Green Glossary – E - 1-800-Recycling

Green Glossary – E

E-cycling: The safe, environmentally prudent reuse and recycle of electronic products such as computers and cellular phones.
E-waste: Waste generated from the use of electronic products such as computers, printers and mobile phone devices. Because of the fast turnover in technology, obsolete electronic gear is accumulating worldwide as a major amount of global waste.
Earth Day: April 22 has been designated as Earth Day as a reminder to appreciate the environment and inspire awareness for issues that are significant to protecting and sustaining the Earth's natural resources.
Eco-label: A logo placed on product labels, to indicate that only environment-friendly and sustainable practices were used in manufacturing the labeled products.
Ecobags: Short for eco-friendly bags, ecobags are a new fashion accessory trend borne out of the environmental concern for using less plastic shopping bags that are a major contributor to landfill dumping.
Ecocity: A city designed and built with careful consideration for environmental sustainability and human health.
Ecocity Builders: A non-profit organization that aims to change cities, towns and villages for the purpose of promoting the long term health of its inhabitants and its natural environment.
Ecodesign: Ecodesign is a movement that considers how materials, products, architecture, engineering and processes are created in order to protect and sustain the environment.
Ecological Anthropology: An area of study that concentrates on how culture mediates the dynamic interactions between human populations and the ecosystems in their habitats.
Ecological Debt: The sum of annual ecological deficits.
Ecological Deficit/Reserve: The difference between the biocapacity and ecological footprint of a region or country.
Ecological Economics: An academic field that studies the interdependence and co-evolution of human economies and natural ecosystems.
Ecological Footprint: Biologically productive land and water area required to produce resources consumed and absorb waste generated, within a specific population of people. Ecological footprint data can be applied at scales from single products to households, cities, nations, and the global population as a whole.
Ecological Impact: The effect that a man-caused or natural activity has on living organisms and their non-living (abiotic) environment.
Ecological Indicator: Specific information that are used to describe the conditions of a given ecosystem — specifically how human activity affects its natural environment.
Ecological Overshoot: Ecological overshoot occurs when a population’s demand on an ecosystem exceeds the capacity of that ecosystem to regenerate the resources it consumes and absorb its wastes.
Ecological Risk Assessment: A study that makes use of a formal framework to determine the effects of a specific human endeavor on natural resources and the environment.
Ecological Sanitation: Also known as ecosan, ecological sanitation is a new way of sanitizing blackwater contaminated by human feces and urine.
Ecological/Environmental Sustainability: Maintenance of ecosystem components and functions for future generations.
Ecology: The study of environmental systems, sometimes referred to as the economy of nature.
Ecoregion: Large areas of land ecologically defined by their biodiversity and general characteristics of their ecosystems.
Ecosystem: The interacting system of a biological community and its non-living environmental surroundings.
Ecotourism: Short for ecological tourism, ecotourism promotes travel to destinations that promote and safeguard natural areas while improving the well-being of local people. Ecotourism unites the principles of conservation, community-building and sustainable travel.
Effluents: Discharge of liquid waste or pollution. Effluents can contain bacteria, viruses, excessive nutrient loads and chemicals that are harmful to wildlife, humans and ecosystems.
Embodied Energy: Embodied energy refers to how much energy it takes to make a building material, the energy required to transport the material, and where the material goes at the end of its life.
Emission: Pollution discharged into the atmosphere from smokestacks, other vents, and surface areas of commercial or industrial facilities; from residential chimneys; and from motor vehicle, locomotive, or aircraft exhausts.
Emission Cap: A limit designed to prevent projected growth in emissions from existing and future stationary sources from eroding any mandated reductions.
Emission Factor or EF: The average release rate of a given pollutant for a given source, relative to units of production or activity.
End-of-the-pipe: Technologies such as scrubbers on smokestacks and catalytic converters on automobile tailpipes that reduce emissions of pollutants after they have formed.
Energy Accounting: The measurement and analysis of energy used by various industrial processes for the purpose of improving energy efficiency.
Energy Crops: Crops cultivated specifically for producing energy — particularly electricity or liquid fuels.
Energy Efficient: A product, business or project is considered energy efficient if it uses the least amount of mechanical or electrical power and maximizes the use of natural or renewable power sources.
Energy Footprint: Energy data that maps the flow of energy supply, demand and losses in manufacturing industries.
Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007: Signed into law in 2007 and originally named the Clean Energy Act, this body of laws aims to move the U.S. toward greater energy independence and security.
Energy Leak: The escape or breach of electrical power used for cooling, heating or lighting a building or home.
Energy Recovery: Obtaining energy from waste through a variety of processes (e.g. combustion).
Energy Star Program: The Energy Star Program aims to entice consumers and businesses to make energy-efficient choices.
Energy-Saving Lights: Light sources that use the least amount of electricity and that can also be used for a longer period of time are considered energy-saving lights.
Environment Impact Assessment or EIA: A careful, science-based study of the possible impact a proposed project may have on an area, considering its natural environment and the social and economic implications that may result.
Environmental Audit: An independent assessment made by an outside entity or an internal auditor, to ascertain if a particular company or organization is adhering to its own set of environmental compliance policies and practices.
Environmental Economics: The study of how economics is impacted by environmental concerns, particularly global warming, toxic substances, solid waste, water quality and air pollution.
Environmental Effect Analysis or EEA: A qualitative method of study used as part of product development in ecodesign projects.
Environmental Engineering: The application of engineering sciences to improve environmental conditions and address environmental problems such as pollution.
Environmental Ethics: The concepts and methods of philosophical ethics that apply to issues concerning human actions that impact the natural world.
Environmental Fate: One of the considerations in chemical safety, environmental fate is determined by what happens after a chemical is released in the environment — where its final destination is and its attendant effects.
Environmental Impact Statement: A document required by the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for federal government agency actions that have the potential to significantly affect the quality of natural human environments.
Environmental Indicators: Data that are observed, recorded, developed and validated in order to track changes to the quality and condition of the planet's air, water, land and ecosystems — including their residents — on different geographic and time scales.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): The Environmental Protection Agency or EPA is the official agency tasked by the U.S. government to develop and enforce regulations concerning the protection of the environment and natural resources.
Environmental Psychology: The study which focuses on how humans interact with their environments — both natural and man-made. One of the cornerstones of environmental psychology is to understand and solve environmental problems.
Environmental Statistics: Basic data on the state of the environment and the rate of human activities responsible for environmental deterioration and improvement. Environmental statistics involves the examination of environmental indicators.
Environmental Stewardship: Environmental stewardship has a number of wide ranging objectives, which include: the protection of water and soil, the prevention of erosion and water pollution, flood management, wildlife conservation, protecting archaeological sites and historic features, providing public access to the countryside and conserving rare traditional livestock breeds and varieties.
Environmental Technology: An all-encompassing term used to describe pollution control devices and systems, waste treatment processes, storage facilities and site remediation technologies and their components. It applies to any technology used to remove or prevent pollutants or contaminants from entering the environment.
Environmental Toxins: Substances in the air, water, soil and the environment in general that can damage long-term health.
Environmentally Sensitive Areas or ESAs: ESAs are designated areas of ecological and landscape importance recognized as vulnerable to drainage and loss caused by agriculture processes.
Ethical Consumerism: The philosophy and practice of buying products and using services that have little impact on the environment as well as having done no harm to other humans and animals.
Ethonomics: Short for ethical economics, ethonomics is a concept in business that uses technology, design and social responsibilty to build companies that are "good for the world as well as the bottomline."
The Earth Charter: The Earth Charter is a global declaration promoting sustainable living, respect for the ecology, economic justice, and a culture of peace and democracy.
The Earth Day Network: A global network of more than 20 thousand organizations that promote environmental protection and awareness.