carcinogen - A substance known to cause cancer in
humans.
Chlorine Free - Manufactured without chlorine or chlorine
derivatives.
Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) - Any of a group of compounds
that contain carbon, chlorine, fluorine, and sometimes hydrogen
and have been used as refrigerants, cleaning solvents, aerosol
propellants and in the manufacture of plastic foams. The use
of CFCs are being phased out because they destroy the planet's
stratospheric ozone protection layer.
Chronic Health Risk - Detrimental, long term health
effects from repeated exposure to a product.
Chronic Toxicity - Capable of producing illness from
repeated exposure.
Compostable - A product that can be placed into a
composition of decaying biodegradable materials and eventually
turn into a nutrient-rich material. It is synonymous with
"biodegradable," except it is limited to solid materials.
(Liquid products are not considered compostable.) Per the
Federal Trade Commission, compostable means "all the
materials in the product or package will break down into,
or otherwise become part of, usable compost (e.g., soil-conditioning
material, mulch) in a safe and timely manner in an appropriate
composting program or facility, or in a home compost pile
or device" (FTC 1998).
Cooperative Purchasing - System for allowing organizations
to combine their purchasing power in order to negotiate better
prices and reduce the purchasing costs of a formal bid process.
Durable - A product that remains useful and usable
for a long time without noticeable deterioration in performance.
Energy Efficient Product - A product that is labeled
"ENERGY STAR qualified" or "FEMP designated." ENERGY STAR qualified and FEMP
designated products are typically among the highest 25 percent of equivalent
products for energy efficiency.
Environmental Management System - A set of processes and practices
that enable an organization to increase its operating efficiency, continually
improve overall environmental performance and better manage and reduce its
environmental impact, including those environmental aspects related to energy,
procurement, and transportation functions. EMS implementation reflects accepted
quality management principles based on the "Plan, Do, Check, Act," model found
in the ISO 14001:2004(E) International Standard and using a standard process
to identify and prioritize current activities, establish goals, implement plans
to meet the goals, evaluate progress, and make improvements to ensure continual
improvement.
Environmentally Preferable Products and Services -
Products and services that have a lesser or reduced effect
on human health and the environment when compared with competing
products and services that serve the same purpose. This comparison
may consider raw materials acquisition, production, manufacturing,
packaging, distribution, reuse, operation, maintenance and/or
disposal of the product or service.
EPA Designated Product - A product designated by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency according to the Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act in a Comprehensive Procurement Guideline (CPG) and
for which EPA recommended procurement practices, including recovered
materials content levels, in a Recovered Materials Advisory Notice
(RMAN).
Flashpoint - The minimum temperature at which a liquid
gives off a vapor in sufficient concentration to ignite.
Full-Cost Accounting - Accounting for the economic,
environmental, land use, human health, social and heritage
costs and benefits of a particular decision or action to ensure
no costs associated with the decision or action, including
externalized costs, are left unaccounted. (Compare with Lifecycle
Cost and Product Lifecycle.)
Greenhouse Gases - Any of several dozen heat-trapping
trace gases in the earth's atmosphere that absorb infrared
radiation. The two major greenhouse gases are water vapor
and carbon dioxide; lesser greenhouse gases include methane,
ozone (O3), CFCs, and nitrogen oxides.
LEED Rating System - A self-assessment system developed
by the U.S. Green Building
Council for rating the environmental preferability of
new and existing commercial, institutional, and high-rise
residential buildings.
Life Cycle Cost - The amortized annual cost of a product
or service, including capital costs, installation costs, operating
costs, maintenance costs, and disposal costs discounted over
the lifetime of the product or service. (Compare with Product
Lifecycle.)
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) - Written or printed
material about a product that includes information on the
product's physical and chemical characteristics; physical
and health hazards; exposure limits; whether the product contains
carcinogenic ingredients above a certain threshold; precautions
for safe handling and use; control measures; emergency and
first aid procedures; the date of preparation of the MSDS
or the last change to it; and the name, address, and telephone
number of the manufacturer.
Mutagen - Substance that causes mutations, changes
to genetic material in the body.
Ozone Depleting Substances - Any substance
designated as a Class I or Class II substance by the
EPA in 40 CFR Part 82.
Next Page --->
This page was last updated on July 23, 2008
| 
