Green Chemistry

EPA's Green Chemistry Program promotes the research, development, and implementation of innovative chemical technologies that accomplish pollution prevention in a scientifically sound and cost-effective manner. To accomplish these goals, the Green Chemistry Program recognizes and supports chemical technologies that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances during the design, manufacture, and use of chemical products and processes. More specifically, the Green Chemistry Program supports fundamental research in the area of environmentally benign chemistry as well as a variety of educational activities, international activities, conferences and meetings, and tool development, all through voluntary partnerships with academia, industry, other government agencies, and non-government organizations.

The goal of Green Chemistry is to promote environmentally benign design of chemical products and processes.

One strategy for promoting Green Chemistry is the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge, which offers awards for successful green chemistry projects. 2005 winners include Archer Daniels Midland Company and Novozymes, Merck & Co., Inc, BASF Corporation, Metabolix, Inc, and The University of Alabama. For a summary of their projects, see http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/greenchemistry/past.html.