California unveils six-step strategy to promote green chemistry
After 20 months of brainstorming, California officials unveil steps to promote use of safer, sustainable chemicals in the state's consumer products and industries
By Marla Cone
Editor in Chief
Environmental Health News
December 16, 2008
California officials today unveiled a six-step strategy to promote use of safer, sustainable chemicals and wean the state's industries and consumers off toxic compounds.
Twenty months in the works, the recommendations from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s staff are a mix of regulatory and voluntary strategies. State officials say it would be the most comprehensive program in the nation to push industries toward following the tenets of green chemistry.
The recommendations “constitute a far-reaching, market-driven strategy with an ambitious aim—the launch of a new chemicals framework and a quantum shift in environmental protection,” Secretary of Environmental Protection Linda Adams wrote in the California Green Chemistry Initiative’s final report.
In September, a pair of laws was adopted in California to implement two of the six recommendations.
Since the state’s effort began with a series of workshops in the spring of 2007, environmental advocates have been concerned that the program would wind up being mostly voluntary and would not force industries to replace toxic compounds. Chemical industry groups urged the state to rely on incentives, rather than regulations.
Green chemistry alters how products are designed and manufactured, relying upon compounds and processes that do not wind up producing hazardous waste and are less likely to harm people or ecosystems.
California is a large user of chemicals. Every day, about 644 million pounds are sold statewide, according to a University of California report published in January.
Only a few hundred of the estimated 83,000 chemicals in use today are "green." Hundreds of others may cause diseases such as cancer, harm children's development or endanger wildlife. For the vast majority, the risks are unknown or uncertain.
Maureen Gorsen, director of the Department of Toxic Substances Control, said it is her intent to make the recommendations the “official policy for the state of California.”
One of the new laws already enacted by the governor and Legislature authorizes the state Department of Toxic Substances Control to adopt regulations that will identify and prioritize chemicals of concern in consumer products. Those rules could force industries to use safer alternatives. The other new law creates an online clearinghouse that provides health and safety information about chemicals.
In today's report, one of the four new recommendations would require manufacturers to disclose chemicals used in each consumer product sold in California. The public would have access to the information through an online network.
“This information would allow manufacturers, retailers and ultimately consumers to make informed choices about the products they buy and use,” the report says. “It also will create a level playing field for California products and foreign competitors.”
Three other recommendations focus on voluntary programs.
The state would expand its pollution prevention program, although companies would not have to participate. Instead, grants, loans and fee reductions would be used as incentives. Currently, the program focuses on reducing hazardous waste, but it would be broadened to encourage design of new formulas and engineering of products to eliminate use of toxic substances.
The state officials also want California colleges and universities to develop green chemistry curriculums. Currently, the state’s universities lag behind several other states that already offer chemistry majors education in green chemistry.
“To date, the University of California and California State University systems have only a fragmented collection of programs and projects that include green chemistry concepts,” the report says.
The new educational programs—including some for K-12—would be voluntary for schools. But the state officials said a fee imposed on products that contain toxic substances could fund grants, fellowships and other school projects.
The final recommendation involves creation of a green scorecard for manufacturers and retailers to judge their products. Some companies, including Wal-Mart and Patagonia, already have such programs. Called the “California Green Products Registry,” it would be run by a non-governmental organization, perhaps environmental advocates, the report says.
Dow Chemical and other large chemical corporations, as well as California companies such as Avalon Cosmetics and Method that sell nontoxic products, participated in the state's initiative.
