EXAMPLES OF GREEN CHEMISTRY

Plastics made from corn are already on the market.

Green chemistry has hit the marketplace.  Here’s a list of some of the products that are already available:

Lead-free solders and other products. Breakthroughs in the replacement of lead include use of new soldering materials, alternatives to lead additives in paint and the development of cleaner batteries.

Bioplastics. Plastics made from plants, including corn, potatoes or other agricultural products, even agricultural waste, are an important example of green chemistry. Products already available are forks, knives and spoons made from potato starch and biodegradable packaging made from corn.

Flame resistant materials. Plastics that do not require the use of flame retardants are a solution to the problem of toxic flame retardants. A combination of polylactic acid and kenaf—two agriculturally products—has already been developed for this purpose.

Halogen-free flame retardants. For products that still require the use of flame retardants, green chemistry can help identify new, less toxic alternatives. For example, silicone based materials can be used.

Future Products

PVC free cables will reduce the use of both PVC and of lead, which is used as a stabilizer in PVC cabling. The Toxic Use Reduction Institute has been working on this new solders.

New lead-free solders with lower heat requirements are being developed.

Beware of Greenwashing
Green chemistry is not a panacea.  We must be vigilant in making sure that what is called “green chemistry” really pushes towards a more sustainable world and not simply greenwashing.  A cautionary example is that past winners of the EPA’s Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge have won for genetically engineered products [http://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/pubs/pgcc/topics.html] which we do not know the long term health effects of.

More Information
For information on green chemistry that truly advances sustainability, visit the Green Chemistry Institute.