Safer Chemistry Research in Context Joel Tickner, ScD Lowell Center for Sustainable Production UMASS Lowell March 28, 2017 Learning with Purpose
Overview 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 Learning with Purpose
What is Safe by Design? http://www.nanoreg2.eu/ Learning with Purpose
Components of Safe by Design 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 Learning with Purpose
Design guides and criteria are always helpful one example Learning with Purpose
Why a Safe Chemicals Innovation Agenda? Learning with Purpose
Learning with Purpose Market drivers
Learning with Purpose Policy Drivers
If the demand drivers are there, why are we not seeing as much R&D attention and growth in safe by design chemistry?? Learning with Purpose
Inhibitors and Accelerators of Safe by Design Inhibitors dominate and adoption rate is slow Drivers enable some growth in adoption Accelerators can create significant growth in adoption adoption Growth Deterrents Green Definition Supply Chain Complexity Incumbency Confusion Switching Risk Growth Drivers Growth Accelerators Collaboration Technology Forcing Compromise Enhanced Education Price/Performance Supply & Demand Government Regulation Consumer Awareness Transparency New Technology Access/Placement time Page 10
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?
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. http://s1.downloadmienphi.net/file/downloadfile6/151/1384386.pdf
Function as focus for research agenda Tickner, et al, Environmental Science and Technology, 2014
Learning with Purpose
Learning with Purpose
A coordinated approach to R&D and application Canada Example 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 Learning with Purpose
Learning with Purpose Safer Chemistry Research Agendas
Recommendations moving forward Leadership and a clear, measurable and actionoriented 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 Learning with Purpose
Thank you! Joel Tickner joel_tickner@uml.edu www.greenchemistryandcommerce.org Learning with Purpose