Part of understanding environmental issues is understanding key words. In the next two blog posts we will be exploring two of these terms: "environmental aspect" and "environmental impact".
According to the international standard for environmental management systems (ISO 14001), "environmental aspects" are areas where a business, organisation, home or individual interacts with the environment. An example of environmental aspects at home include:
- Waste (generation and disposal)
- Gardens
- Hazardous chemicals stored at home
- Power, gas and fuel use
- Water use
Examples of environmental aspects in a business are very similar to home. Businesses have all the same environmental aspects as a home, but may also have aspects such as:
- Dust
- Odours
- Noise (although homes with musicians can have this aspect too!)
Of course, the level of environmental impact that a business has is greater than a home. Businesses typically have more waste, more power, more water and more potential for environmental incidences (such as a chemical spill).
The environmental aspects of a typical laboratory are:
(Research in this area will begin in mid-July)
