California s Green Chemistry Initiative

Transcription

1 California s Green Chemistry Initiative Expanding Pollution Prevention Integrating Life Cycle thinking in P2 Pauline Batarseh Assistant Deputy Director Office of Pollution Prevention and Green Technology Department of Toxic Substances Control California Environmental Protection Agency 1

2 The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976 Data Gap (transparency): Producers not required to generate health & environmental data Businesses, consumers and workers lack hazard information Safety Gap (accountability): EPA lacks authority to act on imminent hazards Producers not required to take responsibility for product lifecycle Technology Gap (innovation): Market weaknesses; lack of education, research and technical assistance discourage innovation

3 The Green Chemistry Initiative PHASE I Conversation with California April through December 2007 PHASE II The Green Chemistry Initiative Final Report January December,

4 Green Chemistry Final Report Six Policy Recommendations 1. Expand Pollution Prevention 2. Develop Green Chemistry Workforce, Education, Research and Tech Transfer 3. Create an Online Product Ingredient Network 4. Create an Online Toxics Clearinghouse 5. Accelerate the Quest for Safer Products 6. Move Toward a Cradle-to-Cradle Economy

5 PARADIGM SHIFT FOR GOVERNMENT! Not just in how products are manufactured or how waste is looked at but also in how government must work. through collaboration with private parties and non government organizations working together to a common goal. 5

6 Green Chemistry Initiative - Expanding P2 Collaborations & Partnerships Oceans Initiative Green Business Program Technology Transfer Plastics Work Nail Salon Project Aqueous-based Paints/coatings Toxics in Packaging Multimedia fuel Evaluation Electronics Waste Quest for Safer Products Expanding P2 Green Chemistry Workforce Tech transfer Online Product Ingredient Network Footprint calculator Online Toxics Clearinghouse Cradle to Cradle Economy

7 Life Cycle Thinking nexus with P2 As applied to P2, life-cycle thinking includes impacts outside the business fence line : the origin of materials and energy resources consumed the destination and disposition of the wastes produced as well as including externalities

8 Key Projects Lead wheel weights Multimedia fuels LCA for used oil Green remediation - website: bioplastics

9 Key findings Plastics 46 facilities generated 106 million pounds of hazardous waste in 2006 Major waste streams: Wastewater Polymeric resin waste Amount projected for reduction from : 1.7 million pounds/year Amount avoided through source reduction: 4.5 million pounds/year Most common source reduction measures: Maintenance programs Employee training Operational improvements Process changes measures (Ashland implemented a glycol recovery system, achieving 92% reduction in waste generation.

10 Plastics and Green Chemistry Alternative plastics that do not use petrochemicals Address plastic ocean debris, toxic ingredients in plastics DTSC and DOC-development of sustainable bioplastics production in biorefineries Eliminate transportation costs Bioplastic using waste as a feedstock -no competition with food crops, reduce feedstock costs Combining biorefinery infrastructure reduces capital and operating costs Locating biorefineries on public waste management facilities-reduces production costs and generates revenue for local government agencies DTSC-Stanford university Developing biotechnlogy that will sustainably produce bioplastics from waste-derived methane

11 SB 14 & 1916 are simply tools Goal: Expanded & Modernized P2/Green Chemistry Research Consumer Awareness and Marketing Product Development Source Reduction and Promoting C2C

12 Green Chemistry & Expanding P2 Goal - Expand P2 (GCI report 12/08) -That means Problem statement: how can we tell if alternatives are better (or if we are actually doing more harm) California green chemistry website: stryinitiative/index.cfm