Eco-Lingo: Ecodesign

Eco-lingo is being tossed around left and right these days. We're demystifying common terms to help you figure out which words are the real deal... and which are just green jargon.

Today's word: Ecodesign

What it means: Think of ecodesign as the step before green consumerism. While green consumers make their purchasing decisions based on a product's lifecycle, ecodesign is all about creating new products and projects with the same concerns in mind. They consider all parts of the process's impact, from the natural resources consumed, to the emissions the manufacturing process gives off.

But ecodesign isn't just about considering the product's life cycle -- in true ecodesign, the manufacturers evaluate the environmental impact and find areas to improve in an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Our writer found four ecodesigned products that aren't as green as they promised and showed us that while one aspect of a product can be green, it doesn't automatically make it an entirely eco-friendly choice.

Synonyms: Green design, sustainable design, environmental design

Verdict: A toss up. When companies take ecodesign seriously, completing an EIA and making all possible improvements, that's pretty admirable -- and certainly the real deal. But beware! It can be used as a buzzword too, so watch out for instances where you smell green jargon!