Resource
Any form of capital available for use. In terms of manufacturing capital, any material or energy available for us in manufacturing, including industrial nutrients that used and recovered from manufacturing processes. In terms of natural capital, natural materials (including sunlight, air, and water) used in an organization or society’s operation or production. Humans also provide […]
Renewable
Any material or energy that can be replenished in full without loss or degradation in quality.
Remanufacturing
The process of cleaning and repairing used products and parts to be used again for replacements.
Reuse
Often, the most sustainable option is to reuse materials and objects already manufactured, either for their original or new purposes, rather than recycle them into other products. This decreases further energy and materials use in recreating them into a new form.
Reduce
One of the most sustainable strategies is simply to reduce the amount of energy and materials we use and, thus, are required to be manufactured. This reduction has an exponential effect as it further reduces packaging, recycling, transportation, cleaning, disposal, and a host of other costs.
Recycle
Recycling is the process of reclaiming materials from used products or materials from their manufacturing and using them in the manufacturing of new products. It is different from Reuse, where products are not destroyed and remanufactured but cleaned and repaired to be used again, also known as remanufacturing. Another strategy to use resources more efficiently […]
Productivity
The output created (products and services) created by use of energy, work, capital, materials, or resources. Often, traditional productivity does not measure use of external resources (such as natural resources like air or water) or adverse effects of internal resources (such as corporate culture or employee stamina) and does not calculate costs required to correct […]
Privatization (of natural resources)
An approach to conservation that brings the environment into our economic sphere, therefore giving them economic value.
Private Placement
A type of corporate investment offered directly to institutional investments (such as pension funds, mutual funds, equity funds, trusts, etc.). These investments can be in debt, equity, or a combination of both and are exempt from public (SEC) registration.
Precautionary Principle
An approach to determining whether a given process or policy should be pursued or continued based on an analysis of the social, economic, or environmental risks associated with that activity. Not all risks are known when a new practice is introduced or a current one is re-examined, and the ethical approach in light of implied […]
