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Green Chemistry Textile Resources

By: Mike Quante

Part 2: Green Chemistry for Textiles

Before launching into a list of green chemistry resources, it is fitting to ask: what is green chemistry? One very simple description is that green chemistry produces compounds and materials for economically-viable industrial use that do less harm to living beings and the environment than traditional chemicals/materials. What is your definition? The  (ACS)   it in a complex way that contains sustainability principles as well.

The US Environmental Protection Agency () and ACS have been the pioneering organizations behind green chemistry initiatives for the past 25 years.

ACS offers a wide variety of resources for green chemistry research and industry applications. Their flagship organization is ³Ù³ó±ðÌý. This website is rich with information and tools for integrating green chemistry principles into research, education, and industry processes.

Some useful links include:

ACS also hosts an annual , which was last held ¾±²ÔÌý. The  is a free tool that offers information on green chemistry guides, metrics, solvent selection, and more. For the active online professional, ³Ù³ó±ðÌý offers a place where professionals can meet and discuss green chemistry advances and applications.

The most prestigious awards given to green chemistry innovators since 1996 is ³Ù³ó±ðÌý. Information on the winning technologies and their uses can be found in ³Ù³ó±ðÌý.

There are also research institutes and incubators that focus on practical green chemistry industry applications. One of the founders of the green chemistry initiative, John C. Warner, founded ³Ù³ó±ðÌý, which helps its clients find cost effective solutions that meet ³Ù³ó±ðÌý. In Europe, ³Ù³ó±ðÌý acts as an incubator for companies developing green chemistry technology.

Another group active in providing green chemistry B2B-resources is ³Ù³ó±ðÌý (GC3), facilitated by ³Ù³ó±ðÌýÌý²¹³ÙÌý³Ù³ó±ðÌý, USA. GC3 offers an extensive list of recent,  covering green chemistry status in industry, case studies, economics, and supply chain issues.

This is by all means not an exhaustive list. What is important is that there are people and resources available to help your business attain cost-effective manufacturing processes that are healthier for the planet. Got any other examples of green chemistry resources to share? Send them to me and I may include them in a later post.

Coming in Part 3: Green Chemistry Applied to Textiles

Opinions expressed in this blog post are those of the author and not necessarily those of AATCC.