eco friendly
3 antonyms for eco friendly — opposites grouped by meaning.
Adjective — Designed or made so as to do as little harm to the natural environment as possible, for example by using less energy, avoiding toxic materials or being recyclable.
Antonyms
How to use eco friendly
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
eco-friendly packaging
eco-friendly products
eco-friendly cleaning
more eco-friendly
Very common in marketing; sceptical readers may treat it as a greenwashing signal unless it is backed by specifics.
Etymology
A compound of the prefix 'eco-', shortened from 'ecology' (ultimately from Greek 'oikos', house), and 'friendly' in the sense 'not harmful to'.
Full origin of eco friendly →Frequently asked questions
Is it 'eco friendly' or 'eco-friendly'?
The hyphenated 'eco-friendly' is the standard spelling in dictionaries and edited prose. The unhyphenated 'eco friendly' is very common online and in marketing, but hyphenate it before a noun to be safe.
What is the difference between eco-friendly and sustainable?
Eco-friendly describes a single product or practice that causes little environmental harm right now. Sustainable is a stronger claim about a whole system being able to continue indefinitely without depleting resources. A recyclable plastic bottle can be eco-friendly without the system that makes it being sustainable.
Is 'eco-friendly' a regulated term?
In most countries it is not a defined legal term, so anyone can use it. Advertising regulators do require such claims to be truthful and substantiated, which is why vague uses are often criticised as greenwashing.
