Being “green” means being aware of your responsibility to the environment and to the community. Here are other common green terms and their meanings:

Organic: Organic food is produced by farmers who place an emphasis on renewable resources and soil and water conservation, and use minimal pesticides as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. The USDA sets the standards for being able to label products “organic.” Visit www.ams.usda.gov/nop for more information.

Fair Trade: Fair Trade helps family farmers in developing countries gain direct access to international markets, allowing them to compete fairly and receive a fair price. This also deters cost-cutting practices that diminish quality. Look for the fair trade certification on products, and visit www.transfairusa.org for information.

Shade grown: If you buy Fair Trade-certified coffee, tea and chocolate, it is usually shade-grown. This means that the products you buy provide shelter for migratory birds and help reduce global warming.

Sustainable: A method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.

Biodegradable: The product has the ability to break down, safely and relatively quickly, by biological means, into raw materials of nature and disappear into the environment.

Erin Wade