Glossary

Post-consumer Recycled Material - a material that has served its intended use and instead of being disposed of, is reused in a different product. For example, 100% post consumer recycled office paper comes from the office paper that you might have recycled a few months ago.

Pre-consumer Recycled Material - material that is recycled before it is used by a consumer, such as paper mill scraps that are reused in process of making paper

Recyclable - products that can be repurposed into a new product (but did not necessarily come from recycled materials). Everything is theoretically recyclable. Don’t get confused by thinking this claim makes a product green. Instead look for products that actually have post consumer recycled content in them.

Composting – During the composting process, food and paper waste is broken down to the point of disintegration and re-used as enriched soil

Bio-based – material that is made from biological materials, such as renewable agricultural materials including corn or sugarcane

- a material that can be broken down naturally by biological activity, especially by enzymatic action, into natural elements

Water Filtration System: An appliance that purifies drinking water onsite, eliminating the need for bottled water

Multi-Use Products: Reusable products that can be used more than once

Paperless Payroll: A payroll service that is conducted entirely electronically

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) - organic chemical compounds that have high enough vapor pressures under normal conditions to significantly vaporize and enter the atmosphere. These chemicals irritate the eyes, nose and throat; cause headache and nausea; damage the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM): An approach to pest management that examines the source of the problem before resorting to chemicals

Alternative Fuel Vehicles: vehicles that run on resources other than petroleum, whether electric, biodiesel or hybrid options

Renewable Energy Credit: Environmental commodities that represent electricity generated from renewable resources, such as wind or solar power. Non-tangible RECs add green energy to the overall power grid, and support the development of renewable energy facilities.

Paraffin: a waxy white or colorless solid hydrocarbon mixture derived from petroleum used to make candles, wax paper, lubricants, and sealing materials

Ethanol – Clean-burning alcohol derived from fermented starch plants, such as corn, that is often used as solvents or fuel

Methanol – meythl alcohol, derived from carbon monoxide, is toxic to humans and is often used for antifreeze and fuel

Hemp – durable material made from fibers that’s often produced into twine

Organic – food or materials grown without artificial fertilizers or pesticides

CEE Tiers: Up to three levels established the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) to rate the water and energy efficiency of products

Energy Star Qualification: A benchmark that designates that a product meets the energy efficiency requirements as established by the EPA

Flow Rate – The rate at which water flows from a faucet, measured in gpm

Gallons per Minute (GPM) - a measurement of the flow rate of sinks

Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) – Spiral-shaped light bulbs that don’t emit heat, fit in standard sockets, and use 70% less energy than incandescent bulbs

LED Lamps – a sustainable bulb that uses light emitting diodes (LEDs), which require up to 83% less electricity than standard 60W incandescent bulbs

T5 and T8 Lamps - fluorescent, tubular lamps that last up to 15,000 hours

Rapidly Renewable – material that naturally replenishes within 10 years

Recovered Materials - waste materials and byproducts that have been recovered or diverted from solid waste landfills but do not include those materials and byproducts generated from, and commonly reused within, an original manufacturing process

Free ResSources:

Green Restaurant® 4.0 Environmental Standards:

http://dinegreen.com/restaurants/standards

Green Restaurant® University Education Section

http://dinegreen.com/customers/education.asp

New Jersey's Clean Energy Program SmartStart

866-NJSMART • www.njcleanenergy.com/biz

New Jersey's Clean Energy Program Direct Install

866-NJSMART • www.njcleanenergy.com/DI