Glossary of Terms

Products, services or processes that reduce waste and require the minimum amount of non-renewable resources

A system that simultaneously generates heat and electricity from either the combustion of diesel/biomass fuel or a solar heat collector

The merging of nanotechnology, biotechnology, info and communication technologies into a single product

A design philosophy that aims to eliminate waste from the production, use and disposal of a product. It centres on products which are made to be made again

A design philosophy that considers the environmental effects of a product all of the way from extraction to the end of manufacture only

A design philosophy that considers the environmental effects of a product all of the way from manufacture to disposal

The reduction of total material and energy throughout a product or service

Software to perform Life cycle Analysis on a product and assess its environmental impact at all stages

Focusses on three broad environmental categories - materials, energy, and pollution/waste

The total energy required to produce a product

Technology that is used to reduce pollutants and waste at the end of a process

The method with which energy is transported from a source to where it is used

The method with which energy is stored for later use

The method with which energy is used

Designing in a way that takes account of the environmental impact of the product throughout its use and disposal

Laws and regulations that are based on conservation and sustainability principles used by designers and manufacturers

Products which are improved and developed over time leading to new versions and generations

The ability for an individual to remotely use and charge low-energy devices

Environmental Assessment (5 stages) of a product (pre-production; production; distribution (including packaging; utilization; and disposal)

An economy based on the make, use, dispose model (Cradle to Grave)

An electrical supply distribution network either national or international

A natural resource that cannot be re-made or re-grown as it does not naturally reform at a rate that makes its use sustainable

The processes of separating components of a product to recover recyclable materials

Defining numerically the carbon emissions generated by a particular product

A completely new product is devised by going back to the roots of a problem and thinking about a solution in a different way

To redesign components or products to improve their characteristics or performance e.g. solar power

Use of a product in the same way or in a new context e.g. glass jar

Rebuilding a product so that it is in “as new” condition e.g. vintage car

Separation of components of a product in order to recover raw materials

Using the materials from obsolete products to generate new products e.g. alu soda cans to make new alu parts

The rate that a resource can be replenished

A natural resource that can replenished with the passage of time

The reconstruction or renewal of any part of an existing structure or device e.g. new sole on a shoe

A natural resources that have been identified in terms of quantity and quality

Stock or supply of resources that are available in a given context

Solutions that are implemented to deal with the whole system, rather than just components

The anticipation of potential problems in relation to the environmental impact of the production, use and disposal of a product

The avoidance/ minimisation of producing waste in relation to the production, use and disposal of a product

Strategies used to reduce waste by a product's production and disposal