These words are everywhere — packaging, adverts, your entire feed. But what do they actually mean, and how do you spot genuine from greenwashed?
Here's the plain-English version.
- Recycled — made from materials already used (plastic bottles, cardboard, reclaimed wood). Reduces waste by giving old materials a second life instead of extracting new raw ones.
- Biodegradable — breaks down naturally over time, no harmful residue. Watch for "home compostable" — some "biodegradable" products only break down in an industrial facility you'll never use.
- Sustainably sourced — raw materials harvested without depleting the resource. FSC-certified wood = responsibly managed forests. Organic cotton = no synthetic pesticides or fertilisers.
- Natural — the loosest term of all, and the one most open to abuse. It just means "derived from nature" — says nothing about how it was grown, processed, or packaged. Always look for a more specific credential alongside it.
- Eco-friendly — a broad, often unregulated term meaning "less harmful to the environment than the standard alternative." No legal definition, so it only means something when paired with specifics (like the ones above).
- Green — same as "eco-friendly," mostly marketing shorthand. Look for the substance behind it.
You deserve to know exactly what you're buying — and the planet deserves better than greenwashing.
Shop verified eco products at BeKinda — home, garden and pets.
