Green is the new black and with environmentally friendly becoming the new mainstream, it’s time to know the lingo of everything sustainable.
Planet Aid
The average American throws out about 82 pounds of textile waste per year.
Accountability (noun) – The condition of being accountable for actions; a responsibility.
“We have accountability as a company to not pollute the earth.”
Biodegradable (adjective) – An object or substance being capable of decomposing by bacteria into natural materials without causing the environment harm.
“People today are trying to create biodegradable fibers to lessen the negative environmental impact.”
Carbon Footprint (noun) – The amount of carbon dioxide released in the air due to the overconsumption of fossil fuels from a person, group, company, factory, etc.
“Your carbon footprint goes up with the number of activities you are participating in.”
Deadstock ( noun) – Inventory that did not sell or does not have a future of selling. Also known as excess inventory or obsolete stock.
“The company had so much deadstock they had to build another warehouse.”
Down Cycling (verb) – A recycling practice that lessens the quality and functionality of a product from its original state.
“Downcycling keeps things out of landfills, but doing so lessens the quality of the product.”
End of the roll (adjective) – Also referred to as remnants, these are the leftover surplus of fabric from manufacturing.
“I bought all of the end of the rolls at the fabric store I shop at because I didn’t want it to go to waste.”
Fast Fashion (noun) – An approach to design that makes clothing quick, cheap and available to a large market of consumers.
“Forever 21 and Zara are fast fashion stores.”
Green Washing (noun) – False information spread by an organization claiming to be “green” through marketing that falsely implements that they are for greener practices.
“Did you hear on the news that Company A has been greenwashing? I thought I was doing something good buying from them!”
Hand Made (adjective) – A product or good that is not made by machine, but a hand process
“I love going to the boutique down the street because everything is handmade.”
Investment Piece (noun) – A popular term used in the fashion industry that justifies an item of greater quality that can be worn throughout many seasons while still maintaining its classic appearance or stature.
“Emily just bought the Classic Chanel Bag because she said she needs more investment pieces.”
Jute (noun) – A rough fiber made from a tropical plant that is used for making twine and rope. It is eco-friendly, biodegradable and recyclable.
“This bag is made from jute fibers.”
Knowledge (noun) – An awareness that has been gained through experiences, situations or acquired through education.
“We have to be knowledgeable about sustainable efforts before spreading misinformation to others.”
Lifecycle (noun) – Refers to the life of a garment from the concept stage all the way to the end-use
“My leather jacket has a long lifecycle.”
Mass market (noun) – Products or goods that are produced in large quantities on a larger scale.
“If the mass market could be exposed to greener practices, it would be friendlier to the environment.”
Niche (noun) – Refers to a specific market where a product is focused. This product would serve the specific markets’ wants and needs. Also known as a small market segment.
“I’m going to create sustainable footwear, and I think I found my niche to go through with it.”
Overproduction (noun) – Producing more than what was originally wanted or needed.
“Company B ended up overproducing and now their inventory is filled.”
Post-Consumer Waste (noun) An item, good or product that has served its use for the consumer and will be going into waste or recycled.
“Post-consumer waste can be a household article or a garment that the owner does not require any more and has decided to discard” (Fibre2Fashion)
Quality (noun) – A characteristic or attribute of a certain product, person or thing.
“The quality of that gown is incredible.”
Reconstruction (noun) – A form of upcycling; a process where new clothes are made from previously worn garments or products.
“That new brand I have been seeing on Instagram believes in reconstruction.”
Recycling (verb) – The act of converting waste into reusable materials to use again.
“My New Years Resolution is to start recycling more.”
Secondhand (noun) – Previously owned or used goods.
“I buy all of my clothing secondhand. This way I’m adding to the lifecycle of the garment.”
Textile Waste (noun) – Waste created during the consumer use, production or disposal phase.
“The EPA estimates that the textile recycling industry recycles approximately3.8 billion pounds of post-consumer textile waste (PCTW) each year.” (EPA)
Up-cycling (verb) – A process which prolongs the lifecycle of textiles or materials by reusing discarded materials to create higher quality goods
“I’ve been trying to practice upcycling more now that I understand the benefits it has on the environment.”
Vegan (noun) – A product that did not undergo any animal testing and it does not contain animal ingredients
“I just purchased a few vegan goods for my friend the other day! She’s definitely going to love them.”
Workshop (noun) – A place where people get together to learn about a subject or take part in a group discussion.
“I can’t wait to go to the workshop that I signed up for!”
Yardage (noun) – The length of something measured in yards
“How much yardage do you need for the fabric?”
Zero-Waste (noun) – A design technique that begins in the first steps of the design process, and eliminates textile waste.
“I decided that I am going to go with a zero-waste technique for my upcoming fall collection.”
This post was published in December 2018 and has since been updated in January 2020.
