Glossary of Terms

The Glossary of Terms calls attention to priority toxins to learn about and avoid as well as highlights some of the most popular terms in sustainability today. Covering topics such as chemicals, chemical families, sustainability buzzwords as well as product certifications, OsceaPedia’s Glossary of Terms is designed to save the Oscea community time in their journey of researching, learning, and understanding the world of sustainability so that they may shop more efficiently, more confidently and be able to hold their favorite brands to a higher standard.

  • Chemicals
  • Chemical Families
  • Sustainability Buzzwords
  • Certifications and Organizations

Chemicals

Review this list of toxins and aim to avoid them when shopping and browsing material and ingredient labels. Our sustainability experts have prioritized this list of out of the nearly 85,000 plus chemicals on the market today. This short-list is a good starting point and avoiding them will yield the maximum positive impact on your life. Fortunately there are many ingredient and material alternatives available that do just as great of a job, if not better, without risking human health or environmental standards.

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Chemical Families

Understanding the complexity and prevalence of some of the most dangerous chemical families is crucial in being able to change consumer behavior. Long-term and consistent daily exposures, even at low intervals or quantities, add up and accumulate overtime adding to your body’s toxic burden. Some chemicals you can detox from, others you can’t, and the difference is important to know before disease sets in. Vote with your dollars and avoid products that contain materials or ingredients from this list of chemical families.

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What is...?

Sustainability Buzzwords

With sustainability gaining popularity in recent years, along with it has come various terms that are often misunderstood or misused. Below is a list of the most commonly used ‘buzzwords’ in sustainability today. With quick access and easy to read definitions, you will be caught up to speed in no time! For those who are interested in doing a deep dive, click through to read the full articles.

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Certifications and Organizations

This list of the most reputable third party certifications on the market are important tools to keep in your shopping arsenal. Since many Americans are left on their own to vet brands and products themselves, and with little help from federal regulators, third party certifications are the most practical way consumers are able to guarantee the products they are buying are labeled truthfully, displayed with transparency, kept to a higher standard, and are being held accountable to their claims. Look for the logos of these certifications on the packaging of products when shopping.

 For more information on various certifications available by product category read more here: Certifications for Fashion Products, Certifications for Beauty Products, and Certifications for Home Products

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