Tools for Businesses

The following are information systems and other tools intended to aid businesses with engaging in green chemistry. These and more resources are also cited in the report Growing the Green Economy Through Green Chemistry and Design for the Environment. Tool descriptions are taken from their respective websites.

• EPA's Green Chemistry Expert System: a stand-alone computer program that can be used to select green chemicals and reactions. EPA uses GCES to identify pollution prevention opportunities for the synthesis of new and existing chemicals. Users should find the output valuable for any chemical manufacturing process or green chemistry initiative.
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Green Chemical Alternatives Purchasing Wizard: intended as a tool to reduce the hazardous waste profile in research labs, an effort that ultimately saves MIT, and its researchers, money while reducing hazard potentials and the burden to our environment. It is supported by Executive Vice President Curry's Fall 2003 Institute-wide purchasing policy, which identified environmentally preferable purchasing as a sound method for saving money while maintaining MIT's reputation for superior research. It is further supported by MIT's requirement under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to identify opportunities for minimizing waste and MIT's Pollution Prevention Program.
• CleanGredients
  ®: an online database of cleaning product ingredient chemicals, providing verified information about the environmental and human health attributes of listed ingredients. CleanGredients® helps formulators to identify better ingredients and helps suppliers to showcase better ingredients.
• Kemi PRIO: a web-based tool intended to be used to preventatively reduce risks to human health and the environment from chemicals. PRIO replaces the Swedish Chemicals Agency's Observation (OBS) list. PRIO allows users to: search for substances and obtain information on properties hazardous to the environment and health; obtain information on prioritized health and environmental properties; identify substances contained in chemically characterized substance groups and product types; and obtain help in developing routines for purchasing, product development, risk management etc. PRIO can provide help in adapting to REACH and in the work towards sustainable development.
• Green Screen for Safer Chemicals: a chemical screening method to help move our society quickly and effectively toward the use of greener and safer chemicals. The Green Screen is the first open source tool to identify substances that are inherently less hazardous for humans and the environment. At the foundation of the Green Screen method are the Principles of Green Chemistry and the work of the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Design for Environment (DfE) program. The Green Screen addresses many of the principles of green chemistry through its focus on hazard reduction and does this by defining four benchmarks with each benchmark defining a progressively safer chemical: 1. Avoid$#151;chemical of high concern; 2. Use but search for safer substitutes; 3. Use but still opportunity for improvement; 4. Prefer$#151;safer chemical.
• PBT Profiler: The PBT Profiler was designed to be an easy to use, widely available, no-cost tool to screen chemicals lacking experimental data in order to help identify pollution prevention (P2) opportunities. It is a continuation of the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OSCPP, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) Pollution Prevention (P2) Assessment Framework—a collection of screening models and methods to help promote the design, development, and application of safer chemicals and processes. The P2 Framework uses computerized methods, such as structure/activity relationships (SARs) and standard scenarios, to predict risk related data (physical/chemical properties, bioconcentration, environmental fate, carcinogenicity, toxicity to aquatic organisms, worker and general population exposure, and other information) on chemicals lacking experimental data. The PBT Profiler arose from experience gained in the P2 Framework's outreach program, a vigorous set of initiatives by collaborators in the business, government, and academic sectors to promote the voluntary use of these tools to reduce pollution and highlight the potential economic benefits of informed environmental decision making.
• Perkins+Will Precautionary List: We believe that it is appropriate to apply the precautionary principle when selecting and specifying products and materials in light of the lasting impact such materials may have on the users of facilities we design. We need to make our selections based upon governmentally published scientific advice and knowledge which, in keeping with the precautionary principle, indicates a relevant adverse finding as it relates to human health or materially negative environmental impact, with the understanding that we live in a world without scientific certainty. We will seek to, where possible and appropriate, present alternatives to our clients for their consideration, providing, within the standard of professional care, information we have which is summarized here, as well as cost and lifecycle information where it is reasonably available. We seek to empower our clients to make informed decisions. This list does not pretend to be exhaustive, or to reference all relevant published information. Again, in keeping with the precautionary principle, it represents information which we believe dictates appropriate caution and wisdom in design decisions made by design professionals. It is expected that users will exercise appropriate caution in use of this resource, and to conduct their own research so that they can make their own decisions and come to their own conclusions.