Green Chemistry and Emerging Contaminants Program

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Green Chemistry and Emerging Contaminants Program

The Green Chemistry and Emerging Contaminants program at NYSP2I helps industries across New York State identify and adopt alternative chemicals and processes that are safer by design and reduce or eliminate hazardous substances.

Services we offer

Research

Technical Assistance

Interstate Chemicals Clearinghouse (IC2)

Education & Training
John Warner headshot
John Warner
Professor of Practice
Department of Sustainability
Golisano Institute for Sustainability
jcwgis@rit.edu

NYSP2I Green Chemistry Innovation Initiative (GCI2)

Led by John Warner, a founder of green chemistry, GCI2 helps companies adopt the principles of green chemistry in order to transition away from toxic chemicals and create safe and sustainable products and processes.

GCI2 focus areas:

  • Workforce development training
  • Safer chemical design and product reformulation consultation
  • Applied research on new, green chemicals and processes
  • Implementation of green chemistry best practices in industry
Picture of bottles with hair conditioner in row on exit of pouring machine. Chemical factory interior. In background chemist.

Why it matters

Intentional design of greener chemical solutions that strives to understand the environmental, health, and safety impacts at conception is the best way to prevent pollution and keep people and the environment safe.

Who is eligible

Our services are available to businesses, manufacturers, educational institutions, nonprofits, and municipalities.

How it works

Funding for NYSP2I’s Green Chemistry and Emerging Contaminants program is provided by a grant to RIT from the Environmental Protection Fund as administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Significant funding assistance is available for projects we conduct with New York State companies.

12 Principles of Green Chemistry

Waste Prevention

It is better to prevent waste than to treat and clean up waste after it is formed.

Atom Economy

Synthetic methods should be designed to maximize the incorporation of all materials used in the process into the final product.

Less Hazardous Chemical Synthesis

Whenever practicable, synthetic methodologies should be designed to use and generate substances that possess little or no toxicity to human health and the environment.

Designing Safer Chemicals

Chemical products should be designed to preserve efficacy of the function while reducing toxicity.

Safer Solvent & Auxiliaries

The use of auxiliary substances (solvents, separations agents, etc.) should be made unnecessary whenever possible and, when used, innocuous.

Design for Energy Efficiency

Energy requirements should be recognized for their environmental and economic impacts and should be minimized. Synthetic methods should be conducted to ambient temperature and pressure.

Use of Renewable Feedstocks

A raw material or feedstock should be renewable rather than depleting whenever technically and economically practical.

Reduce Derivatives

Unnecessary derivatization (blocking group, protection/deprotection, temporary modification of physical/chemical processes) should be avoided whenever possible.

Catalysis

Catalytic reagents (as selective as possible) are superior to stoichiometric reagents.

Design for Degradation

Chemical products should be designed so that at the end of their function they do not persist in the environment and instead breakdown into innocuous degradation products.

Real-time Pollution Prevention

Analytical methodologies need to be further developed to allow for real-time in-process monitoring and control prior to the formation of hazardous substances.

Safer Chemistry for Accident Prevention

Substance and the form of a substance used in a chemical process should be chosen so as to minimize the potential for chemical accidents, including releases, explosions and fires.

Educational Resources

K-12 Green Chemistry Education in New York

NYS and Beyond Benign ACS Paper

Toxicology for Chemists Course Curriculum

Green Chemistry Starter Pack

See more resources

Contact

Green Chemistry & Emerging Contaminants Program
NYS Pollution Prevention Institute
Phone: (585) 475-2512
Email: P2Igreenchemistry@rit.edu