In the world of sustainability, a lot of buzz words are thrown around, and sometimes it can be hard to know exactly what they mean.
If you've ever been left scratching your head after coming into contact with terms like "climate neutral" or "offsetting", you wouldn't be the first...
Which is why we're presenting Natusan's sustainability jargon buster below:
Carbon Footprint
Let's start with a relatively easy one. Carbon footprint refers to the amount of carbon dioxide for which an individual is responsible. A carbon footprint can be calculated in a few different ways, including carbon emissions associated with travelling, to individual energy consumption through household appliances.
Unless you're off grid, and have never used a kettle, everyone has a carbon footprint. Those who are often flying around the world will have a bigger carbon footprint than those who don't, but you'd be surprised how much adds up when you take into account the different aspects of modern life.
As carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, the smaller your carbon footprint, the better.
One way you can shrink your carbon footprint is to buy in bulk, thus saving transport and the emissions they produce.
Climate Change
Here's another one you hear all the time, but what does climate change actually mean?
Climate change refers to the temperature of the earth changing as a result of human activity. The term is often used interchangeably with "Global warming" - and the widespread consensus of the scientific community is that humans are directly contributing to the warming of the planet.
Each year, year on year, the average global temperature is increasing. When governments meet to discuss the issue and what can be done to reduce carbon emissions, this is known as the Conference of Parties, or COP.
Carbon Neutral
Carbon neutrality is when the carbon emissions - whether they are caused by transport, operations, manufacturing, etc - are effectively cancelled out.
In order to reach carbon neutral, techniques such as carbon offsetting are used, alongside quick wins such as cycling instead of using a car.
Carbon Offsetting
To put it simply, carbon offsetting is one of the ways to reduce your impact on the environment. Once your carbon emissions are calculated, many choose to partner with one of the many wonderful organisations who are certified as removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Here at Natusan we are partnered with Ecologi, who plant a tree for every single order! Trees are a great way of offsetting because they naturally absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, reducing the volume of greenhouse gas.
PEFC
The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (or PEFC) is a global alliance of national forest certification systems. Working as a non-governmental, non-profit international organisation, the PEFC is dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management utilising independent third-party certification.
FSC
The Forest Stewardship Council or FSC is a non-profit international organisation dedicated to responsible forestry. FSC certifies forests worldwide to make sure that they meet the highest social and environmental standards.
Their "tick tree" logo (such as the one you'll find on our website) indicates that products are certified under the FSC system. This allows people to buy forest products with confidence in the knowledge that their purchase helps to ensure that forests around the world are protected for the future.
Circular Economy
As opposed to a traditional linear economy (produce, use, dispose), a circular economy minimises the production and disposal elements, while focusing on using products or services to their fullest.
Biodegradable
Biodegradable materials will eventually break down into smaller pieces naturally. This process could take anywhere from a few months to thousands of years however. Therefore technically most things are biodegradable (including us), so best to look for properly assessed terms such as compostable instead.
Compostable
To put it simply, compostable is a term used to describe materials that have been certified to break down entirely into non-toxic components that will not negatively affect the environment.
Some materials are compostable at home, such as some tea bags and banana skins, but not all compostable materials are suitable for home composting. This includes bio-plastics, which whilst they are fully derived from plants, require more heat and the introduction of water, air and micro-organisms to properly break down than can be provided at home.
For something to be classed as compostable, it must have been proven to break down in industrial composting facilities within 180 days.
Natusan is 100% Biodegradable, FSC & PEFC approved and positively impacts your carbon footprint through our circular economy model of carbon offsetting to reduce climate change.
Now we all know what that really means, isn't it time you made the switch?
16/07/2021 by NatuTeam