For the 16th year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is recognizing pioneering chemical technologies developed by leading researchers and industrial innovators who are making significant contributions to pollution prevention in the United States.
These prestigious awards recognize the design of safer and more sustainable chemicals, processes and products that will protect Americans, particularly children, from exposure to harmful chemicals.
The awards were announced last week at the Green Chemistry Challenge Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. This year’s awards are significant because 2011 has been named the Intl. Year of Chemistry and marks the 20th anniversary of EPA’s efforts in what would become the creation of green chemistry.
The awards are bestowed in five categories. The 2011 winners are:
- Academic: Bruce H. Lipshutz, PhD, University of California, Santa Barbara
- Small business: BioAmber, Inc., Plymouth, Minn.
- Greener synthetic pathways: Genomatica, San Diego, Calif.
- Greener reaction conditions: Kraton Performance Polymers, LLC, Houston, Texas
- Designing greener chemicals: The Sherwin-Williams Company, Cleveland, Ohio
By recognizing groundbreaking scientific solutions to real-world environmental problems, EPA’s program has significantly reduced the hazards associated with designing, manufacturing and using chemicals. The program promotes research and development of less-hazardous alternatives to existing technologies that reduce or eliminate waste, particularly hazardous waste, in industrial production.
Source: Edelman
