Spotlight
Webinar 8/2/11: National Pollution Prevention Roundtable launches the Green Chemistry Challenge Program
Clean Production Action is partnering with the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR) to deliver a number of GreenScreen™ training sessions in the Great Lakes region over the next 3 years. Under the same partnership and grant, NPPR is launching a Green Chemistry Challenge Program. This program is open to any interested organization, and offers recognition for organizations taking the lead in the areas of green chemistry and safer alternatives. We thought this opportunity may be of interest to you!
NPPR is hosting an informational webinar for individuals and organizations interested in learning more about the program. Please see the original email invitation below for further details.
NPPR Safer Chemistry Challenge Program
Join us for a Webinar on August 2
Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/423892758Learn about this new voluntary chemical reduction program designed to motivate, challenge and recognize participating facilities. You'll also hear about how you can be a part of the process in developing the program by becoming a founding member or joining the technical review team.
Title: NPPR Safer Chemistry Challenge Program
Date: Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Time: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDTAfter registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.
System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 ServerMacintosh-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer
Press Release: Safer Chemistry Challenge Program Deadline Approaching
Press Release: New tools for safer chemicals and sustainable plastics. Nov 30, 2011.
Managing Chemicals in Products: CPA to host a two-day forum in Seattle October 26-27, 2011 (PDF)
December 2010
July 2010
The BizNGO Working Group, a project of Clean Production Action, makes the business case for U.S. Federal Chemicals Policy Reform. Read why these companies are demanding chemical ingredient disclosure to promote green chemicals in commerce.
June 2010
Companies and NGOs call for hazardous chemicals restrictions in EU regulation of electronic products to avoid dioxin formation
The use of bromine and chlorine in electronic products presents direct risks to consumers workers and recyclers. Some of the most toxic chemicals in existence – dioxins- are being generated around the world from e-waste recycling. Europe is about to revise its legislation on what chemicals must be restricted in new products and this could set a new global standard. Leading IT companies and NGOs are calling for a ban on brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and PVC in new electronic products by end of 2015.
Joint press release by NGOs and leading IT companies in support of a ban
International NGOs call on EU to ban BFRs and PVC in electronic products by end of 2015
Watch 12 minute video on how Dioxin impacts human health
Businesses promoting safer chemicals
Our Business NGO Working Group has developed four guiding principles for good chemicals policy which reflect the need for US government reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act. A new factsheet explains why businesses believe this act needs an urgent overhaul.
The BizNGO Working Group continues to implement new purchasing specifications for compostable, biobased food service ware to ensure plant based materials are indeed more environmentally preferable. Read more
HP trains with the GreenScreen™
Hewlett-Packard continues to use the GreenScreen™ to assess safer alternatives to brominated flame retardants and PVC plastics.
As part of their ongoing use of the GreenScreen™, HP held a GreenScreen™ training session in February 2010 for their formulators and in December 2009 also presented the methodology to their suppliers in China. Suppliers are finding the methodology to be scientific, clear and of great value in meeting HP's materials goals. Learn more
GreenScreen™ helps States promote safer chemicals
The State of Maine unanimously adopted proposed regulations in February to protect the health of children by ensuring that chemicals of high concern in consumer products are replaced with safer alternatives. The GreenScreen™ is endorsed as a good substitution assessment tool.
In support of California’s Green Chemistry Initiative to accelerate the quest for safer products, CPA presented the GreenScreen™ and EPA’s Design for Environment method to over 400 participants. Download the presentation
Washington State uses the GreenScreen™ in a comprehensive study of alternatives to brominated (PBDEs) flame retardants. A ban on products containing this class of chemicals will take effect Jan 2011. The state is integrating the GreenScreen™ as a training tool for its pollution prevention staff.
As part of our annual lectures every February at Lund University, Sweden we continue to train students on the importance of chemicals policy for a healthy economy. Download the lectures (Safe Chemicals in the Economy, Companies, chemicals and coalitions) CPA also presented the GreenScreen to the Barcelona based Regional Activity Centre for Cleaner Production in the Mediterranean. This group has asked us to contribute to their upcoming magazine and ongoing chemicals management work in the region.
Our Greening Consumer Electronics Report continues to gain attention. The New York based Pratt School of Design’s new publication, Catalyst, features it in its recent edition.
2009
CPA presents at Greening Consumer Electronics - from Hazardous Material to Sustainable Solutions Conference
New Report: Greening Consumer Electronics
Read more
Comment on the BioSpecs - a framework for sustainable biobased materials
View site
New CPA White Paper: The GreenScreen™ for Safer Chemicals: the method and 4 benchmarks to green chemistry.
Download PDF
Apple’s “elemental” approach restricting chlorine and bromine is a milestone achievement in environmental protection.
The European Union’s Restriction on Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) set new environmental protection standards worldwide in 2006 by restricting substances like lead at the elemental level. Apple Inc.’s commitment to re-engineer all of its products worldwide to remove elemental forms of bromine and chlorine marks an extraordinary step forward for the electronics industry. When the approach is fully implemented, Apple will have gone further than any other electronics company toward designing a wide range of products that greatly reduce the risk of exposure to chemicals known or suspected to impact the environment and human health. Click here to read CPA’s factsheet on Apple’s elemental approach.
The Red List of chemicals of high concern.
Chemicals of High Concern are a select group of chemicals that are the highest priority for companies and government to eliminate from usage. To hasten this transition CPA and Healthy Building Network have developed this Red List of chemicals of high concern. Although the Red List is based on authoritative government lists, it is important to note that any high priority list is based on the evaluation of only a limited set of the approximately 80,000 chemicals in commerce. Many chemicals have simply not been tested. Click here for the Red List.
2008
CPA Publicly Launches the Business-NGO Working Group for Safer Chemicals & Sustainable Materials
On October 29th Clean Production Action publicly launched the Business-NGO Working Group for Safer Chemicals and Sustainable Materials in New York City after two years of behind-the-scenes planning. The group consists of business and NGO leaders who are creating a roadmap to the widespread use of safer chemicals in consumer products. As the first major step, the Working Group released a joint statement entitled “Guiding Principles for Chemicals Policy,” which outlines a path for businesses to implement greener and safer chemicals. This came in response to the increasing demand from consumers, investors and governments for chemicals that have low to no toxicity and degrade into innocuous substances in the environment. The Guiding Principles are 1.)Know and disclose product chemistry, 2.)Assess and avoid hazards. 3.) Commit to continuous improvement, and 4.) Support public policies and industry standards.
Participants in the Business-NGO Working Group include companies such as Corporate Express - A Staples Company, Kaiser Permanente, Hospira, Construction Specialties, True Textiles and Catholic Healthcare West; along with such NGO’s as Health Care Without Harm, Electronic Take Back Coalition, Healthy Building Network, the Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative and ChemSec. More than a dozen trade publications covered the launch of the Working Group including Chemical Week, Plastics News, Greenwire and GreenBiz.com. For more information, see www.bizngo.org.
Apple Achieves Major Environmental Milestone
Four years ago when CPA released one of the first reports documenting the contamination of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in office dust, very few companies were focused on this issue. As science evolved and documented global BFR contamination in far reaching areas such as the Arctic, many leading electronic companies committed to redesigning products and finding safer alternatives to these chemicals. CPA has been tracking industry progress to phase out BFRs and PVC plastic, so when Apple made public a plan to go beyond BFR and PVC restrictions to phasing out ALL bromine- and chlorine-containing materials in their products, we knew they had set a very high benchmark for other companies to follow. What is unusual about Apple’s most recent product launch is that they applied green engineering principles holistically to product design. Not only did they surpass any industry leader by requiring the elimination of bromine- and chlorine-based compounds, they also invested in new materials and technologies that increase recyclability, energy efficiency and remove other high concern substances, such as mercury. Apple is redefining what is possible and it is our hope that it will drive green engineering down the supply chain to improve the environmental footprint of all electronic products. This is one important step in the journey towards sustainability in the electronic sector. For more information, see www.apple.com/environment.
Clean Production Action, Zero Waste Bhutan and Gross National Happiness
In October, CPA’s International Director Beverly Thorpe traveled to Bhutan at the request of the country’s Prime Minister to give a second opinion on a proposed incinerator for the country’s burgeoning waste. This beautiful Himalayan Kingdom situated between India and China (Tibet) recently enacted popular democratic elections, and promotes policies to contribute to the country’s Gross National Happiness (GNH). Bhutan is an agricultural country with low consumption, but the import of electronic products and packaged snack foods and toys from India is contributing to a waste problem in need of a solution. Beverly spent a week distributing information and resources from GAIA (Global Alternatives to Incineration Alliance) and Health Care without Harm to local legislators, and explaining why incineration is not the solution for Bhutan’s domestic and health care waste. She subsequently prepared a ten point plan for zero waste which incorporates green procurement to prevent future hazardous waste, and EPR (extended producer responsibility) for electronics products. There is hope for Bhutan to become a model of clean production and cradle-to-cradle zero waste. We are happy to note that Bhutan’s Director of Works and Human Settlement has invited Beverley back next year to help make this a reality.
Clean Production Action introduces the GreenScreen™ to European Companies
ChemSec, a partner organization that CPA works closely with in Europe, launched its list of high concern chemicals that they believe should be a priority for substitution under Europe's new chemicals program, REACH. The list, called the SIN List 1.0 (Substitute it Now!) received positive feedback from many of the companies who made up most of the 160 business participants at Chemsec's conference in Brussels this month. CPA introduced, for the first time in Europe, the GreenScreen™ for Safer Chemicals as an important substitution methodology to European businesses and the head of the new European Chemicals Agency.
Click here for CPA’s presentation.(PDF 1.8 MB)
Clean Production Action launches version one of a new plastics score card at largest green electronics conference in the world
CPA launched a beta version of our new plastics score card for feedback at the international Electronics Goes Green conference in Berlin this month. The conference brings together the world's leading experts on green design and there was much interest in how biobased plastics could contribute to more sustainable plastics use. Our score card provides a compass for specifying more sustainable plastics, both bio-and fossil-based plastics. It rewards manufacturers who use and produce materials that are more recyclable, less toxic, and made from renewable resources that are sourced from sustainable agriculture.
Click here for CPA’s presentation. (PDF 1.9 MB)
Download PowerPoint ( 5.4 MB)
Clean Production Action’s expertise is sought by leading businesses
Last fall, CPA introduced the GreenScreen™ for Safer Chemicals to Wal-Mart, the largest retailer in the world as a way to encourage safer chemicals in their products. The first step in the GreenScreen™ approach is to move companies off the use of high hazard chemicals and CPA is helping Wal-Mart to finalize a comprehensive list of chemicals, including endocrine disrupting chemicals, as part of a new software screening tool. The company hopes to have this screening tool developed by end of this year and we believe this could have a major ripple effect of promoting safer chemicals use within global supply chains.
Click here for CPA’s initial presentation to Wal-Mart.(PDF 3.6 MB)
Download PowerPoint ( 6.4 MB)
CPA radio interview about Green Chemistry
Our international director, Beverley Thorpe, along with leading green chemistry experts recently examined the future of Green Chemistry. Tune into http://AWorldOfPossibilities.com and do a search for 'green chemistry' to download the podcast which was originally broadcast on September 30th 2008.
