Learning with Purpose Learning with Purpose

Safer Chemistry Research in Context Joel Tickner, ScD

Lowell Center for Sustainable Production UMASS Lowell

March 28, 2017

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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

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What is Safe by Design?

http://www.nanoreg2.eu/

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• 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

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Design guides and criteria are always helpful…one example

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Why a Safe Chemicals Innovation Agenda?

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Market drivers

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Policy Drivers

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If the demand drivers are there, why are we not seeing as much R&D attention and growth in safe

by design chemistry??

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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

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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

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Safer Chemistry Research Agendas

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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

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Thank you!

• Joel Tickner – joel_tickner@uml.edu • www.greenchemistryandcommerce.org