Green chemistry
Green chemistry is the design of safer, cleaner, and more efficient chemical products and processes.
It aims to reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances. It also focuses on minimizing waste, energy use, and resource use (maximizing efficiency). The impact of green chemistry is threefold:
It creates safer and healthier products.
It takes advantage of resource efficiency and generates savings.
It improves the environment.
It’s easy, people prefer safer products. According to Safer Made, health concerns due to exposure to unwanted chemicals has generated a multi-billion dollar demand for safer products. Brands such as Patagonia and Seventh Generation, who promote safety and sustainability, are leading in the marketplace. There is an opportunity to reshape every product category and safer solutions already exist. However, they require more visibility and capital to compete and go to market.
It’s easy, people prefer safer products. Health concerns regarding exposure to unwanted chemicals has generated a multi-billion dollar demand for safer products.
In addition, green chemistry promotes efficiency gains that leads to savings. Its principles are based on source reduction and prevention of chemical hazards. Therefore, it eliminates the need to use virgin materials and instead uses safer raw material sourcing that is renewable or abundant from waste. It also encourages process efficiency to use less energy, materials, and water and use of renewable energy sources. Finally, it also promotes reuse and recycling.
Examples of using green chemistry to support efficiency can be seen across multiple industries including paints, computer chips, insulation, responsive windows, apparel, home and personal care products, among many others.
Finally, these factors all lead to reduced climate impacts. Green chemistry leads to pollution reduction at its source. With less harmful chemicals and products, there is less toxic materials released to the environment and is therefore less toxic to organisms and less damaging to the ecosystem.
The market is ripe for green chemistry. It's more than just a trend, rather it is gaining more traction with time and it's here to stay.
The market is ripe for green chemistry. Big players are acquiring ventures that are invested in creating safer and healthier products. For example, Procter and Gamble (P&G) recently acquired Native Deodorant and SC Johnson acquired Method. Furthermore, companies are investing in the use of safer materials and chemistries in their products and are creating their own Restricted Substance Lists (RSLs) to eliminate certain chemicals of concern (examples include Nike, Apple, Levi’s, HP, IKEA, Walmart and Target).
In addition to the individual company goals, influential players in the industry are collaborating together to collectively create industry-wide standards in order to generate greater impact. Such examples can be seen from the creation of Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals Roadmap to Zero Program, Apparel and Footwear International RSL Management (AFIRM) Group, International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative, Global Auto Declarable Substance List, Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer's Association among many others. Finally, regulations have also accelerated green chemistry applications worldwide.
Green chemistry is more than just a trend, rather it is gaining more traction with time and is here to stay. Consumers increased awareness is creating a demand for healthier and safer products along with a better environment to live in. Simultaneously, companies are realizing the strategic drivers and benefits of adopting safer chemicals. Ultimately, all industries globally will head in this direction.
