Green essentials Green issues jargon buster

You can measure your carbon footprint

Carbon footprint

Environmentally-hazardous carbon emissions are created every time we use energy – eg when driving a car, switching on a television or using a washing machine. The total carbon, measured in tonnes, needed to sustain a person’s activities for a year is known as their carbon footprint.

Measure your carbon footprint using DirectGov’s online carbon footprint calculator.

Composting

Composting is nature’s process of recycling decomposed organic materials into a rich soil, known as compost.

Home composting involves setting up a compost bin and adding layers of natural waste and moisture. Anything that was once living, eg vegetable peelings or grass clippings, will decompose in a compost heap.

Climate change

Our planet is surrounded by a layer of gases that trap the sun’s heat to keep the surface of the earth warm. Carbon dioxide and methane (‘greenhouse gas’) emissions from human activities are causing this layer of gases to get thicker, trapping more heat and altering the global climate.

Deforestation contributes to climate change

Deforestation

Chopping down trees for wood or to make way for farmland and homes is reducing the world’s forests. This process is known as deforestation and adversely effects the environment in a number ways.

Food miles

This term is used to describe the distance food travels from field to plate and is a way of indicating the environmental impact of the food we eat. The higher the number of food miles, the higher the carbon emissions created.

Fossil fuels

Coal, oil and natural gas are known as fossil fuels because they were formed over millions of years through the decay and burial of rotting vegetation on land (coal), and marine organisms on the sea floor (oil and gas).

Fossil fuels are non-renewable sources of energy, which means they will one day run out.

Greenhouse gases

Global warming is leading to an increase in extreme weather

Carbon dioxide (Co2) and methane are known as greenhouse gases as once emitted they remain in the earth’s atmosphere, trapping the sun’s heat. This has a ‘greenhouse’ effect on the environment, heating up the earth and causing climate change.

Global warming

Global warming is the increase in the earth’s average temperatures caused by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trapping the sun’s heat. Global warming and the related change in climate are frequently linked to rising sea levels, melting of the earth’s polar icecaps and an increase in the incidence of extreme weather.

Greenwash

Greenwash is a claim that makes a product or service sound more environmentally friendly than may actually be the case. We've collected together examples of everything from cars to gardening products in our greenwashing files. 

Kerbside recycling scheme

If your council runs a kerbside recycling scheme, you’ll be issued with a recycling box or bag and instructions detailing the types of waste that can be collected in your area - find out more about which materials you can recycle in our essential guide to recycling.

Recycling collections usually take place each week direct from your door. Nine out of ten UK homes have a kerbside collection scheme; find out more by calling your council or visiting the Recycle Now website.

All organic food sold in the UK must display a certification number

Landfill sites

Over half of all rubbish collected from homes and businesses is buried underground in landfill sites.

Burying waste underground is harmful to the environment – resources that could have been recycled are lost, methane is produced by rotting organic waste and poisonous chemicals leak from rubbish into the soil and water supply.

Organic food

Organic food is produced in line with principles that aim to minimise or remove manmade additives such as pesticides, and promote issues such as animal welfare and sustainability. All organic food sold in the UK must display a certification number, which guarantees that it meets minimum government standards.

Weee directive

The Waste electronic and electrical equipment directive (Weee) sets out regulations that enable consumers to access safer and more environmentally-friendly ways to dispose of unwanted electrical goods. Find out full details in our recycling guide.