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EPA Honors Winners of the 2013 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards

Release Date: 12/11/2013
Contact Information: Cathy Milbourn milbourn.cathy@epa.gov 202-564-7849 202-564-4355

WASHINGTON–The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing landmark green chemistry technologies developed by industrial pioneers and leading scientists that are contributing to the use of chemicals and products that are safer for people’s health and the environment.

During the 18 years of the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge program, EPA has received about 1500 nominations and presented awards to 93 technologies. Winning technologies over the lifetime of the program are responsible for reducing the use or generation of more than 826 million pounds of hazardous chemicals, saving 21 billion gallons of water, and eliminating 7.8 billion pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent releases to air.

“Today, EPA is recognizing groundbreaking scientific solutions to real-world environmental problems that improve the bottom line for America’s manufacturing sector. These revolutionary technologies have great potential to make consumer products from adhesives to paints safer for us to use, as well as safer and less costly to manufacture by reducing hazardous wastes, energy, and water wastes, “ said Jim Jones, EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “EPA congratulates the 2013 winners and looks forward to continuing to work with them as their technologies are adopted in the marketplace.”

The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards are presented in five categories: academic, small business, greener synthetic pathways, greener reaction conditions and designing greener chemicals. The awardees will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, DC.

In the academic category, Professor Richard Wool, University of Delaware, Newark, Del. was recognized for creating several materials from less toxic and renewable biobased feedstocks such as vegetable oils, chicken feathers and flax that can be used as adhesives, composites, foams, and even circuit boards and as a leather substitute.

In the small business category, Faraday Technology Inc., Clayton, Ohio was recognized for developing a plating process that allows chrome coatings to be made from less toxic trivalent chrome. This reduces millions of pounds of hexavalent chromium without comprising performance for uses such as aircraft parts.

Winners in the “greener reaction conditions, designing greener chemicals, and greener synthetic pathways,” categories are:

- Life Technologies, Austin, Texas — for developing a more efficient, much less wasteful way to manufacture the key chemicals used to perform genetic testing. The new process prevents about 1.5 million pounds of hazardous waste a year.