Throwaway Society

Artificial demand

Artificial demand

demand for something that is not needed, often promoted by a marketing strategies

Biodegradable

able to be broken down into simpler compounds by natural processes (such as bacterial or fungal decomposition)

Buyback program

governmental purchase scheme intended to protect the environment

Cannibalization

the practice of removing parts of a device in order to repair a different device

Carbon footprint

the amount of carbon emissions released due to the actions of an entity or individual

Circular economy

economic model that focuses on eliminating waste and pollution, circulating products and materials, and the regeneration of nature

Circular procurement

process by which private or public entities purchase goods that seek to contribute to closed energy and material loops within supply chains, thereby reducing waste production and environmental impact

Coase Conjecture

economic theory that a manufacturer of a durable good has no market power in establishing pricing since the consumer will purchase the product only once

Consumable good

any product that has limited reusability

Consumerism

socioeconomic system that encourages consumers to purchase goods in increasing amounts

Consumerism marketing

marketing strategy designed to manipulate consumers into purchasing goods they may not need

Convenience culture

cultural trend in which modern society is increasingly geared towards ease and instant gratification

Conventionals

name given to people who only focus on green products when it is cost effective

Cradle-to-Cradle Design (C2C)

regenerative design model in which products are produced, transported, and used in a manner that is waste free

Cradle-to-Grave

term referring to the ability to follow and regulate a product from its production (cradle) to eventual end (grave)

Dematerialization

process of making goods and products with less materials

Design life

life expectancy of a product based upon its manufacturer’s intent and prediction

Disposable good

any product that is designed for a single, one-time use

Downcycling

phenomenon in which recycling of a material decreases its quality and functionality

Drifters

name given to people who only follow green trends when they are popular and easy to follow

Durable good

any product that is designed for long-term, repeated use

Durapolist

a producer of durable goods who manipulates the consumer into purchasing additional items or newer models

Eco-action

any process that is intended to have a positive impact on the environment, usually achieved through the Three Rs

Eco-costs/Value Ratio (EVR)

indicator used to determine sustainable or unsustainable consumption patterns of people; measures the environmental costs per unit price to the consumer

Eco-efficiency economics

economic model in which more goods and services are created while using fewer resources and creating less waste and pollution

Ecolabel

rating system attached to products that provides the consumer with information concerning the production and sustainability of that product

Ecological footprint

the individual impact on the environment presented by an entity or individual

Economic oligopoly

condition in which only a few companies control a product market

Emotionally durable design

the reduction of consumption and waste of resources by increasing the durability of relationships between people and products

End-of-Life (EOL)

the end of a product’s lifecycle upon which it can no longer be usable

Environmental justice

the fair and equitable involvement of all people regardless of race, color, ethnicity, or income, when concerning the implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies

Environmental racism

the disproportionate exposure to pollutants experienced by underrepresented communities and ethnicities

Environmentally conscious design

manufacturing philosophy centers on the design of products that promote environmental sustainability

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

concept where manufacturers bear significant responsibility for the environmental impacts of their products throughout the product life-cycle

Externality cost

indirect cost of a product beyond its purchase price and maintenance costs that is typically paid for by society rather than the individual consumer

Green consumption

form of consumption that safeguards the environment for the present and future generations

Green marketing

the marketing of products that are presumed to be environmentally safe

Greenwashing

the use of making unsubstantiated claims to deceive consumers into believing that a product is environmentally friendly or has a greater positive impact than it actually does

Ideal lifetime

the ideal length of time for which a user expects their product to last

Impulse buying

an unplanned decision to purchase an item that is reinforced through self-gratification and dopamine release in the brain

Industrial Ecology

the study of material and energy flows through industrial systems

Information asymmetry

situation in which one party inherently knows something that is kept from another party

Jevons Paradox

phenomenon in which efficient removal of resources lowers the cost of product such that its demand increases, thus increasing resource usage

Laudato si’

encyclical work by Pope Francis (2015) that stressed the importance of care for the environment and all people; subtitled “Care for Our Common Home”

Life Cycle Thinking

holistic approach to thinking about the environmental impact of products beyond manufacturing to also include consumption and end-of-life

Lohas

name given to people who are heavily involved in promoting products that are sustainable

Marginal cost

the cost added by producing one additional unit of a product

Marginal utility

the benefit gained from consuming one additional unit of a good

Material passport

document consisting of all the materials that are included in a product, providing valuable information for the recovery, recycling, and reuse of those materials

“Modern day colonialism”

“Mottainai!”

Japanese environmental phrase used to promote the Three Rs; often used to bring about awareness of waste

Network governance

response to complex problems with environmental uncertainty, which use social mechanisms for coordinating and safeguarding the exchanges to reduce transaction costs

Neuroeconomics

economic theory that focuses on how the brain uses both logic and emotion to make value-based decisions; rewards systems involving dopamine release are influenced by purchasing decisions

Overconsumption

the overuse of resources

Overpackaging

the use of more materials than necessary for the packaging and transportation of materials

Pacman Strategy

economic strategy in which a manufacturer of a durable good sets an initial price and gradually lowers that price according to the demand curve, which allows for extracting maximum profit from the good; named after the videogame character that constantly devours

Planned obsolescence

business model in which a product is designed with a limited lifespan such that it becomes obsolete after a predetermined period of time

Pollution

the presence or introduction into the environment of materials with harmful effects

Precautionary principle

states that the burden of proof for potentially harmful actions by industry rests on the assurance of safety; when there is no definite proof of safety, then that action should be withheld

Pre-waste

any material that was discarded before it was ready for consumer use; includes scrap, trimmings, faulty items, excess inventory

Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO)

program in which manufacturers use a third party for used-product management

Product economic life

time in which a product is still useful to the owner

Product lifetime

time from product sale to when it is discarded; also called “product lifespan”

Product stewardship

management of the environmental impacts of products and materials at different stages in their production, use, and disposal

Recycling

process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away and turning them into new products

Remanufacturing

the rebuilding of a product to specifications of the original manufactured product using a combination of reused, repaired, and new parts

Repairability index

accredited scores assigned to products that represents the relative ability for the consumer to be able to repair that item as needed to extend its lifespan

Replacement cycle

period of time between the purchase of a product and its replacement with an equivalent product

Repurpose

providing new uses for a product that is different from its original purpose, instead of throwing it away

Residual value

the estimated value of an item at the end of its lifespan

Resource intensity

the measure of the amount of resources needed for production of a good or service

Reverse logistics

supply chain process of returning products from end users back through the supply chain to either the retailer or manufacturer

Scrap swap

exchange of old materials that can be reused or repurposed in a form of barter system

Single-use good

See “disposable good”

Soft good

non-durable products

Source reduction

activities designed to reduce the volume, mass, or toxicity of products and their wastes

Sustainability

the process by which a resource is used such that future generations may also have access to it

Sustainable packaging

development and use of packaging that improves sustainability and minimizes waste

Sustainable product

a product that provides economic, social, and environmental benefits throughout its lifecycle

Sweatshop

a crowded workplace with unacceptable or illegal working conditions

Synthetic

man-made rather than from natural products

Takeback

waste management strategy in which the manufacturer “takes back” a product at the end of its life

The Three Rs

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

Trashion

any wearable item or accessory that is constructed using all or part materials from recycled materials

Trash Tag

internet challenge and hashtag campaign where people clean up a heavily littered area, posting before and after photos with the hashtag#trashtag

Up-cycle

process of transforming useless or waste products into new products of greater quality; also called “creative reuse”

Upstream impact

environmental, social, and health impacts during the extraction process for and manufacturing of a product; before the product is purchased by the consumer

Veblen good

a product for which demand increases as the price increases; luxury good

Waste exchange

process by which the waste product of one process becomes the raw materials for a second process

Waste hierarchy

the pyramidal order of preference for action to reduce and manage waste from disposal (least preferred) to energy recovery to recycling to reuse to minimisation to prevention (most preferred)

Waste management

processes used to manage waste from production to final disposal; includes collection, transport, treatment, and disposal

Waste minimization

processes and practices intended to reduce the amount of waste produced

Waste valorization

process by which waste materials can be reused or recycled to create economically valuable products

Water footprint

the amount of water used by an entity or individual

Zabbaleen

cultural group of Arabic men and boys who voluntarily collect refuse from the community and recycle it for money

Zero waste

green living in which all products are repurposed or re-used such that there is no landfill waste

Bisphenol-A (BPA)

chemical additive to many plastics to increase its flexibility, but can leach out of plastic and act as an environmental endocrine disruptor

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

large diffuse mass of trash floating in the center of the South Pacific Gyre

Microplastics

small plastic particles that are under 5 mm in diameter

Photodegradable

able to be physically broken down into smaller pieces through the action of UV-radiation in sunlight