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EPA Calls for 2013 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award Nominations / New green chemistry technologies grow markets and save businesses money

Release Date: 02/21/2013
Contact Information: Dale Kemery (News media only) [email protected] 202-564-7839 202-564-4355; EN ESPANOL: Lina Younes [email protected] 202-564-9924 202-564-4355

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced the nominations for the 2013 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards for companies and institutions that can design chemicals or a new product that help protect public health and the environment.

“The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge is an opportunity for EPA to recognize green chemistry innovations that are having real time results in making manufacturing processes and products that we use every day safer,” said Jim Jones, acting assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “Increasingly, environmental benefits can result in reduced costs or increased market opportunities for new products, or both. In 2012, EPA launched an effort to complement the award program by providing a forum for winners and nominees to focus on maximizing their investments in green chemistry.”

Award-winning technologies during 2012 included one which saves $2 million to $20 million each year in each of eighteen plants, which convert bauxite ore into the raw material for making aluminum. Another technology is saving over $1 million each year in a large paper mill. Today’s awards reflect the ongoing commitment President Obama highlighted in his State of the Union address to partner with businesses and communities to encourage investments that help small businesses and grow the U.S. economy.

Green chemistry is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce both the generation and use of chemicals that are hazardous to the environment and people’s health. Nominations for innovative technologies that feature the design of greener chemicals, greener chemical synthesis, or greener chemical reactions are due to the agency by April 30, 2013. EPA is particularly interested in receiving nominations on approaches or technologies that reduce or eliminate the need for brominated flame retardant chemicals. The EPA anticipates recognizing five award winning green chemistry technologies this fall.

In December 2012, EPA and the American Chemical Society co-hosted a roundtable meeting for award winners and nominees. The purpose was to share their experiences in launching their innovations into the marketplace and what those experiences mean technically, economically, and publicly for their companies, communities, the environment, and the nation. The roundtable also gave companies a forum to describe how federal assistance, public/private partnerships, and supply chain strategies combine to provide additional opportunities to strengthen the innovation-to-market pipeline. This effort will be an on-going component of the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards program.

Since the inception of the awards 18 years ago, EPA has received 1,490 nominations and presented awards to 88 technologies. It has resulted in the generation and reduced use of more than 825 million pounds of hazardous chemicals and solvents, saved 21 billion gallons of water, and eliminated 7.9 billion pounds of carbon dioxide releases to the air.

More information on past award winners and how to submit entries can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry