Green Chemistry: 25 Years of Progress

Twenty-five years since the field of green chemistry was established, the momentum behind green chemistry – defined as the design, development, and implementation of chemical processes and products to reduce or eliminate substances hazardous to human and the environment – hasn’t waned. Companies like DuPont, Dow, Merck, and others are implementing green chemistry principles, and many start-ups are focused on designing sustainable products. However, there is still a long way to go before green chemistry principles are fully adopted by the chemical industry, with much discussion and debate about barriers to adoption. Some believe that policy reform is required for adoption to become widespread; a turning point may be reached in the U.S. with Congressional changes to the Toxics Substances Control Act, which governs whether and how chemicals are regulated. This session includes leaders from academia and the private sector discussing scientific breakthroughs and challenges in the field, how green chemistry is being adopted and practiced in industry, the remaining barriers, and new directions in the science and implementation of green chemistry.