Designers

'Going Green'

Sustainability or Eco-Friendly

So is sustainable design the same as eco-friendly design? Not quite, but they are closely related terms. Here’s the difference:

Sustainable means natural resources weren’t depleted in the creation of the product. This doesn’t mean resources weren’t used, but that the product was made using processes that don’t compromise future generations’ access to resources in any way.

Eco-friendly means the design doesn’t harm the environment in any way. This is a broader term than sustainable and when a product is labeled “eco-friendly,” it can mean it was designed and produced sustainably. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that—an eco-friendly product could potentially use non-toxic materials or renewable resources.

Other similar, related terms include green, organic, natural, clean, and ethical. Some of these terms are regulated by different countries’ governments and in these countries, products and designs must meet specific regulations to be labeled with these terms. For example, in the United States, “organic” is the only one of these terms subject to government regulation.