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Green Chemistry |
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 California is the first state in the nation to pass a comprehensive "Green Chemistry" Initiative. Green Chemistry is a systematic scientific and engineering approach that seeks to reduce the use of hazardous chemicals and the generation of toxic wastes by changing how society designs, manufactures, and uses chemicals in processes and products. Rather than managing wastes after end-of-product life (or "cradle to grave"), Green Chemistry shifts our focus to designing chemicals, processes, and goods that have less or no adverse effects-throughout their lifecycle ("cradle to cradle") — on California's people and environment.
Maureen Gorsen, former Director of California's Department of Toxic Substance Control, said
"As a state, the most important thing we can do is give all our children the chance to fulfill their dreams, achieve their potential, and work together in productive and sustainable jobs and communities."
The six recommendations in the 2008 final Green Chemistry Report  reflect this obligation. The report sets forth the roadmap for achieving these principles. The report's policy recommendations are summarized below:
- Expand Pollution Prevention and product stewardship programs to more business sectors to refocus additional resources on prevention rather than clean up.
- Develop Green Chemistry Workforce Education and Training, Research and Development and Technology Transfer through new and existing educational programs and partnerships.
- Create an Online Product Ingredient Network to disclose chemical ingredients for products sold in California, while protecting trade secrets.
- Create an Online Toxics Clearinghouse, an online database of chemical toxicity and hazards populated with the guidance of a Green Ribbon Science Panel to help prioritize chemicals of concern and data needs.
- Accelerate the Quest for Safer Products, creating a systematic, science-based process to evaluate chemicals of concern and alternatives to ensure product safety and reduce or eliminate the need for chemical-by-chemical bans.
- Move Toward a Cradle-to-Cradle Economy to leverage market forces to produce products that are
"benign-by-design" in part by establishing a California Green Products Registry to develop green metrics and tools (e.g., environmental footprint calculators, sustainability indices) for a range of consumer products and encourage their use by businesses.
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News & Events
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 Policy & Legislation
California
- CPSC Letter to DTSC Re: Comments on Green Chemistry Regulations and Take It Back Program Status 1/23/12
- Letter to Governor: Request to withdraw Draft Regulations for Green Chemistry by DTSC 12/14/10 Signed by
- Eveline Shen, Executive Director,
Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice
- Amy Chastain, Executive Director,
Bay Area Clean Water Agencies
- Wafaa Aborashed, Executive Director,
Bay Area Healthy 880 Communities-San Leandro
- Sharon Newton,
Bay Area Pollution Prevention Group
- Jan Robinson-Flint, Executive Director,
Black Women for Wellness
- Kimberly Irish, Program Manager,
Breast Cancer Action
- Jeannie Rizzo, R.N., President and CEO,
Breast Cancer Fund
- Lisa Fu,
California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative
- Warner Chabot, CEO,
California League of Conservation Voters
- Heidi Sanborn, Executive Director,
California Product Stewardship Council
- Martha Guzman Aceves, Legislative Advocate,
California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation
- Mark Murray, Executive Director,
Californians Against Waste
- Ansje Miller, Coordinator,
Californians for a Healthy and Green Economy (CHANGE)
- David Chatfield, Executive Director,
Californians for Pesticide Reform
- Michael Green, Executive Director,
Center for Environmental Health
- Andria Ventura, Program Manager,
Clean Water Action
- Luis Cabrales, Deputy Director of Campaigns,
Coalition for Clean Air
- Richard Holober, Executive Director,
Consumer Federation of California
- Pamela King Palitz, Environmental Health Advocate and Staff Attorney,
Environment California
- Renee Sharp, California Director,
Environmental Working Group
- Janelle Sorensen, Senior Editor and Outreach Director,
Healthy Child Healthy World
- Marlom Portillo, Project Manager,
Instito de Educacion Popular del Sur De California
- Janis R. Hirohama, President,
League of Women Voters of California
- Lisa Russ, Senior Fellow,
Movement Strategy Center
- Sarah Janssen, Senior Scientist,
Natural Resources Defense Council
- Paul Towers, State Director,
Pesticide Watch
- Martha Dina Arguello, Executive Director,
Physicians for Social Responsibility- Los Angeles
- Deb Self, Executive Director,
San Francisco Baykeeper
- Juliet Ellis, Assistant General Manager, External Affairs,
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
- Ted Schettler MD, MPH, Science Director,
Science and Environmental Health Network
- Bill Magavern, Director,
Sierra Club California
- Sheila Davis, Executive Director,
Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition
- Gail Bateson, Executive Director,
Worksafe
- Letter from Green Ribbon Science Panel Member Kelly Moran to DTSC on Green Chemistry Regulations —tdc environmental 12/3/10
- Assemblymember Feuer, Author of AB 1879 on Green Chemistry, Letter to DTSC on Nov. 2010 Version of the Draft Regulations —12/3/10
- CPSC Recommendations on Development of Green Chemistry Regulations 7/29/09
- Legal analysis of CA Green Chemistry Initiative: Expect More States to Follow California's Lead. —Holland & Knight, LLP 10/6/08
"The California Green Chemistry Initiative, through the enactment of AB 1879 and SB 509, should be viewed as just the beginning for increased chemical and product regulation in the U.S."
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Resources
The 12 Principles of Green Chemistry are:
- Prevent waste rather than treating it or cleaning it up.
- Incorporate all materials used in the manufacturing process in the final product.
- Use synthetic methods that generate substances with little or no toxicity to people or the environment.
- Design chemical products to be effective, but reduce toxicity.
- Phase-out solvents and auxiliary substances when possible.
- Use energy efficient processes, at ambient temperature and pressure, to reduce costs and environmental impacts.
- Use renewable raw materials for feedstocks.
- Reuse chemical intermediates and blocking agents to reduce or eliminate waste.
- Select catalysts that carry out a single reaction many times instead of less efficient reagents.
- Use chemicals that readily break down into innocuous substances in the environment.
- Develop better analytical techniques for real-time monitoring to reduce hazardous substances.
- Use chemicals with low risk for accidents, explosions and fires.
Source: Anastas and Warner, Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice (1998)
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Links
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12 Principles of Green Chemistry