Events

 

All of the events listed have at least one session on green or environmental chemistry. If you know of other events which should be included, then please email us.

News

Current issues in green chemistry are covered in the Green Chemistry Network Newsletter

Latest issue of the Newsletter

 

How Companies Are Committing to Reduce Toxic Footprints

Companies need to move towards using greener chemicals because the principal drivers demanding such change -- science, regulation, and B2B environmentally preferable purchasing programs -- are surging and will intensify.
Date: November 30, 2009
Source: http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2009/11/30/how-companies-are-committing-reduce-toxic-footprints

 

What's Better for Green Design: Glass or Ceramic?

One of our designers here at LUNAR was recently working on a project that required a material with a cold, smooth, high-quality feel, and she asked me which was a more sustainable material, ceramic or glass.
Source: http://www.greenerdesign.com/blog/2009/11/16/whats-better-green-design-glass-or-ceramic
Date: November 16, 2009

 

Car Makers Losing Fight Against EU Chemicals Ban

Automakers look set to fail in their attempts to delay an agreed 2011 European ban on climate-damaging chemicals in the air conditioners of new car models, a letter from the EU's industry chief shows. Automakers say they will need to invest an extra €40-200 (£35-172) per vehicle to meet the refrigerant standards, which would be difficult to pass on to consumers in the current tough economic climate.
Source: http://planetark.org/wen/53709
Date: 10-Jul-09

Huge Potential for Bioplastics

It almost sounds too good to be true - turning cow pats into plastic. But the unlikely-looking liquid in the flask Dr Steven Pratt holds is the key ingredient to an environmentally friendlier drink bottle.
Source: http://www.physorg.com/news72362504.html
Date: July 17

 

The Next Generation of Fireworks May All Be Green

Despite being a centrepiece of celebrations the world over, fireworks displays often release toxic chemicals into the environment, from heavy metals to perchlorate.An article published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology in 2009 found that, following a fireworks display, the amount of perchlorate in nearby bodies of water could increase by anywhere from 24 to 1,068 times the amount present before the fireworks, and that it takes 20 to 80 days for the chemical levels to subside.
Source: http://www.greenerdesign.com/news/2009/07/02/next-generation-fireworks-may-all-be-green
Date: July 02, 2009

New Race Car Made of Potatoes, Carrots and Powered by Chocolate

The University of Warwick's Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre have developed a race car, WorldFirst, which incorporates a wide range of green technologies including a steering wheel derived from carrots, a foam racing seat that uses flax fibre and soybean oil, a bib made from flax fibre, lubricants based on plant oils, and an "emission-destroying catalyst." The vehicle even runs on green materials boasting a biodiesel engine that has been designed to take fuel made from waste chocolate and vegetable oil.
Source: http://www.greenerdesign.com/news/2009/04/09/race-car-potatoes-carrots-chocolate
Date: April 09, 2009

Natureworks Finds Bioplastic Can be Sorted Out of Recycling Streams

One of the barriers to widespread adoption of bioplastic in food and drink packaging is that there are few systems for collection and disposing of bioplastic in compost facilities. In a survey of equipment manufacturers conducted by Natureworks, maker of polylactic acid-based Ingeo bioplastic, it was found that manufacturers had the potential to sort bioplastic from other plastics like PET, HDPE and PVC using infrared, ultraviolet, x-ray, colour identification and laser sorting with accuracy matching that of other sorting streams.
Source: http://www.greenerdesign.com/news/2009/02/23/natureworks-finds-bioplastic-can-be-sorted-out-recycling-streams
Date: February 23, 2009

Article in RSC Policy Bulletin: Greener Pharmaceutical Products

In a report commissioned by the RSC and AstraZeneca, the Green Chemistry Network looked at the issues surrounding the adoption of green chemistry techniques in drug design. Researchers and industrial chemists involved in all stages of drug design discussed the opportunities and barriers for lowering the environmental impact of drug synthesis.
To view the full article: http://www.rsc.org/images/Bulletin11_tcm18-143334.pdf
Date: February 2009

PET Project: Coke's Big Recycling Plant

The Coca-Cola Co. stages a grand opening for the world's largest bottle-to-bottle recycling plant in Spartanburg, S.C. Coke has said that it ultimately wants to recycle or reuse all of its plastic bottles and cans. The plant will have the capacity, when fully operational, to produce 100 million pounds of recycled PET plastic chips—enough to produce 2 billion 20-ounce bottles of Coke or Dasani or whatever.
Source: http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2009/01/14/pet-project-coke-recycling
Date : January 14, 2009

IT industry urged to rethink concept of ‘green’

Mobile phones are one example of a widely-used piece of technology which is linked to the exploitation and suffering of people in developing countries. Mobiles use coltan, an ore produced from the mineral tantalum, which is mainly found in the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to the United Nations, smuggling and exportation of coltan has helped fuel the war in the Congo, a crisis that has resulted in millions of deaths since 1998. The mineral is often mined by prisoners in exchange for early release or by child labourers, Ms Kennet said. "We are all complicit in this - everyone who has a mobile phone," she said.
Source: http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=15577
Date: 6 November 2008

Network Events

Web-based Courses: Principles of Green Chemistry and Greener Products

For managers and decision-makers in industry, government, NGOs, healthcare organisations, retail, trade associations and R&D staff . As part of the overall Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme courses are being developed for delivery online as web based seminars or "Webinars". The first two modules of the programme are available online. Further modules are being developed and these will be gradually introduced. The modules will be introduced progressively providing a wider selection of material to participants and ultimately enabling the attainment of professional qualifications.

 

GC&C Symposia

Please click the links below to take you to the Green Chemistry & The Consumer page, where you will find all of the relevant talks and slides.

2009 Symposium

2008 Symposium

2007 Symposium

2006 Symposium

2005 Workshop

2004 Workshop

2003 Workshop

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