Shopping for green furniture is hard enough, but it’s even harder if you don’t speak the language. Here are some key buzzwords to get you started. — L.M.

Green: Imprecise catchall term, like Carb Lite. Generally refers to products or practices that are healthy, water-, energy-, and resource-efficient, and don’t negatively affect air quality. Hardcore green types would stipulate that the product or practice doesn’t do any harm to the planet, use anything that’s irreplaceable, or depend on low-wage workers for processing.

Sustainable: Often used interchangeably with ”green.” Refers to the continued viability of a product or practice, and is generally used in connection with big-picture, global issues, such as global warming.

Reclaimed: Material that was used before and has been salvaged for another purpose. A close cousin of ”recycled.”

Embodied energy: Energy expended in producing a product, from start to finish. Includes the energy used in extracting the raw materials, transporting the product via 18-wheeler, the manufacturing process, and the ”end of life” consequence: When the product is no longer used, is it recycled or dumped in a landfill? The less embodied energy it has, the greener it is.

Off-gas: Bad. The toxic, smelly fumes emitted by chemicals, paints, adhesives, and other building materials.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs): Also bad. The chemicals that cause the off-gassing. The higher the VOC level, the less green the product.
Source: The Green Roundtable, Boston. greenroundtable.org