Recycling is the reprocessing of old materials into new products, with the aims of preventing the waste of potentially useful materials, reducing the consumption of fresh raw materials, reducing energy usage, reducing air (from incineration) and water (from landfilling) pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production.
Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants on the planet and therefore highly sustainable. It is an incredibly versatile plant used for many everyday applications from flooring and wall paneling to paper and fabrics. Some of the processes through which Bamboo is turned from its raw form into usable products can have a negative environmental impact.
Products described as solar-powered use the sun as an energy source, converting sunlight into electricity.
Short for light-emitting diode, these lighting sources boast a number of consumer and environmental benefits. LEDs have an extremely long life span when compared to incandescent bulbs. In many cases, they last twenty times longer and consume less energy than incandescent bulbs. They’re durable and difficult to break thanks to the solid-state technology, while incandescent bulbs are extremely fragile and break easily.
Polylactic acid or polylactide (PLA) is a biodegradable, thermoplastic, aliphatic polyester derived from renewable resources, such as corn starch (in the U.S.) or sugarcanes (globally).