NIKE CONSIDERED DESIGN DICTIONARY

TERMINOLOGY TO BOOST YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL IQ

Azlon

A manufactured fiber in which the fiber-forming substance is composed of any regenerated, naturally occurring proteins (e.g. soy, milk, egg). The by-products from the soy bean oil extraction and tofu manufacturing processes are the source protein for Soy Azlon.

Biodegradable

Natural or synthetic organic materials capable of being broken down (decomposed by micro-organisms in soils, natural bodies of water or wastewater treatment systems).

Compostable

Capable of biological degradation under controlled conditions in the presence of air, yielding an environmentally sound product of potential value as a soil conditioner.

 

Defoliants

Herbicides that remove leaves from growing plants (e.g., cotton).

Hemp

A renewable, natural bast fiber. The fiber is dark tan or brown and is often used in a natural shade, but it can be dyed bright and dark colors. Uses for hemp fibers range from industrial applications to apparel textiles. The thermal properties of hemp and its resistance to sun degradation are similar to those of cotton. Aesthetic, hand and drape of hemp fabrics are similar to those of linen. Hemp’s elongation/elasticity properties are low.

 

Nike Grind

Nike Grind is the raw material resulting from the recycling of athletic shoes through Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program and the raw material resulting from the recycling of scrap materials left over from the manufacture of Nike product. It is now used in sport surfaces such as basketball courts, tennis courts, athletic fields, running tracks and playgrounds, as well as in some new Nike products including footwear and ACG apparel.

 

Organic Cotton

A natural staple fiber grown and harvested without the use of synthetic chemical pesticides, fertilizers or defoliants.

 

Pesticides

Agrochemcial compounds used to control specific pests (plants or animals). Insecticides control insects; herbicides control plants: fungicides control fungi.

Polyactic Acid

A non-petroleum-manufactured/synthetic performance fiber produced through a fermentation process to convert natural, abundantly available plant starch (e.g., corn, wheat, sugar beets, rice) to polymer. Polylactic Acid or Ingeo™ is NatureWorks’ brand name for this bio-based synthetic polymer.

 

Rayon

A manufactured fiber composed of regenerated cellulose. Bamboo Rayon is produced from cellulose derived from the bamboo plant.

Recycled Polyester

A synethic/manufactured polymer derived from the reprocessing of post-industrial and post-consumer waster materials and products (e.g., PET bottles, uniforms, textile scraps, etc.).

 

Regenerate

Create a new, improved, state, Revive. Referesh. Restore. Re-create.

 

Regenerated (or Recycled)

Recovered and reprocessed materials or products that are converted to new products of equal or higher value.

Renewable

An annually or bi-annually cultivated raw material resource that can be used to manufacture natural or bio-based textile fibers and polymers.

 

Synthetic Fertilizer

Commercially prepared mixtures of plant nutrients such as nitrates, phosphates and potassium, applied to the soil to restore fertility and increase crop yields.

Definitions adapted from the following sources:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) www.epa.gov/ocepaterms

U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) www.ftc.gov

International Standards Organization (ISO)

International Standard ISO 14021:1999 www.iso.org

Textiles by Sara J. Kadolph and Anna L. Langford (Publisher: Merrill/Prentice Hall)