green chemicals and job innovation beverley thorpe good green jobs conference april 21, 2012 1
TRANSCRIPT
Green chemicals and Job Innovation
Beverley ThorpeGood Green Jobs Conference
April 21, 2012
1
The 21st century must be about solutions
1. Chemicals are at the core of sustainability due to serious global impacts of hazardous chemicals
2. Hazardous Chemicals = Business Risk so Innovation means Safer Chemicals + Transparency
1. Example: autos2. Example: electronics3. Principles for Safer Chemicals
3. What’s a ‘green chemical?one tool: Green Screen for Safer Chemicals
4. Job Innovation means green chemicals on the shop floor 5. Q&A
Clean Production Action is a non
profit NGO that designs and delivers strategic solutions for safer chemicals, sustainable materials and environmentally preferable products
We work with governments, NGOs, workers and industry leaders to advance green chemistry and safer product design
www.cleanproduction.org www.bizngo.org
3
Systems
Products
Materials
Chemicals
Figure 1. Chemicals at the Core of Systems Change
1. Chemicals are at the core of sustainability due to serious global impacts of hazardous
chemicals
Increasing focus on the problem of chemicals in our society
“Given our understanding of the way chemicals interact with the environment, we are running a gigantic experiment with humans and all other things living.”Sir Tom Blundell, Chairman, UK Royal Commission (June 2003)
Persistent and toxic chemicals are a global problem
• Over 100,000 chemicals in use today
• Prior to 1981 no requirements for environmental and health impact data – many of the 65,000 chemicals in common use have little information
• Current regulations put the burden of proof on governments to prove ‘harm’ not on the producer to prove ‘safe’
604/21/23 6
Persistent chemicals are in all of us
Chemicals discovered in adults and babies (body burden) are associated with cancer, hormone disruption, reproductive disorders, respiratory illnesses and harming the development of children.
www.toxicnation.ca (example of Canadian body burden study)
Babies are now born pre-polluted
• Umbilical cord blood tests show nearly 300 industrial chemicals in newborns
• Of 287 chemicals detected in these blood tests, 180 cause cancer, 217 are neurotoxins, and 208 cause reproductive or developmental harm in animals.
credit: Passport Foundation
Hormone disrupting chemicals -> behavioural changes
• Organophosphate insecticides (OP’s) are among the most widely used pesticides globally & have long been known to be particularly toxic for children.
• Children with above-average pesticide exposures are 2x as likely to have ADHD
(Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)• US experiencing 1:100 autism spectrum disorders
Some chemicals -> reproductive impacts
• Image: Gonads of Longjaw mudsucker collected from San Francisco Bay salt marsh.
• This fish shows evidence of endocrine disruption with the condition known as “ovotestes”.
• The upper gonad is an enlarged testes with sperm, while the smaller lower gonad consists of some testicular tissue and ovary, orange color.
2. Hazardous chemicals are also a business risk
• NGOs highlight hazardous products – Autos– Electronics
• Innovation means safer chemicals and transparency
Hazardous chemicals in autos
• Example: PBDEs: fabric backing, arm rests, floors, electronic enclosures
• PBDEs: Neuro-developmental toxins, thyroid disruptors, liver toxicity in animal tests
• Concentrations of haz chemicals in car interiors were 5-10x higher than in homes or offices
Hazardous chemicals in autos
• Example: Phthalates: 90% used as plasticizers for PVC (vinyl) plastic.
• Higher temperatures lead to more off-gassing. Ubiquitous.
• DEHP = toxic to reproduction; implicated in low sperm counts; developmental toxin
PVC & BFR*-free vehicles increasing in the market
On a fleet-wide basis PVC use continues to decline:
Before 2006, all vehicle interiors had PVC present.
However, in our 2011-2012 vehicle screening, 17% (34 vehicles) had PVC-free interiors.
Halogen free cars In 2006 only 2% of vehicle
interiors were free of PVC and BFRs;
in 2012, that number was quadrupled, with 8% of vehicle interiors being free of PVC and BFRs.
*PVC = polyvinyl chloride plasticBFR = brominated flame retardants
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/cool-it/Campaign-analysis/Guide-to-Greener-Electronics/
#1 score
At the end of 2010, 100% of all new HPnotebook products are BFR- and PVC-free.
HP is on track to achieve 90% of its newgoal to phase out BFR and PVC in newlyintroduced personal computing products in 2011.
Its target to phase out the phthalatesDEHP, DBP and BBP in newly introducedpersonal computing products has beenrevised to the end of 2012.
However, there is no goal to phase out all phthalates, although HP says it ‘may require additional future restrictions’.
Leaders make chemicals policy transparent
HP’s material restrictions - online
Endorsers include …· Breast Cancer Fund· Catholic Healthcare West· Construction Specialties, Inc.· Health Care Without Harm· Hewlett-Packard Company· Hospira, Inc.· Kaiser Permanente· Method· Natural Resources Defense
Council· Practice Greenhealth· Premier, Inc.· Seventh Generation· Staples, Inc.· Whole Foods Market, Inc.
BizNGO Principles for Safer Chemicals 1. Know and disclose product chemistry
2. Assess and avoid hazards3. Commit to continuous improvement
4. Support public policies and industry standards 22
• Catholic Healthcare West • Kaiser Permanente• Health Care Without Harm• Hospira, Inc.• Practice Greenhealth• Premier, Inc.
• Method • Seventh Generation• Staples• Whole Foods
• Breast Cancer Fund• Clean Water Action• Ecology Center• EDF• Env’l Health Strategy Center• Investors Env’l Health Network• NRDC
• Dell, Inc.• Electronics Take Back Coalition• Hewlett- Packard• Seagate
• Construction Specialties• Healthy Building Network• Perkins+Will
Who We Are
23
Why Business Demand is Growing for Safer Chemicals
• Current market & regulatory demands• Need to know whether product
contains chemicals of high concern • Protect market share and brand
reputation (by moving to safer alternatives)
• Lower costs• Be ahead of future regulations or
market demands• Know potential life cycle liabilities–
from upstream manufacturing to downstream use and disposal
24
23-04-21 Clean Production Action 25
For example: PVC is a business/brand reputation risk
• PVC in cables and computers (e-waste) burned in open fires is major source of global dioxins
3. What’s a green chemical?
GreenScreen™ for Safer Chemicals
• Provides a roadmap to green chemistry through four benchmarks
• Increasing adoption by companies to mitigate business risk
• Focuses on inherent hazards of chemicals for ‘informed substitution’
• Drives continuous improvement and innovation
27
Benchmark 4
Prefer – Safer Chemical
Benchmark 1
Avoid – Chemical of High Concern
Benchmark 2
Use but Search for Safer Substitutes
Benchmark 3
Use but Still Opportunity for Improvement
The Green Screen Benchmarks Chemicals into four Categories Based on 18 Hazard Endpoints andLevels of Concern (High/Medium/Low)
http://cleanproduction.org/Greenscreen.php
“the utilization of a set of principles that reduces the use or generation of hazardous substances in the design, manufacture and application of chemical products.”
#2. Design safer chemicals and products: Design chemical products to be fully effective, yet have little or no toxicity.
#10. Design chemicals and products to degrade after use: Design chemical products to break down to innocuous substances after use so that they do not accumulate in the environment.
#12. Minimize the potential for accidents: Design chemicals and their forms to minimize the potential for chemical accidents including explosions, fires, and releases to the environment.
The GreenScreen™ is based on green chemistry principles
Each chemical’s hazard based on these 18 criteria
Ecotoxicity Fate Human Health - Tier I
Human Health – Tier II
Physical Hazards
Acute Aquatic Toxicity
Persistence Carcinogenicity Acute Mammalian Toxicity
Reactivity
Chronic Aquatic Toxicity
Bioaccumulation Mutagenicity/Genotoxicity
Neurotoxicity Flammability
Additional Ecotoxicity Endpoints (when available)
Found in environmental and/or bio-monitoring studies
Developmental Toxicity including Developmental Neurotoxicity
Systemic Toxicity/Organ Effects
Evidence of long range transport
Reproductive Toxicity
Sensitization – Respiratory & Skin
Endocrine Activity Irritation/Corrosivity – Skin & Eyes
A chemical mixture is given a score based on its lowest ingredient score or its breakdown product
(incl. combustion products)
Example:• Material A
– Ingredients1% Chemical #1 = Benchmark 139% Chemical #2 = Benchmark 360% Chemical #3 = Benchmark 4
32
Material A isBenchmark 1
Clean Production Action
Simple Integer Score = Key to Usability
• Expert knowledge to generate and review the score
• Once generated, the score can be used by others – Even if they have no
toxicology training
33
©2010 HP Confidential34 ©2010 HP Confidential34
GREEN SCREENHP is the world’s leading practitioner of the Green Screen tool. This tool, developed by the NGO Clean Production Action, is an open source tool used to identify substances that are inherently less hazardous for humans and the environment. It enables informed decisions to substitute materials eliminated from our products.
HP is championing wider acceptance of the Green Screen within industry, the environmental NGO community and regulatory bodies.
HP is the world’s leading practitioner of the Green Screen tool. This tool, developed by the NGO Clean Production Action, is an open source tool used to identify substances that are inherently less hazardous for humans and the environment. It enables informed decisions to substitute materials eliminated from our products.
HP is championing wider acceptance of the Green Screen within industry, the environmental NGO community and regulatory bodies.
PVC-Free Power Cord Green Screen Pilot
• HP’s Material specification and approved material list now use GreenScreen criteria
• 75 million Powercords changed from PVC to PVC/BFR free in 2011. That equates to 8,250 tonnes of polymer replaced.
35
• PolyOne GLS engaged with GreenScreen via relationship with HP • Supplier of halogen and phthalate-free products• ill continue to use the GreenScreen process to develop cleaner, greener products
going forward as part of their corporate responsibility:
“The more you know about what you are putting into your products, the more likely you are to make better choices in product development”
Jonathan Plisco, PolyOne36
GreenScreen Adoption
Wal-Mart’s Chemical Intensive Products (CIP)
Bring up the BottomWal-Mart requires vendors to screen all CIPs against defined lists that meet Benchmark 1
criteria to spur movement out of the most hazardous chemicals
and save Wal-Mart money
38
Wercs (software provider to Wal-Mart) selected GreenScreen for their GreenWERCS software solution
-Called GreenScreen LiTe
GreenWERCS searches lists automatically, applies GS benchmarks and generates Reports that are Easy to Update
39
Highlight Any Box to View Regulations and Hazards Associated with each CAS#
40
4. Job Innovation means green chemicals on the shop floor
1.How is this being done now?2.What is needed?
Reducing Hazard and finding safer chemicals
The GreenScreen in manufacturing
http://www.adidas-group.com/en/sustainability/statements/2011/joint_roadmap_zero_discharge_nov_2011.aspx
Outdoor Industry Association looking at GreenScreen method for defining hazardous chemicals used in dye and textile manufacturing process – and safer alternatives in Chinese supply chain
www.greenpeace.org/eastasia
Better than MSDS??
44
Q&A
• Is there a need for an automated chemical benchmarking tool on the shop floor?
• Same benchmarking tool could assess alternative chemicals for comparative safety.
• ?
