Ever wonder……..
I started to realize that we are bombarded with so many different phrases or terms in this attempt at a green lifestyle. Have you ever found yourself seeing one of those words and wondering “what exactly does that mean?”
Well, today I will start with sustainable– basically this means to use our natural resources in a way that they can be replenished nauturally. A great example of this is bamboo!
How about fair trade? I know you have probably seen this one many times……coffee and chocolate are two common places you might see this term. This is such an important one to me because we all work hard and deserve to be paid accordingly. If you see the fair trade symbol on a product it means the producer was paid a fair wage for their services. Often times, there are so many middlemen between you and the maker of a product that little money actually ends up in their pockets. Buying a fairly traded product, you can be confident a hard working farmer has earned a decent amount for their services. A great company is Equal Exchange!
Let’s talk organic! This is a term you really want to pay attention to! The only way to be 100% confident is if you see the USDA organic seal(the one that’s green and white with a brown circle around it. Otherwise, you aren’t buying something that is completely organic. Here is a breakdown of what you are seeing:
~100% organic comes with the USDA seal and are made without the use of any pesticides!
~If you simply see organic on the package, this means that 95% of the ingredients are organic.
~Made with organic ingredients means that 70% of the ingredients are organic(be sure to look at the actual ingredients for specifics. When in doubt, look for the USDA seal!
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