1. Green chemicals and Job Innovation Beverley Thorpe Good Green Jobs Conference April 21, 2012 1

2. The 21 st 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: autos 2.Example: electronics 3.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

3. 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

4. 1. Chemicals are at the core of sustainability due to serious global impacts of hazardous chemicals

5. 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)

6. 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’ 65/5/20156

7. 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)

8. 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

9. 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

11. 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.

13. 2. Hazardous chemicals are also a business risk NGOs highlight hazardous products – Autos – Electronics Innovation means safer chemicals and transparency

15. 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

16. 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

17. www.healthystuff.org

18. 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 plastic BFR = brominated flame retardants

19. http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/cool-it/Campaign-analysis/Guide-to-Greener-Electronics/

20. #1 score At the end of 2010, 100% of all new HP notebook products are BFR- and PVC-free. HP is on track to achieve 90% of its new goal to phase out BFR and PVC in newly introduced personal computing products in 2011. Its target to phase out the phthalates DEHP, DBP and BBP in newly introduced personal computing products has been revised to the end of 2012. However, there is no goal to phase out all phthalates, although HP says it ‘may require additional future restrictions’.

21. Leaders make chemicals policy transparent HP’s material restrictions - online

22. BizNGO Principles for Safer Chemicals 22

23. 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

24. 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

25. 05/05/2015Clean Production Action25 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

26. 3. What’s a green chemical?

27. 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

28. The Green Screen Benchmarks Chemicals into four Categories Based on 18 Hazard Endpoints and Levels of Concern (High/Medium/Low) http://cleanproduction.org/Greenscreen.php

29. “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

30. Each chemical’s hazard based on these 18 criteria EcotoxicityFateHuman Health - Tier I Human Health – Tier II Physical Hazards Acute Aquatic Toxicity PersistenceCarcinogenicityAcute Mammalian Toxicity Reactivity Chronic Aquatic Toxicity BioaccumulationMutagenicity/Gen otoxicity NeurotoxicityFlammability 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 ActivityIrritation/Corrosivity – Skin & Eyes

32. A chemical mixture is given a score based on its lowest ingredient score or its breakdown product (incl. combustion products) Example: Material A – Ingredients 1% Chemical #1 = Benchmark 1 39% Chemical #2 = Benchmark 3 60% Chemical #3 = Benchmark 4 32 Material A is Benchmark 1 Clean Production Action

33. 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

34. ©2010 HP Confidential34©2010 HP Confidential34 GREEN SCREEN 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.

35. 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

36. 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, PolyOne 36

37. GreenScreen Adoption

38. Wal-Mart’s Chemical Intensive Products (CIP) Bring up the Bottom Wal-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

39. GreenWERCS searches lists automatically, applies GS benchmarks and generates Reports that are Easy to Update 39

40. Highlight Any Box to View Regulations and Hazards Associated with each CAS# 40

41. 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

43. The GreenScreen in manufacturing http://www.adidas- group.com/en/sustainability/statements/2011/joint_ro admap_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

44. Better than MSDS?? 44

45. 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. ?

46. Thank you! Beverley Thorpe Co-Director Clean Production Action bev@cleanproduction.org 647 341 6688 46