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" Environmentally conscious consumers are reshaping the U.S. marketplace, and maybe you&amp;#039;re one of them. Forty-two percent of Americans are willing to pay more for products labeled &amp;quot;environmentally friendly&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;organic,&amp;quot; according to a 2005 survey by the research firm Global Market Insite \u2014 great news for marketers, who now package everything from lipstick to lemons in a way that suggests they&amp;#039;re all somehow healthier for your family and/or kinder to the planet. The shopper-unfriendly result: Whether you&amp;#039;re cruising the aisles at Wal-Mart or the local organic grocery, you&amp;#039;re bombarded with feel-good terms like &amp;quot;recycled,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;natural,&amp;quot; &amp;quot;biodegradable,&amp;quot; and more. What do these words really mean? Is the label always accurate? Even if it is, does it stand for a real environmental or health benefit? Here, a cheat sheet for 11 terms you&amp;#039;ll see on labels. 1. ORGANIC. Where you&amp;#039;ll see it: Food, household cleaning products, personal-care products, dry cleaners What it means: Ingredients are produced without most conventional pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, growth hormones, antibiotics, bioengineering, etc. Helps reduce use of synthetic chemicals that can harm the environment and possibly create health risks. Does it have to meet U.S. government standards? Yes, for all listed products except dry cleaning. Look for the &amp;quot;USDA organic&amp;quot; seal \u2014 except on food, where &amp;quot;organic&amp;quot; alone is also a trustworthy term. Is it worth it? Definitely. This label has the most impact on the planet.  2. BIODEGRADABLE. Where you&amp;#039;ll see it: Household cleaners, personal-care products, plastics What it means: After disposal, can decompose into substances that can safely be reabsorbed and reduce pollution in soil and water. Does it have to meet U.S. government standards? No. Some major retailers use Scientific Certification Systems, a private company, to certify claims; look for their seal. Is it worth it? Yes. It reduces the longevity of waste and can help reduce pollution in soil and water. However, on plastics, the word you want to see is &amp;quot;compostable.&amp;quot; 3. NONTOXIC. Where you&amp;#039;ll see it: Household cleaning products. What it means: Ingredients pose no health risk. Does it have to meet U.S. government standards? No Is it worth it? No. It is not a real benchmark since manufacturers and consumer-health activists sometimes disagree on what is safe. 4. NATURAL. Where you&amp;#039;ll see it: Food, household cleaning products, clothing, cosmetics, personal-care products. What it means: For meat and poultry: minimally processed, with no artificial flavor, coloring, or chemical preservatives. For all the rest, no clear definition. Does it have to meet U.S. government standards? Yes, for meat and poultry; no, for everything else. Is it worth it? Only in meat and poultry (cuts down on synthetic chemicals). 5. DEA-FREE. Where you&amp;#039;ll see it: Household cleaning and personal care products. What it means: Does not contain DEA (diethanolamine), a substance linked to cancer in animal studies. Does it have to meet U.S. government standards? No. Is it worth it? The link in humans has not been established, but you may consider DEA worth avoiding anyway. 6. ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE. Where you&amp;#039;ll see it: Household cleaning and personal care products. What it means: Not harmful to the environment. Does it have to meet U.S. government standards? No. Is it worth it? No. Its definition is too vague. 7. SUSTAINABLE. Where you&amp;#039;ll see it: Wood and paper products What it means: Made with renewable resources, such as forests harvested using methods to protect soil, water, and plant and animal life Does it have to meet U.S. government standards? No. &amp;quot;Sustainable&amp;quot; can be misleading. Instead, look for products with an FSC seal, granted by the Forest Stewardship Council Is it worth it? Yes. If you buy sustainable products, it may spur more companies to take better care of our forests 8. NO CFCS. Where you&amp;#039;ll see it: Household cleaning, personal care products. What it means: Does not contain CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons), chemicals that damage the Earth&amp;#039;s protective ozone layer. Does it have to meet U.S. government standards? No. Is it worth it? No. The Environmental Protection Agency banned CFCs in some consumer products decades ago. And CFC-free products may still contain other harmful ingredients. 9. NO PARABENS. Where you&amp;#039;ll see it: Cosmetics and personal-care products. What it means: Does not contain parabens (chemical preservatives commonly used in personal-care products), which can interfere with endocrine function. Does it have to meet U.S. government standards? No. Is it worth it? Your call: The FDA says parabens don&amp;#039;t pose a health risk at low levels, but some doctors suspect a possible link to breast cancer. 10. NONPOLLUTING. Where you&amp;#039;ll see it: Household cleaning products. What it means: No clear definition. Does it have to meet U.S. government standards? No. Is it worth it? No. Look for &amp;quot;organic&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;biodegradable&amp;quot; products instead. 11. RECYCLED. Where you&amp;#039;ll see it: Primarily paper products and office supplies. What it means: Contains some recycled content. Does it have to meet U.S. government standards? No. Is it worth it? Yes, if it contains &amp;quot;post-consumer content&amp;quot; (preferably 30 percent or more). "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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