Learning with Purpose Learning with Purpose
Safer Chemistry Research in Context Joel Tickner, ScD
Lowell Center for Sustainable Production UMASS Lowell
March 28, 2017
Learning with Purpose
What do we mean by “Safe-by-Design” Drivers for Safe Chemicals Research and Innovation Barriers to Safe Chemicals Research and Innovation Why a research agenda Moving forward
Overview
Learning with Purpose
What is Safe by Design?
http://www.nanoreg2.eu/
Learning with Purpose
• Integration of safety at the design phase and considered activity to “design-out” problems rather than manage • Design for lower toxicity • Design for degradation • Design for reuse/recyclability • Design for lower energy and resource use
Considering lifecycle (manufacture, use, and disposal) A process of improvement towards a goal
Components of Safe by Design
Learning with Purpose
Design guides and criteria are always helpful…one example
Learning with Purpose
Why a Safe Chemicals Innovation Agenda?
Learning with Purpose
Market drivers
Learning with Purpose
Policy Drivers
Learning with Purpose
If the demand drivers are there, why are we not seeing as much R&D attention and growth in safe
by design chemistry??
Page 10
Inhibitors and Accelerators of Safe by Design ad
optio
n
Green Definition Supply Chain Complexity Incumbency
Confusion
Switching Risk
Price/Performance
Supply & Demand
Transparency New Technology
Access/Placement
Government Regulation Consumer Awareness
Collaboration
Technology Forcing
Compromise
Enhanced Education
time
Growth Drivers
Growth Deterrents
Inhibitors dominate and adoption rate is slow
Drivers enable some growth in adoption
Accelerators can create significant growth in adoption
Growth Accelerators
Challenges to Safe by Design Chemistry R&D
• Incumbency - Costs of R&D, new manufacture, and scale
•Technical performance challenges •Lack of mechanisms for value chain collaboration –
matching demand with supply •Limited funding •Limited incentives to invest •Limited training/education – and nexus between
those who study chemical problems (data) and those developing solutions
•Defining “safe”/”sustainable”
A big problem….
Limited leadership
Lack of unified, coherent research agenda/strategy
for safe by design chemistry at national or international level
Marrying demand agenda with supply agenda
• Demand agenda (regulatory and market signals) critical but has focused primarily on getting rid of “bads”
• Demand agenda has not been linked to research on solutions. Responsibility for government to do that.
• Innovation agenda isn’t always linked with societal, regulatory or market needs or considers sustainability
Problems resulting from the lack of a linkage between demand and supply agendas
• Prolonged scientific/policy debates over how bad is bad • Focus on substitution as a compliance issue
• Potential risk trade-offs from a chemical by chemical replacement approach
• Incremental change as seeking next available drop-in replacement (timeframe issues)
• Limited attention on safe by design innovation • Importantly: Everyone can agree that chemistry and
materials innovation is a good thing
What do we mean by a Safe Chemicals Innovation Research Agenda?
• Definition: A roadmap or framework that guides inquiry • Prioritizes the field for research, development and
investment • Identify gaps in knowledge • A tool to guide stakeholder dialogue, communicate and
grow the field • Leverage research, investment and market activity • Action oriented and measurable – link to market
application needs
What research should be included?
• Specific functional needs/classes where challenges? • Chemistry or broader process, product, material design? • Broader basic research and chemistry/material needs –
catalysis, biobased materials, separations? • Supportive tools/evaluation – rational design, high
throughput toxicology, lifecycle evaluation? • Social/policy benefits and barriers? • What stage? – Basic R&D? Adoption? • Academic or collaborative supply chain research?
http://s1.downloadmienphi.net/file/downloadfile6/151/1384386.pdf
“Substitution means the replacement or reduction of hazardous substances in products and processes by less hazardous or non-hazardous substances, or by achieving an equivalent functionality via technological or organisational measures.”
Tickner, et al, Environmental Science and Technology, 2014
Function as focus for research agenda
Learning with Purpose
Learning with Purpose
Learning with Purpose
Green Centre Canada – https://www.greencentrecanada.com/ - Basic R&D, start-up incubation Bioindustrial Innovation Canada – https://www.bincanada.ca/ - Commercialization and Capital Investment National Research Council of Canada – technical and testing support Sustainable Development Technology Canada - https://www.sdtc.ca/en - funding and coaching for cleantech projects
A coordinated approach to R&D and application – Canada Example
Learning with Purpose
Safer Chemistry Research Agendas
Learning with Purpose
Leadership and a clear, measurable and action-oriented agenda are needed. Draw off and synergize with other efforts in this space globally Link to the regulatory/market agenda and application needs Link to other sustainability research innovation priorities Link to economic development, technology, and investment priorities Be clear about roles and responsibilities
Recommendations moving forward
Learning with Purpose
Thank you!
• Joel Tickner – [email protected] • www.greenchemistryandcommerce.org