- New Report: “Growing the Green Economy through Green Chemistry and Design for Environment”

WASHINGTON D.C., November 17, 2009 - Business, states and higher education have a new resource to support efforts to advance safer products in the market place.

It’s a report released today by the Green Chemistry and Commerce Council (GC3), National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR), and the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell (UMASS Lowell). See:

http://www.p2.org/wp-content/uploads/growing-the-green-economy.pdf

The report, entitled “Growing the Green Economy through Green Chemistry and Design for Environment” is a resource guide to assist states to develop a green chemistry and design for environment framework.  Seeking to reduce the use of hazardous substances and finding safer alternatives will in turn promote environmentally sustainable business practices and economic opportunities.

“Green chemistry offers states economic opportunity that focuses on safer chemicals and products,” said Ken Zarker, NPPR Policy Chair. “We expect this report will be a useful resource to those states considering opportunities for growing green jobs.”

Green chemistry was defined by Drs. Paul Anastas and John Warner as “the utilization of a set of principles that reduces or eliminates the use or generation of hazardous substances in the design, manufacture and application of chemicals products.”

Design for environment (DfE) is a program within the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency that “uses the office’s chemical assessment tools and expertise to inform substitution to safer chemistries.”  This report clearly defines a vision and an approach to use creative green chemistry and DfE policy approaches as key economic tools.

The report recommends states take action to promote safer products in four broad areas: 1) information development, collection and dissemination, 2) economic incentives; 3) recognition programs, and 4) regulation and policy, including the following:

Promote chemical information and alternatives assessment.

Provide tax incentives for green chemistry and design for environment.

Implement award programs for green chemistry and design for environment.

Require safer alternatives planning.

“This report will promote new collaborations and business leadership to assist industry with the tools to spur cleaner products and services,” says Roger McFadden, Senior Scientist, Staples, Inc. “The successful completion of all these actions is needed to help drive innovation throughout the supply chain to promote sustainability.”

This project was a collaborative effort among business, government, nongovernmental organizations, and academia.

“This is a great first step forward,” says Joel Tickner, Lowell Center for Sustainable Production at UMASS Lowell. “This report is both timely and strategic as it will promote states’ action on toxics reduction, greening the supply chain, and economic growth – the framework for a more sustainable chemical industry.  We expect many new cross-sector initiatives that will advance the goals of environmental protection and economic development.”