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U.S. EPA Design for the Environment (DfE) Program

U.S. EPA Design for the Environment (DfE) Program. WERCS June 9-11, 2009 Melanie Vrabel, U.S. EPA. Presentation Outline. DfE Program Overview DfE Product Recognition Overview and Purpose OPPT Tools and Expertise Continuum of Improvement What does the logo mean? Industry Partners

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U.S. EPA Design for the Environment (DfE) Program

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  1. U.S. EPA Design for the Environment (DfE) Program WERCS June 9-11, 2009 Melanie Vrabel, U.S. EPA

  2. Presentation Outline DfE Program Overview DfE Product Recognition Overview and Purpose OPPT Tools and Expertise Continuum of Improvement What does the logo mean? Industry Partners CleanGredients™ Overview and Purpose DfE Screens for Safer Chemicals

  3. DfE Principles • Green Chemistry • Informed Substitution • OPPT technical tools and expertise • Multi-stakeholder participation

  4. DfE – Informing Substitution to Safer Alternatives • Labeling of Safer Products • Alternatives Analysis • Flame Retardants • Furniture Foam • Printed Circuit Boards • Alternatives to Lead Solder in Electronics • Nano-Enabled Batteries for Electric Vehicles • Best Practices for Protection of Workers and Communities • Auto Refinishing • Insulation Foam

  5. Furniture Flame Retardants PartnershipAlternatives Assessment Predominant flame retardant (pentaBDE) was being found increasingly in human tissue, breast milk and the environment. PentaBDE was phased-out at the end of 2004. Need for fire safety will likely increase basedon planned national standards. Decision-making for alternatives to this 19 million pound per year chemical. The Report Provides data to inform industry. Summary assessments of chemicals in flame retardant formulations. Detailed hazard reviews.

  6. Furniture Flame Retardants PartnershipAlternatives Report Ecotoxicity Hazard Concern Environmental Hazard Concern Human Health Hazard Concern Potential Exposure • Chart is valued by industry as a decision-making tool

  7. DfE Safer Product Labeling • Cleaning products • Household • Industrial and Institutional • Direct release, car-wash, boat wash, graffiti removers, etc… • Biological-based Products • Holding tank treatments • Bioremediation products • Deicers • Aircraft conversion coatings • Industrial Coatings • Inks • Odor Removal • Field Paint • Tire balancing liquid

  8. DfE Safer Product Labeling Program 2005 2006 2007 2008 • DfE is on track to reduce the use of more than 560 million pounds of chemicals of concern in 2009

  9. Continuous Improvement:As innovation occurs, continuum may shift • Continuum of Improvement • Formula Ingredient by Functional Class Sustainable Improved Of Concern Characteristics of Sustainable Ingredient Characteristics of Improved Ingredient Characteristics of Ingredient of Concern

  10. Review – 3 Basic Components 1) Review every ingredient by functional use class To promote green chemistry To understand toxicity Literature Analogous chemicals – SAR 2) Review formulation as a whole Synergistic effects pH Performance testing 3) Partnership Agreement

  11. Steps to Becoming a DfE Partner

  12. Third-Party Profilers • DfE-Qualified Third-Parties • Ensure DfE can Meet Demand • Offer Choice • Bring Excellent Technical Qualifications and Reputations • NSF • Teresa McGrath: tmcgrath@nsf.org,651 493-4247 • ToxServices • Dr. Ann Marie Gebhart: amgebhart@toxservices.com, 202-429-8794

  13. Screens for Safer Ingredients • General Screen for Safer Ingredients • Overarching Environmental and Human Health Screen (Completed in January of 2009) • Functional Class Screens • Surfactants – Complete • Solvents – Complete • Fragrances – Summer 2009 • Chelants – Summer 2009 • Polymers – Summer 2009 • Others – TBD

  14. CleanGredients™ - Marketplace for Green Chemistry Ingredients Leverages EPA green chemistry expertise and tools CleanGredients™ is a marketplace… for suppliers to showcase safer chemical ingredients for cleaning products, and for formulators to find those ingredients. CleanGredients™ is at the intersection of safer chemistry and high performance ingredients DfE Screens for Safer Chemical Ingredients Defined for functional classes of ingredients (e.g. surfactants, solvents) Chemicals that are acceptable under the DfE Product Recognition Program

  15. CleanGredients™ - Marketplace for Green Chemistry Ingredients Multi-stakeholder development More than 800 stakeholders Technical Committees define modules for safer functional ingredient classes 15-30 organizations typically represented on each Technical Committee Expertise in formulary chemistry and toxicology Formulators, chemical suppliers, NGOs, and Government Steering Committee overseas project development • Investor Environmental Health Network • NSF International • Reckitt Benckiser • SYSCO • Akzo Nobel • BASF • Consumer Specialty Products Association • Corporate Express • Dow Chemical • EPA DfE • Green Blue Institute • International Sanitary Supply Association

  16. DfE Screen for Surfactants Safer surfactants degrade quickly to low toxicity degradates. 1 Generally, >60% mineralization (to CO2 and water) in 28 days. 2 Products of concern are compounds with high acute aquatic toxicity (L/E/IC50 ≤ 10ppm) and a slow rate of biodegradation (greater than 28 days).

  17. Screen for Direct Release Products

  18. DfE Screen for Solvents • Safer solvents demonstrate low impacts to human health and the environment.

  19. CleanGredients™Search by Performance/P-Chem/Tox Properties

  20. CleanGredients™Search Results

  21. Melanie Vrabel vrabel.melanie@epa.gov 202-564-1843 http://www.epa.gov/dfe Contact Information

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