You’re trying to do the right thing, environment-wise. Be ‘green’. Recycle. Make the right buying choices. Compost things.
But hang on, you’ve switched from plastic straws, to paper straws. You know plastic is bad but isn’t cutting down trees to make straws also bad? You’ve seen bin bags that say degradable, others that say compostable and others that say eco-friendly. Which is best? Are they the same? You’re trying to support ethical trade in buying products from Fair trade communities but isn’t there a big carbon footprint if not buying local?
If your head is spinning with all these terms and concepts, you’re not alone. The problem is that an eruption in eco-interest has occurred. Something that has been lurking gently in the public interest has become a sudden dramatic concern, crossing generations, influencing politics and dominating the retail agenda. The understanding of the subject, however, can’t keep up. And even more of the problem is that an opportunity has been spotted by marketeers, eager to ensure the products they promote are on the right side of the green debate.
At Marke we are and always have been passionate about sustainability and environmental impact. And that’s because we are in the business of branded merchandise. Producing things, to give away, which carry company brands. Without doing this ethically, without caring about quality, supply chain and production, without focusing on the long-term usability of what we produce, we could be adding to the problem. But we’ve no intention of doing that. Our research, innovation and standards of excellence are all geared towards protecting the world, not damaging it.
Let’s get back to the terminology. Here’s our glossary to help you make socially and environmentally conscious decisions with confidence.
A-Z of Eco Terms
Biodegradable – something when left alone will break down and be absorbed into the ecosystem. Biodegradable products obviously have positive benefits. However, other factors may be in play such as the temperature and environment (such as light) required for them to biodegrade effectively.
Carbon footprint – a measure of your impact on the environment from any activity; specifically, the amount of greenhouse gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide.
Climate change – a change in temperature and weather patterns. The term has become commonly used when the change is due to human activity such as creating energy, manufacturing, polluting activities, use of certain products, disposal methods.
Compostable – a product with the right properties to enable it if left, to decompose naturally, with no harm to the environment.
Degradable – able to break down into smaller pieces due to chemicals incorporated into the product. This has caused some controversy as arguably tiny pieces of plastic from degradable bags are no less harmful to the environment than larger ones. It may even cause more harm, as if the term degradable is misunderstood and considered positive, demand for them may actual increase.
Energy Efficient – ways of doing things which require less energy than others, such as requiring less or no fuel, or designed to retain or stop the loss of energy such as insulation.
Environmentally friendly – a non-scientific descriptor of a product, service, activity or behaviour which is not harmful, or less harmful to the environment.
Eco-friendly – a non-scientific descriptor of a product, service, activity or behaviour which is not harmful, or less harmful to the environment.
Green – a non-scientific descriptor of a product, service, activity or behaviour which is not harmful, or less harmful to the environment.
Recyclable – describes materials able to be re-used or manufactured into alternative products, rather than going in waste to landfill.
Sustainable – a product or activity which can be maintained into the long term, without the detrimental impact of depleting natural resources and therefore communities, the economy and environment. Sustainability is concerned with protecting the world’s future through how we behave and our practices today.
At Marke, we believe the 3 most positive attributes to judge your product purchases by are:
· Compostable
· Energy efficient
· Recyclable
If you’re as passionate as we are about limiting environmental damage, speak to us about our innovative products, designed with the environment in mind. Or view our Sustainable Products catalogue here. Get in touch with us at Hiya@MarkeCreative.com to find out more! We’re always here to help.
*Please note some products may vary between EU and UK regions and are subject to availability.