Page 400 - Design for Environment A Guide to Sustainable Product Development

Glossary

Acute exposure/effect Acute exposures refer to short duration, high inten -
sity human exposures to chemical, physical, or biological hazards. Acute
effects refer to severe symptoms that are generally of short duration.
Air pollutant A substance released into the air from industrial emissions or
other sources such as vehicles and product use. Air pollutants can have
ad verse effects on human health or the environment.
Alternative fuels Energy-containing wastes used as substitutes for con-
ventional thermal energy sources.
Aspect A broad, measurable characteristic of an enterprise or activity. An
example of an “environmental aspect” is energy intensity.
Balanced scorecard A framework for measuring corporate performance
in terms of both financial outcomes and non-financial drivers, including
learning and growth, internal business process excellence, and customer
relationships.
Benchmark A standard against which something is measured; a reference
point.
Bioaccumulative substance A substance that tends to accumulate in living
tissues and therefore is found at high concentrations in the food chain.
Bio-based product A product that is partly or wholly composed of agri -
cultural or biological materials; also refers to products manufactured using
biological processes regardless of the feedstock.
Biodegradable material A material that can be decomposed by micro-
organisms into organic constituents, and therefore does not accumulate in
the environment.
Biodiversity Variability among living organisms within species, between
species, and between ecosystems. Biodiversity helps to assure the resilience
of ecosystems.
Biofuel A fuel made in whole or in part from biomass, i.e., renewably
sourced biological materials, such as crops, agricultural residues, or organic
waste materials.

Biomimicry The practice of adapting designs and technologies found in
nature to solve human problems.
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