This glossary is provided to help readers understand the meaning of words specific to the Avon business or not in common use among the general public. If you identify additional unique words found in this report that are not readily understood, please see the Contact Us page and submit your idea.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | # |
| A | Top |
| Absolute Reduction | Reduction of total emissions or other metric over time, regardless of other factors such as increase in sites or production |
| Associate | An employee of Avon Products, Inc. |
| Avon Foundation for Women | Also known as Avon Products, Inc. Foundation, it was founded in 1955 and is the largest corporate philanthropy dedicated to women's causes globally. Today, the Avon Foundation focuses on the issues of breast cancer and domestic violence, as well as emergency and disaster relief. http://www.avonfoundation.org/ |
| Avon Green Building Promise | Avon's commitment to design and build all new major construction and significant renovation projects to achieve LEED green certification or equivalent local standards. Avon facilities constructed under green standards are in Brazil, China, Colombia, the UK and US. |
| Avon Leadership Representative | Category of top-selling Representatives who also recruit, train and manage other Sales Representatives and earn commission based on sales made by this "downline" as well as their own sales of Avon products. |
| Avon Palm Oil Promise | Avon's commitment to help drive the demand and supply for sustainable palm oil to reduce deforestation, protect biodiversity and habitat through a leadership position in the purchase of GreenPalm certificates. |
| Avon Paper Promise | Avon's commitment to promote sustainable forest use and protect forests, targeting to purchase 100% of its paper from certified and or post-consumer recycled content sources by 2020. |
| B | Top |
| Beauty Products | Cosmetics, fragrances, toiletries, and skincare products. Also referred to as CFT (for cosmetics, fragrance and toiletries). |
| Beauty-Related Products | Avon's beauty-related products include fashion products, jewelry, watches, apparel and accessories. |
| "Book and Claim" Certificates | A new way to promote sustainable production of essential commodities whereby suppliers produce sustainably created goods and receive certificates of proof which they can sell to other businesses who want to assure that they use sustainable raw materials to create their own finished goods. http://www.bookandclaim.co.uk/ |
| British Thermal Unit (BTU) | The amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit. |
| C | Top |
| Carbon Footprint | A term used to represent the energy and greenhouse gas impact of a person, place or thing. |
| Climate Change | Refers to associated temperature changes, biodiversity loss, increased or decreased occurrence of natural cycles (precipitation and seasonal patterns) and changes in weather patterns |
| Corporate Responsibility | Avon's commitment to environmental, social and governance excellence throughout the business |
| Corrective Action Plan | A detailed list of activities, including timelines, that a vendor will perform to correct violations of Avon's Supplier Code of Conduct. |
| D | Top |
| Deforestation | The process of converting forested land for non-forest uses |
| Direct Selling | A type of sales channel, where products are marketed directly to customers through sales Representatives rather than stores or other third parties |
| Domestic Violence | Behaviors used by one person in a relationship to control the other. Examples include: name calling or put downs, withholding money, stopping a partner from seeing family and friends, and threatened or actual physical harm. |
| Downline | The Sales Representatives in a unit who are recruited, trained, and mentored by an Avon Leadership Representative. |
| E | Top |
| Ecosystem | The living and non living interactions of a biological community |
| Emission | Discharges into the atmosphere from smokestacks, vents, and surface areas of commercial or industrial facilities; from residential chimneys; and from motor vehicle, locomotive, or aircraft exhausts |
| Environmental Impact | The effect of an activity on the physical environment, including land, water, air, and living creatures |
| Environmental Stewardship | The careful and responsible management of the environment and behaviors that impact the environment |
| F | Top |
| Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) | A council created to drive the practice of sustainable forestry worldwide, in which loggers, foresters, environmentalists and sociologist come together to promote sustainable forestry |
| Fossil Fuels | Fuel derived from ancient organic remains; e.g. peat, coal, crude oil, and natural gas |
| G | Top |
| Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN) | A network that links hundreds of companies, communities, NGO's and entrepreneurs together to form a positive force to save the world's most valuable and threatened forests |
| Global Product Safety Standard | Avon's universal standard and approach to ensuring the safety of its nearly 1,000 products made each year and marketed in more than 100 countries around the world |
| Green Ambassador | A volunteer Avon employees chosen to develop and implement environmental initiatives in Avon offices, distribution centers and manufacturing facilities in addition to their fulltime responsibilities |
| Green Building Promise | See Avon Green Building Promise |
| Greenhouse gas (GHG) | A gas, such as carbon dioxide or methane, which contributes to potential climate change. Named for the impact of creating a greenhouse effect on the earth that traps heat. |
| H | Top |
| Hello Green Tomorrow | Avon's name for the company's commitment to environmental stewardship, including (1) internal environmental management programs and (2) external mobilization and fundraising to help end deforestation through the restoration of critically endangered tropical forests. |
| High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) | Dense plastic that delivers good moisture barrier and chemical resistance but allows gases to escape the product into the surrounding area easily, making it excellent for product packaging. |
| I | Top |
| Intensity Reduction | Reducing the ratio of emissions relative to a business metric over time (e.g., a specific number of units or tonnes of a product) |
| Intranet | A privately maintained computer network that can be accessed only by authorized persons. Avon offers intranet systems for associates and for Sales Representatives to share information, news and updates. |
| L | Top |
| Leadership Representative | See Avon Leadership Representative |
| LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) | an internationally recognized green building certification system of the U.S. Green Building Council |
| M | Top |
| Machine Guarding | A barrier placed on machinery to prevent reaching into moving parts to prevent injuries |
| Moratorium | A legally authorized period of delay in the performance of an action. As an example, Avon supports the moratorium on the creation of new palm oil plantations in place of indigenous forests. |
| N | Top |
| Non-CFT Products | Avon products that do not fall under the cosmetics, toiletries and fragrance (beauty) categories, including home, gift, toys, videos, fitness and decorative products |
| O | Top |
| Old growth forests | A forest significantly past the age of maturity of its dominant species |
| Operational Footprint | The impact of the entire operation of the business, including manufacturing, distribution, and administration. |
| P | Top |
| Palm Oil | A yellow, fatty oil obtained from the crushed nuts of palm plants that mainly grow in Indonesia. It is a leading ingredient in food worldwide, and to a lesser degree is used in personal care products |
| Palm Oil Promise | See Avon Palm Oil Promise |
| Paper Promise | see Avon Paper Promise |
| Paraben | A class of preservatives used since the 1920s in food, pharmaceuticals and personal care products to prevent fungal and bacterial contamination. |
| Post Consumer | The final stage of the life cycle of a product when it is discarded by an end consumer. Materials are often recovered "post consumer" and recycled, including paper and plastics, and re-used in the production of new products. |
| Product Lifecycle | The stages a product goes through from the initial sourcing of raw materials to final disposal |
| R | Top |
| Rainwater Harvesting | The collection of rain water, from building roofs or elsewhere, for use in residential and/or commercial practices |
| Recycle | The conversion of waste into useful material |
| Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) | Tradable commodities that represent proof that one megawatt hour of electricity was generated from a renewable source |
| Renewable Energy Source | Energy resources that are able to restore themselves over a short period of time and do not diminish (examples: sun, wind, moving water, organic plant material, geothermal and waste products) |
| Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) | Formed in 2004, RSPO functions to promote the growth and use of sustainable palm oil products and links producers, processers, manufactures, retailers, banks, investors and environmental or nature conservation NGO's to the same common goal of promoting sustainable palm oil |
| S | Top |
| Sales Representative | An independent sales agent for Avon, who runs an entrepreneurial business and sells direct to customers, but is not an employee of the company Solar Hot Water- water that is heated using the energy captured from the sun |
| South American Atlantic Rainforest | Critically endangered rainforest on the eastern seaboard of South America, encompassing parts of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. |
| Stakeholder | A person with an interest or concern in an organization, issue or action, for Avon, this includes, but is not limited to, associates, Sales Representatives, customers, shareholders, NGOs and governing bodies. |
| Sustainable | The ability to meet society's present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs |
| T | Top |
| Total Recordable Case (TRC) | The metric used to identify and manage the circumstances in which injuries and illness may occur, (Calculation: Division of all recordable cases/ number of hours worked) |
| Toxicology | The study of the nature, effects, and detection of potentially undesirable chemicals and the promotion of subsequent safety standards |
| Trade Association | Individuals and companies in a specific business or industry organized to promote common interest, such as Personal Care Products Council, COLIPA and Direct Selling Association. |
| U | Top |
| Upline | A Sales Representative who is participating in the Avon Leadership Opportunity and is recruiting, training, and mentoring a team of Representatives (downline). The Sales Leadership Representative who personally recruited and appointed another Representative is known as that Representative's upline. |
| V | Top |
| Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) | Compounds that tend to easily enter the atmosphere and may influence climate change |
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