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Ethicall Glossary

Sustainability is at the core of our values. Here are some terms used in regards to sustainable fashion. Enjoy!   

Bio-based Products/Material

Products fabricated from alternative agriculture materials or forestry materials or both 

 

B Corp certification

Evaluates the overall social and environmental conduct of businesses (across industries) by considering their impact on workers, customers, communities, and the environment. The B Corp rating is based on past performance, not on future aspirations, which means that only companies that have been in operation for a minimum of 12 months are eligible to be considered for the B Corp mark.

 

The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI)

BCI is a global NGO and a cotton sustainability program that was originally conceived by the World Wildlife Fund and launched in 2009. The Better Cotton Initiative supports continuous improvement in the cotton farming sector by setting standards to ensure that cotton is grown with methods that minimize water use and chemicals and support regenerative agriculture. 

 

Bluesign

Bluesign is a certification system that works to ensure products are safe for the environment, workers, and customers. Bluesign works to approve chemicals, processes, materials, and products at every level of the supply chain-focusing its efforts on the dyeing & finishing stages. 

 

Carbon footprint (CF)

Is the overall amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (e.g. methane, laughing gas, etc.)[converted into CO2- equivalents] associated with a product, along its life cycle (including supply-chain, use, end-of-life) 

 

Carbon neutral/carbon offsetting

Carbon offsetting happens when a company, or even an individual, invests in one or more environmental projects to balance out their greenhouse gas emissions and become carbon neutral. This could mean using regeneration processes, like donating a portion of sales to plant trees, or even investing in carbon neutral shipping.

 

Circular fashion

Circular fashion is about designing waste and pollution out of our clothes, and ensuring they help regenerate natural systems at the end of their (long) lives. It is based partly on William McDonough and Michael Braungart’s Cradle to Cradle design philosophy. Circular fashion moves away from the traditional linear take-make-dispose business model

 

Closed-loop Production

A production system in which any industrial output is capable of being recycled to create another product.

 

Compostable (or biodegradable)

A characteristic of a product, packaging or associated component that allows it under certain conditions to biodegrade, disintegrate, not have a negative effect to the compost process and with low level of heavy metals, generating a relatively homogeneous and stable humus-like substance. 

 

Corporate Social Responsibility

The continuing commitment by businesses to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workplace as well as the local community and society at large.

 

Cradle-to-cradle Manufacturing 

An approach to the design of products that seeks to be essentially waste-free. All materials used are designated as either technical nutrients, which are non-toxic synthetic materials that are reused in continuous cycles, and biological nutrients, which can be disposed of into natural environments to decompose into the soil.

 

Ecodesign / Design for Environment (DfE)

The integration of environmental aspects into product design with the aim of improving the environmental performance of the product and process throughout its whole life cycle. This includes reducing resource consumption as well as emissions and waste. 

 

Ecological Footprint 

The total amount of land, food, water, and other resources used by, or the total ecological impact of, a person or organization’s subsistence; usually measured in acres or hectares of productive land.

 

Environmental impact

Any change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, wholly or partially resulting from an organization's activities or products. 

 

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) 

The process of identifying and evaluating the consequences of one economic activity on the environment and, when appropriate, mitigating those consequences. An EIA is used as an aid to public decision-making on larger projects.

 

Extended life product

A product designed to provide prolonged use, based on either improved durability or an upgradability feature, that results in reduced resource use or reduced waste 

Fair trade/Fairtrade

Fair trade describes a brand or an individual product that has been certified and labelled by an independent organisation because it meets standards of supporting producers and protecting workers’ rights and the environment. Fairtrade specifically refers to the certifying and labellingorganisation Fairtrade International.

 

Green washing

The deceptive use of environmental marketing in order to promote a misleading perception that a company’s policies or products are more environmentally sustainable than they actually are. 

 

Impact 

The adverse or beneficial effect or output of an activity, product, or substance on the environment or human health.

 

Life cycle

Consecutive and interlinked stages of a product system, from raw material acquisition or generation of natural resources to final disposal. 

 

Life Cycle Assessment

Process of compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and the potential environmental impacts of a product system throughout its life cycle. 

 

Microplastics/microfibres

Microfibres are fibre fragments that typically measure less than 5 mm. Microfibres are shed from textiles, particularly during processes such as washing but also from wearing. Synthetic microfibres, also known as microplastics, in particular, are a huge source of environmental pollution. Millions of synthetic microfibres go down the drain in an average load of washing and make their way into the environment, animals, and even back to humans.

 

Organic 

A term signifying the absence of pesticides, hormones, synthetic fertilizers and other toxic materials in the cultivation of agricultural products; "organic" is also a food labeling term that denotes the product was produced under the authority of the Organic Foods Production Act.

 

Recyclable 

A characteristic of a product, packaging or associated component that can be diverted from the waste stream through available processes and programs and can be collected, processed and returned to use in the form of raw materials or products. 

 

Recycled content

Proportion, by mass, of recycled material in goods or packaging. Only pre-consumer and post-consumer materials shall be considered as recycled content. 

 

Recycled material

Material that has been reprocessed from recovered [reclaimed] material by means of a manufacturing process and made into a final product or into a component for incorporation into goods or services. 

 

Reduced water consumption

Reduction in the consumption of water associated with the use of goods or services performing the function for which it was conceived when compared with the amount of water used by other goods or services performing an equivalent function. 

 

Renewable resource

A resource that is grown, naturally replenished, or cleansed at a rate which exceeds depletion of the usable supply of that resource. 

 

Reusable

A characteristic of goods or packaging that has been conceived and designed to accomplish within its life cycle a certain number of trips, rotations or uses for the same purpose for which it was conceived. 

 

Sustainability

Sustainability is based on a principle: everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations. Sustainability is important to making sure that we have and will continue to have, the water, materials, and resources to protect human health and our environment. 

 

Sustainable Manufacturing

Sustainable manufacturing (also called sustainable design or green design) is the creation of manufactured products through economically-sound processes that minimize negative environmental impacts while conserving energy and natural resources. Sustainable manufacturing also protects employee, community, and consumer safety.

 

Supply chain

A fashion supply chain is a sequence of processes involved in the manufacture of a fashion product. Fashion supply chains are highly fragmented and comprise several steps, including the sourcing of raw materials; the conversion of raw materials into fibres and yarns; the conversion of yarns into fabrics; and the conversion of fabrics into garments.

 

Transparency 

A measure of increased accountability and decreased corruption in which a business reports on its ethics and performance results through accessible publication of the business' practices and behavior.

 

Traceability

Traceability for a company means knowing its supply chains from start to finish, and being able to trace back each component of a product, from the raw material to the clothes tag and everything in between. It includes knowledge surrounding the location of milling facilities, farms, plants, and much more.

 

Upcycling

Upcycling also turns waste into reusable material, but of better quality. Also based on the Cradle to Cradle approach, it’s a concept we’ve been hearing about more and more. It is about re-using and re-purposing old items to make something new, like using old bedsheets to make a face mask. Upcycling removes waste from the system, requires less energy than recycling, and so has a better environmental impact. Plus it encourages creativity and innovation.

 

Vegan

Vegan refers to products that have been made using zero animal products or by-products. For fashion, it means not using components like leather, wool, silk, cashmere, angora and more, as all these fibres come from animals. Plus, animal rights in the fashion industry can often be linked to broader environmental issues. Look out for PETA-certified vegan products to ensure there are no hidden animal ingredients in your clothes and accessories.

 

Zero Waste 

A system-wide approach that seeks to maximize recycling, minimize waste, reduce consumption, and ensure that products are designed to be reused, repaired, or recycled back into the environment or marketplace.

 

3Rs of sustainability

Reduce, reuse, recycle

 

4Rs of sustainability

Reduce, reuse, recycle, recover (energy)

 

5Rs of sustainability

Reduce, remanufacture, reuse, recycle, recover. Or refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, restore

 

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Sources: 

USA Environmental Protection Agency (https://www.epa.gov/sustainability/glossary-sustainable-manufacturing-terms)

Good On You (https://goodonyou.eco/sustainable-fashion-glossary/)