3.6 comparative assertionenvironmen

3.6 comparative assertion
environmental claim regarding the superiority or equivalence of one product versus a competing product that performs the same function
3.7 transparency
open, comprehensive and understandable presentation of information
3.8 environmental aspect
element of an organization's activities, products or services that can interact with the environment
[SOURCE: ISO 14001:2004; definition 3.6]
3.9 product
any goods or service
Note 1 to entry: The product can be categorized as follows:

— services (e.g. transport);
— software (e.g. computer program, dictionary);
— hardware (e.g. engine mechanical part);
— processed materials (e.g. lubricant);
Note 2 to entry: Services have tangible and intangible elements. Provision of a service can involve, for example, the following:
— an activity performed on a customer-supplied tangible product (e.g. automobile to be repaired);
— an activity performed on a customer-supplied intangible product (e.g. the income statement needed to prepare a tax return);
— the delivery of an intangible product (e.g. the delivery of information in the context of knowledge transmission);
— the creation of ambience for the customer (e.g. in hotels and restaurants).
Software consists of information and is generally intangible and can be in the form of approaches, transactions or procedures. Hardware is generally tangible and its amount is a countable characteristic. Processed materials are generally tangible and their amount is a continuous characteristic. Note 3 to entry: Adapted from ISO 14021:1999 and ISO 9000:2005

3.10 co-product
any of two or more products coming from the same unit process or product system

3.11process
set of interrelated or interacting activities that transforms inputs into outputs
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2005, definition 3.4.1 (without notes)]
3.12 elementary flow
material or energy entering the system being studied that has been drawn from the environment without previous human transformation, or material or energy leaving the system being studied that is released into the environment without subsequent human transformation
3.13 energy flow input to or output from a unit process or product system, quantified in energy units
Note 1 to entry: Energy flow that is an input may be called an energy input; energy flow that is an output may be called an energy output.
3.14 feedstock energy
heat of combustion of a raw material input that is not used as an energy source to a product system, expressed in terms of higher heating value or lower heating value

Note 1 to entry: Care is necessary to ensure that the energy content of raw materials is not counted twice.