Join Northwest Green Chemistry at the 22nd Annual Green Chemistry and Engineering Conference!

[ACSGCI]

Effective and inherently safer chemical products and processes are the obvious choice over their hazardous counterparts. The market appears to agree, with one forecasting analysis predicting that alternative chemical products, i.e., those made with inherently safer and more sustainable ingredients, will experience a 19.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2016 and 2026 (BCC Research).

While many chemists are inspired to use their skills to improve health, safety and environmental impacts, a gap remains between innovation and implementation. Work on basic and/or applied research challenges is very different from bringing products to the marketplace. And products don’t simply have to be safer; they also have to perform as well as or better than existing products, in terms of both cost and functionality. There are also societal, political, and educational hurdles to overcome.

In our session, "Real-World Sustainability Challenges: Incentives and Barriers to the Use of Green Chemistry in Products," our speakers and panelists will explore this divide as well as best practices for successfully bridging the gap. We’re thrilled to have four outstanding session chairs: Dr. Lauren Heine, Northwest Green Chemistry (NGC)’s Executive Director; Dr. Amelia Nestler, NGC’s Project Manager; Anthony (Tony) Noce, Vice President, EHS Management Systems at Tetra Tech; and Ray Garant, Director of Public Policy at the American Chemical Society.

The diverse drivers for the adoption of green chemistry in products are not necessarily in alignment. Our session speakers will explore how creative initiatives supportive of safer products, like environmentally preferable procurement policies and start-up support,  often contrast with uncompromising obstacles such as lack of funding, limited market awareness or outdated standards and regulations.

Our line-up of expert speakers will cover these, and many more, drivers and barriers in depth and from first-hand practical experience:

• Karen Howard will share the U.S. Government Accountability Office report on green chemistry in policy
• The Washington State Department of Ecology’s programs to assist dry cleaners in switching to safer solvents will be presented by Myles Perkins
• Dianne Barton from the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission will explore how tribal exposures could drive the adoption of safer alternatives under the newly reformed TSCA, while Rich Engler from Bergeson & Campbell will cover other legislative mechanisms that drive innovation
• Jeff Gotro from ZILA Works and Innocentrix, and Kim Reid from Gradient will share entrepreneurial case studies on the design of green products
• Safer Made’s Marty Mulvihill will discuss how venture capital funds invest in safer alternatives
• Evan Griffing and Hans Plugge from Environmental Clarity and Verisk3e will discuss challenges in green chemistry metrics
• Roger McFadden will cover how sustainable procurement policies and practices incentivize green chemistry
• Holly Elwood from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will follow-up with an in-depth look at IT procurement standards

To support scientists in fulfilling the promise of green chemistry to provide practical, sustainable solutions in the marketplace, they will discuss:

• How to shepherd a great idea into a real and successful product
• Resources that are available to designers at different stages in development
• Common pitfalls and best practices for overcoming them
• Sources of inspiration for solving real-world sustainability problems
• Systems models and metrics for success

Join the conversation with product developers, regulators, investors, and procurement professionals to advance your innovative ideas and bring safe, sustainable products to the market. We look forward to hearing about your green chemistry product development experiences at the 22nd Annual Green Chemistry and Engineering Conference!