Athena Glossary

Athena Project: Accessible community resource of local green alternatives. Athena's goals are to make it easier for consumers to make green purchasing decisions and to provide information on why to consume green alternatives

CSA Community Supported Agriculture: CSA’s focus usually on a system of weekly delivery or pick-up of vegetables, sometimes also flowers, fruits, herbs and even milk or meat products in some cases. (definition from Wikipedia)

GMO: Genetically Modified Organism. See wikipedia definition.

Green: Anything that does minimal damage to the ecological integrity of the planet given the current social and economic environment.

Organic: Organic agriculture is a holistic production system designed to optimize productivity and encourage diversity in the agro ecosystem including soil microorganisms, plants and animals. The principal goal of organic production is to develop enterprises that are sustainable and harmonious with the environment. Organic agriculture does not allow the use of: -Canadian Organic Growers
 * Synthetic pesticides, including fungicides, insecticides, rodenticides and wood preservatives
 * Synthetic fertilizers
 * Materials and products produced from genetic engineering
 * Sewage sludge
 * Synthetic growth regulators (hormones)
 * Synthetic veterinary drugs, including antibiotics and parasiticides
 * Irradiation
 * Synthetic product-processing substances, aids and ingredients, and additions to food including sulphates, nitrates and nitrites
 * Equipment, packaging materials and storage containers, or bins that contain a synthetic fungicide, preservative or fumigant.

Ottawa-area: For the purposes of Athena, Ottawa-area is the area within a 100km radius from the centre of Ottawa.

Pre-consumer paper: Paper that is left over from the manufacturing process (scraps). This paper is most easily recycled as it does not have to be de-inked.

Post-consumer paper: Paper that has already been used by a consumer. This is the stuff that is on our black recycle boxes.

PVC: Polyvinyl Chloride. A plastic whose manufacture and disposal release cancer-causing, hormone-disrupting chemicals known as dioxins into our air, water and food. Soft PVC contains plasticizers called phthalates, which have been linked to cancers and reproductive harm in animal studies. Britain has banned soft PVC toys, and a European Union study has recommended that all member countries do the same. The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission has asked that manufacturers voluntarily not use soft PVC in "mouth" toys, such as teethers, for children under three. . Also see wikipedia definition.

Titanium Dioxide: Is a whitening product used in commercial toothpaste, sunscreen, office correction products etc.  According to the Environmental Working Group’s database, titanium dioxide is in 2,416 products and is “thought to possibly cause cancer in humans, based on limited data” and has been “not yet assessed for safety by the cosmetic industry’s Cosmetic Ingredient board.”

VOCs: Volatile Organic Compounds