Mainstreaming Green Chemistry

Purpose

The purpose of the Mainstreaming Green Chemistry Project Group is to guide the implementation of and outreach for the GC3’s Agenda to Mainstream Green Chemistry.

Current Initiatives

The Project Group acts through an Advisory Committee that is providing expertise in the following areas:

An Agenda to Mainstream Green Chemistry

The GC3 spent the last two years developing its Agenda to Mainstream Green Chemistry. The Agenda includes an action plan with six actions that the GC3 will take in the next two years. The Advisory Committee will provide input on action items that are not being worked on by other Project Groups, and will work on outreach planning and implementation for the Agenda.

Mainstreaming Agenda (pdf)

Mainstreaming Agenda - Press release (pdf)

Mainstreaming Webinar - Slides plus audio (mp4)

Mainstreaming Webinar - Slides only (pdf)

Member Survey (pdf) 

Roadmap/Vision for Green Chemistry

The GC3 has set as its goal the mainstreaming of green chemistry, and defines that as being when all chemistry is green chemistry. But what are the pieces that need to be put in place for that to happen? These indicators will be identified, along with potential types of metrics to measure them, and shared with GC3 members for input.  

Webinars

The Advisory Committee will be providing input on webinar ideas and speakers that relate to the topic of mainstreaming green chemistry and the issues and actions in the Agenda.

Background

In 2013, the GC3 made as its mission the mainstreaming of green chemistry and created a Project Advisory Group to provide input on what that would look like. As part of this process the GC3 designed and conducted a survey of its business members to understand drivers, barriers, and needs regarding firm-level green chemistry activities; performed a literature review; conducted independent research (see publications below); and gathered input from participants at GC3 Roundtables. The culmination of this is the Agenda to Mainstream Green Chemistry, published in November, 2015. 

Reports

Measuring Progress Towards Green Chemistry

Released: December 2015

The GC3 commissioned this research from Environmental & Public Health Consulting to support its efforts to mainstream green chemistry by understanding barriers and opportunities to accelerating green chemistry adoption across supply chains. Metrics play a critical role in understanding if green chemistry design, policy, business, or educational efforts are leading us towards desired outcomes. The purpose of this Green Chemistry & Commerce Council (GC3) report is to identify and characterize metrics that can be used to measure progress in green chemistry.

Download Report (pdf)

An Agenda to Mainstream Green Chemistry

Released: November 2015

Ninety percent of manufactured goods are in some way linked to the chemical industry. Yet, despite its many environmental, public health, business, and economic benefits, green chemistry is still only a small part of the chemical enterprise. The GC3's Agenda to Mainstream Green Chemistry identifies strategies and actions needed from all corners to significantly accelerate green chemistry's practice and impact. The document integrates existing and original research on green chemistry barriers and accelerators, along with input from our members who are leaders in the field.

Download Report (pdf)

Advancing Green Chemistry: Barriers to Adoption & Ways to Accelerate Green Chemistry in Supply Chains

Released: June 2015

There continues to be a growing interest and awareness in green chemistry. There are successful cases of adoption of safer alternatives, and scaling of supply, in response to demands from regulators and customers. However, overall progress is slow, measured in decades. Despite efforts from many stakeholders to accelerate green chemistry use adoption rates remain low. Why aren’t more green chemicals in use? What are the barriers? What is the means to accelerate adoption? The GC3 commissioned T. Fennelley and Associates to answer these questions through a series of supply chain interviews, discussions, and document review.

Download Report (pdf)

Making the Business & Economic Case for Safer Chemistry

Released: April 2015

This report, authored by the consulting firm Trucost, evaluates the potential business and economic value of safer chemistry. This includes reducing the use and generation of hazardous substances, reducing the human health and environmental impacts of processes and products, and creating safer products. The research included interviews with 17 industry experts, as well as a review of literature and available data on the business and economic opportunities achievable through safer chemistry and the business and economic value at risk from not adopting safer chemistry.

Download Report (pdf)

News Articles

Read about the GC3 Mainstreaming project:

Mainstreaming Green Chemistry: Why TSCA Reform is Necessary but Not Sufficient (Bloomberg BNA | April 2016)
Building an Agenda to Scale Up (ChemicalWatch | December 2015)
Charting a Path to Make Green Chemistry Mainstream (Greenbiz.com | April 2015)
Timberland, Seventh Generation Take Green Chemistry Mainstream (Greenbiz.com | January 2014)

Contact

For more information on the GC3 Mainstreaming project, please email gc3info@greenchemistryandcommerce.org.