The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently honored the winners of the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge, which recognizes chemistry achievements that turn environmental problems into opportunities, with a ceremony in Portland, Oregon.
“From academia to business, we congratulate those who bring innovative solutions that will help solve some of the most critical environmental problems,” EPA Assistant Administrator for Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Jim Jones said “These innovations reduce the use of energy, hazardous chemicals and water, while cutting manufacturing costs and sparking investments. They even turn pollution into useful products.”
This year’s winners were: Professor Paul Chirik, from Princeton University; Verdezyne, based in Carlsbad, California; Newlight Technologies, based in Costa Mesa, California; CB&I, based in The Woodlands, Texas, and Albemarle; and Dow AgroSciences LLC in Indianapolis, Indiana. Their innovations range from a catalyst that allows for silicone production without platinum to a plastic made from a methane-based greenhouse gas to a safer technology for producing alkylate, a clean, alternative component of gasoline.
“Ultimately, these manufacturing processes and products are safer for people’s health and the environment,” Jones said. “We will continue to work with the 2016 winners as their technologies are adopted in the marketplace.”
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