Success through COLLABORATION Industry, ern thinking in a society round the world, academia, governincreasingly interested barely a day ment, and environmentalists in technology’s imgoes by that pact on the planet. w e d o n’t are working together to see or hear or read make green and sustainable This new attention to sustainabout the envichemistry a reality. ability is not ronment: global exclusive to enviwarming, depleting J . M I C H A E L F I T Z PAT R I C K ronmental groups. We natural resources, KENNETH A. GEDAKA now see major compalandfills over capacity, ROHM AND HAAS CO. nies developing green techgreenhouse gases, shrinking icecaps, rising oceans, and a growing soci- nologies, mainstream media devoting ety with an increasing appetite for material more time to environmentalism, and even goods. Likewise, we can look back over the federal, state, or regional governments enpast 30 years at a long list of rules, regula- couraging—and sometimes demanding— tions, and key events that have affected our stiffer requirements for energy conservaplanet: the Montreal Protocol; the Kyoto tion (1). Top universities are building Protocol; the European Community’s chemistry and engineering labs designed Environmental Action Programs; various for sustainability research. Even consumer U.S. regulations, such as the Clean Water Act, interest in green products is beginning to the Clean Air Act, and the Toxic Substance grow in some markets. So, what was once Control Act; Rachel Carson’s watershed book grudgingly accepted by some in industry, Silent Spring; and the chemical industry’s dismissed outright as unproven nonsense Responsible Care program. Although these by the scientific elite, or simply avoided aland many other programs around the world together by the cost-conscience consumer preceded the concept of green and sustain- now shows signs of renewed commitment able chemistry, they are the seeds of mod- and acceptance.
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Today, collaborative effort acts as a catalyst and yields remarkable results on two fronts. What has changed? Why has it taken decades for the seeds of green and sustainable chemistry to take root? We think the answer rests in the power of collaboration. Today, collaborative effort acts as a catalyst and yields remarkable results on two fronts. First, external collaboration brings together industry, academia, government, and even a host of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), like environmental or consumer groups, to address common goals that encourage the invention, manufacture, and marketing of commercially successful green and sustainable products. Second, internal collaboration brings together the research, manufacturing, and marketing components of a single company. Although this concept receives far less attention than external collaboration, it can be critical for getting a company to meet its sustainability goals.
External collaboration Over the past decade, we have witnessed unprecedented collaboration among three groups that in the past were anything but cooperative: industry, governments, and academic institutions. They have teamed up to find new solutions to old problems, which has paid off handsomely for the chemical industry as well as the industries it serves. Perhaps one of the most successful stories is the automotive industry, which has made dramatic changes in fuels and has researched, commercialized, and implemented alternative propulsion methods. As governments worldwide raise fuel economy standards to curb greenhouse gases, car companies are rolling out automobiles that can achieve two or three times the fuel efficiency of those with traditional gas engines. Hybrid vehicles, which combine electric motors with small internal combustion engines, finally appear to be catching on with automakers and consumers alike. While these highly efficient automobiles have gained momentum (to a certain degree from pressure from NGOs and governments), industry has clearly benefited from multiple government funding sources that have encouraged step-out scientific research on cleaner burning and more efficient modes of transportation. Today, Toyota and Honda are selling tens of thousands of these hybrids. In a few years, Japanese automakers plan to sell hundreds of thousands of them. American manufacturers also are working on this technology; General Motors reportedly also expects to sell 1 million hybrid vehicles in a few years. Many believe that hybrids represent the beginning 444 A ■ ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / DECEMBER 1, 2003
of major changes in the automotive industry—the first significant change since 1903, when a gasolinepowered Oldsmobile made steam-powered vehicles obsolete. For the chemical industry, automotive innovation represents opportunities—and challenges. New control devices and electronics, lighter and stronger materials, and new approaches to coatings and paints that protect composite parts are but a few of the many changes in which advanced chemistry can play a role. Challenges met with technical ingenuity can exist at the interface of seemingly unrelated entities. For example, Rohm and Haas, in collaboration with Nippon Paint, is developing advanced water-based gloss and matte coatings that protect plastic auto parts. Plastic parts are becoming thinner and lighter, making these coatings critically important. And we are aggressively working on the next generation of automotive coatings that use our dry powder technology, virtually eliminating all volatile organic compounds. Another challenge for the automotive industry is to ensure that chemistries meet recyclability guidelines, because many regulations today, particularly in Europe, require automobile components to be recyclable or reusable. Mitsui Chemicals and Dow Chemical met this recycling challenge when they agreed to jointly develop a new block copolymer featuring properties of two resins that will make stronger car bumpers. These high-strength bumpers require less resin to manufacture and, if this new product takes the place of metal parts, will help reduce a car’s overall weight, leading to better fuel economy. Best yet, the new composite resin can be recycled into an adhesive that holds other plastic parts together. Hybrid vehicles are just the first step in a giant leap toward fuel cells that use hydrogen and oxygen to create electric power. Governments, NGOs, and many others view this technology as the number one quantum breakthrough in transportation power. Companies, universities, and private laboratories around the world are working on fuel cell technology, and through grants and incentive programs, governments are collaborating with industry to see that this technology comes to market. For example, General Motors, which has about 600 researchers working on fuel cell technology throughout the United States and Germany, has worked closely with Germany’s top safety institute, Technischer Überwachungsverein, to ensure that its system meets stringent European standards. Closer to the chemical industry, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has launched a program to help companies fund biomass R&D for producing sustainable products. DOE’s Allied Partner program funds opportunities for new technologies and provides access to research and data from the department. In addition, the U.S. EPA’s Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award recognizes companies, researchers, and university laboratories that push the frontiers of science to develop successful green chemistry. At Rohm and Haas, we’ve been fortunate to receive two Presidential Green Chemistry Awards. The first, in 1998, was for a novel pesticide that targets the
worked with industrial chemists to implement these reactions in various processes. Would Thomas Swann be using this new technology today if the collaborative community established by RSC did not exist? Perhaps. But there’s no denying that the Crystal Faraday Partnership and similar organizations that facilitate cooperation across disparate groups help speed the pace of green innovation. Even NGOs have worked with industry to advance green and sustainable products. Admittedly, the image of NGOs and industry holding hands and working toward a common goal is not one to which either group is accustomed. Suffice it to say that industry and many environmental and consumer groups have not seen eye to eye in the past, but slowly, cautiously, and with reservation, there is progress. In 1987, we witnessed the first cooperation between industry and environmental groups, at least as it relates to sustainability. That year, the United Nations published Our Common Future, a report in which the most frequently quoted definition of sustainable development was first articulated: “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” This statement marked the recognition by environmental groups that economic growth and development were necessary to meet the needs of the world’s expanding population. It also signaled the philosophical acceptance by industry that growth must be accomplished in a way that meets the needs of today’s society and preserves natural resources and the environment for future generations. Examples of close working relationships between companies and environmental groups are hard to come by, but when such groups do collaborate, the results can be impressive. In the early 1990s, Greenpeace helped bring together an East German refrigeration company and a group of scientists who specialized in novel, ozone-safe refrigeration methods, which led to the birth of Greenfreeze, a refrigeration method based on hydrocarbons that are free of ozone-destroying and global warming chemicals (5). Following Greenpeace’s campaign to stir interest in Greenfreeze, consumers caught on, and four of Europe’s major appliance manufacturers introduced product lines containing the new refrigerant, which uses a mixture of propane and isobutane. These same manufacturers have also helped transfer their experience with this new product to companies in developing countries. To complete the circle of collaboration, the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol helped finance the transfer of this type of chlorofluorocarbon-free technology to developing countries. It’s a great example of how NGOs and industry can come together to introduce novel, sustainable technology. On a smaller scale, the World Wildlife Fund collaborated with the international consumer goods company Unilever to start the Marine Stewardship KELLYN BETTS
Lepidoptera class of caterpillars, pests in agriculture and forestry. When sprayed on crops, the product mimics a hormone that triggers the molting process. The caterpillar molts prematurely, stops feeding, and eventually starves to death. Best of all, the pesticide has no ill effects on beneficial insects. We were recognized again in 1996 for our family of Sea-Nine antifouling biocides, which replaced other products containing tributyltin. Sea-Nine safely keeps barnacles and other sea creatures from attaching to the hulls of large ships. A smooth hull means less drag, which translates into huge fuel savings over the course of thousands of nautical miles. The power of collaboration on the external front extends beyond just industry and government. Industry and academic groups, and sometimes governments, have pooled their collective know-how to deliver a technology with a promising future. A consortium of Deere & Co., Diversa, DuPont, Michigan State University, and the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory has received nearly $20 million from DOE to develop a “bio-refinery” that produces ethanol and other chemicals derived from corn (2). We suspect that DuPont, which recently announced a goal to make 25% of its products from renewable materials by 2015, likely will continue to look for other forms of collaboration as it marches toward this aggressive objective. In addition, Italy’s National Interuniversity Consortium of Chemistry for the Environment in Venice launched an annual recognition program for contributions to clean chemical processes. The Royal Australian Chemical Institute has held its Green Chemistry Challenge Awards in Melbourne since 1999. A dozen Japanese chemistry, engineering, and technology associations formed the Green and Sustainable Chemistry Network of Japan. The British Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) in London launched the Green Chemistry Network of scientists in 1999. Headquartered at the University of York, this 600member network helps chemical companies and scientists share best practices, promotes the sharing of green technologies, and offers data illustrating the cost benefits of green science (3). Chemistry professors in the United Kingdom looking to make connections with industry can turn to the Crystal Faraday Partnership, a virtual green chemistry center. Jointly developed by RSC, the Chemical Industries Association in London, and the Institution of Chemical Engineers, the virtual center is a collaborative conduit that links academic researchers with the financial support and manufacturing might of a corporation (4). Last year, the chemistry department at Nottingham University developed a series of unique supercritical fluid reactions that replace conventional solvents in key chemical processes, leading to reduced or eliminated wastes and undesirable byproducts. Through a partnership with Thomas Swann, a fine chemicals firm, university researchers
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Internal collaboration Three key internal groups can exert great influence on the success of green and sustainable chemistry: research, manufacturing, and marketing. Research may be the easiest. The chemical industry is accustomed to bringing technical skills and benchtop innovations to bear against seemingly impossible problems. The industry uses research expertise as a path to new and innovative products that deliver value today and—if they are doing their job right—with no negative impact on the needs of tomorrow. At Rohm and Haas, technical advances have had a strong environmental component: water-based acrylic technology that has changed the game for a host of paint and coating applications; very low, or no odor, polymer technology; and powder coatings that can be cured at very low temperatures and applied in a manner that yields zero waste. The company was one of the first to manufacture special ion-exchange resins for ultraclean water and separation of toxic materials from waste streams. More recently, we have developed a special cool roof coating that is applied to the asphalt roofs typically found in large cities. On a 35 ˚C summer day, this special coating will reduce the roof temperature from 76 to 48 ˚C. Tests in the field and with customers have shown tremendous energy savings. Our new low-monomer adhesives for flexible packaging are the first on the market to address European concerns about residuals in food packaging, and our unique Sun Sphere’s hollow sphere polymers boost the efficiency of sunscreen products, which allows manufacturers to use far less titanium dioxide in their formulations. We recently launched a new nonwoven binder for commercial and residential insulation. “T-SET” polymers do not contain or produce formaldehyde, yet they offer the same kind of strength, durability, and flame resistance found in traditional insulation. These products were developed by our scientists, 446 A ■ ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / DECEMBER 1, 2003
but not in a vacuum. When researchers partner with marketing people, they get a better idea of what customers expect. Marketing people and scientists must stay well attuned to the regulatory drivers that will impact customers now and in the future and make sure that their research focus will help customers meet new regulations. At Rohm and Haas, we have gone one step further by talking to the customers of our customers. Some specialty chemicals company don’t sell directly to the general public, so our unique strategy has been extremely successful in helping our scientists understand the features and performance characteristics that consumers want. To address next-generation sustainable technologies, we launched a new Green Chemistry Laboratory located at our Spring House, Pa., Technical Center. Using the 12 principles of green chemistry as a framework (6), this group focuses on sustainable technology opportunities without taking its eyes off market realities. The new lab, part of our Emerging Technologies Group, will pay special attention to those principles that can advance the wonders of green chemistry. They work on new technology platforms that could be deployed through an existing business unit and uncover opportunities that lie between two or more businesses. This wonderful prototype shows how business can do two things at once: keep one eye on the needs of today’s customers and the other on the green chemistries of tomorrow. For manufacturing, the challenge of sustainability is slightly different. Few would disagree that manufacturing and the engineers who design and run our plants have played a major role over the past 30 years to meet an ever-increasing set of regulations. But the challenges posed by green and sustainable chemistry call for attention on the front end of manufacturing— before a pound of raw material is used or a drum of product is packaged. The precepts of green chemistry ask us to use inherently safer designs for plants, engineer waste streams out of the equation, and address the goal of operational efficiency three-dimensionally. First, we look for ways to increase production yield. Second, we need to use less energy in the process. Third, we must find ways to minimize the risks by reducing or eliminating hazardous materials. Between 1997 and 1999, our acrylic monomers plant in Houston, Texas, increased its production by 7.7%, with a corresponding decrease in energy usage of 9.1%. By implementing innovative chemical engineering techniques and through significant collaboration between our monomer researchers and our engineering groups, we reduced energy usage per pound by 17%. Had we not taken those steps, we would have used an additional 3.25 trillion BTUs per year to power our operations at Houston, which would have put 51,000 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere per year. Equally important to us, between 1997 and 1999 we saved $15 million annually in energy costs! So in the end, energy conservation is good for the environment and industry’s bottom line. PHOTODISC
Council in the late 1990s. Now an independent nonprofit organization, this council offered one of the first “eco-labels” to identify fish certified as coming from an environmentally sustainable catch. This was a perfect match for Unilever, because its Bestfoods division manufactures fish sticks and other frozen seafood products. Collaboration and partnerships offer companies literally hundreds of opportunities to accelerate their pace toward green and sustainable chemistry. It takes work, extra effort, and relationship building. And let’s be honest—companies that develop new and successful technologies will be inclined to use them as competitive advantage rather than share their knowledge with competitors. That’s a risk–benefit equation that has to be calculated at some point. One thing is certain: The speed at which today’s market demands new chemistries, better processes, and greener products is accelerating, and this speed translates into higher profits.
Other companies provide similar examples. One recent study suggests that in about five years, all current waste sites in Japan will be filled to capacity. Thanks to major government funding and encouragement, Japanese technology and manufacturing are leading the way in recycling toward a “closedloop” consumer society. The Sony Corp. reportedly plans to double its sales by 2010 without increasing its environmental impact. Under new Japanese regulations, at least half of all home appliances must be recycled, and higher targets will be phased in over time. In the law’s first year, 2002, recycling targets for televisions, air conditioners, refrigerators, and washing machines were exceeded by up to 78% (7). Matsushita recently opened its Eco Technology Center in Hyogo, Japan, to show the public how changes in manufacturing processes— with the use of new types of reusable or recyclable parts—will help it recycle nearly half a million appliances per year. Unfortunately, refrigerators and washing machines aren’t the only items contributing to ever-growing landfills. In the United Kingdom alone, about 50,000 tons of printed wiring board scrap is generated annually, but only about 15% is recycled. Emerging legislation, such as Great Britain’s Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive, will require a significant increase in the recyclability of spent printed circuit boards. Collaboration among some of the electronic industry’s leading players has led to automated and sustainable methods to recover components. In fact, the NEC Group of Japan has automated the often tedious and labor-intensive process of recycling circuit boards. Although these examples illustrate the role of manufacturing in green chemistry, more must be done earlier in the process. Engineers need to collaborate with chemists to develop “inherently safer” production methods. Coined in the 1970s by ICI chemical engineer Trevor Klez, “inherently safer design” means that designing processes to eliminate chemical plant hazards at the beginning is better than engineering “add on” treatment technology later. Through the years, this concept has crystallized into a four-step approach to inherently safer manufacturing. Minimize or intensify. Use smaller quantities of hazardous chemicals. For example, reduce inventories of in-process intermediates and raw materials or intensify production by increasing reaction efficiencies. Substitute. Replace a hazardous chemical with a safer one. For example, eliminate hazardous solvents in cleaning operations or in paints and coatings. Moderate. Shift to less hazardous processes and chemicals, and modify facilities to minimize the impact of hazardous chemical releases by using, for instance, lower pressures and temperatures. Simplify. Design facilities to eliminate unnecessary complexity and make operating errors less likely and more forgiving. For example, promote processes that depend more on in situ creation and use for highly toxic chemicals. Not surprisingly, consumer and environmental
groups, policy makers, and community organizations have latched on to the concept of inherently safer design, especially as industry grapples with the specter of terrorist attacks. Unfortunately, developing inherently safer design is not easy. Finding replacements for highly active and effective raw materials—many of which are tried-and-true ingredients—can be technically daunting. Success stories, however, do exist. Bayer was able to replace hydrogen cyanide in the synthesis of sodium iminodisuccinate, an environmentally friendly chelating agent used in many applications, such as improving the cleaning power of detergents. The Asahi Kasei Group eliminated phosgene and methylene chloride in the production of polycarbonate used in plastic products. In doing so, Asahi also eliminated the hydrochloric acid byproduct. And at Rohm and Haas, our new line of organic stabilizers has helped poly(vinyl chloride) manufacturers greatly reduce metal content in hundreds of applications. Similarly, the electronics industry is working on front-end manufacturing techniques that reduce or eliminate certain raw materials that could pose a risk to the environment. In the United Kingdom, the Printed Circuit Interconnection Federation, the Department of Trade and Industry, environmental consultant Rod Kellner, and Rohm and Haas senior scientist Martin Goosey collaborated on a series of green chemistry recommendations—from alternatives to precious metals in printed wiring boards to new organic solderable finishes that avoid the use of lead in electronics. This study and others like it point to the growing awareness in manufacturing that satisfying the consumer’s appetite for newer and more powerful electronics must be done in the context of longterm sustainability and environmental stewardship.
Marketing The power of good marketing is undeniable in driving consumer interest, brand loyalty, and purchasing decisions. Yet, when it comes to green marketing, success has been spotty at best, and in many cases, little or no progress has been made. However, signs of improvement and a new twist on selling “green” have emerged in some countries. In 1994, Philips Electronics launched a line of ecofriendly, energy-saving fluorescent bulbs marketed as EarthLight. Sales, however, fell far short of expectations, so eight years later they repackaged the very same bulbs with a new name, Marathon. Their twist in marketing—emphasizing the bulb’s seven-year life
Research, manufacturing, and marketing can exert great influence on the success of green and sustainable chemistry.
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consumer groups to understand buying trends and “green” purchasing triggers can make all the difference between a successful product and one that fails to gain consumer interest. and convenience—helped sales take off and grow 12% per year in a market that has been typically flat. EPA’s Energy Star label and claims of “environmental responsibility” still appear on the packaging, but they clearly have taken a back seat to the message of convenience. This marketing approach has successfully played out in other areas as well. In sales literature for its gas–electric hybrid automobile, Toyota spotlights its vehicle’s quiet ride while underscoring its fuel efficiency and ecological benefits. Maytag and Whirlpool market their fast-selling front-loading washers on the basis of superior cleaning, with water and energy savings promoted as important but secondary benefits. These examples illustrate a key point: Marketing groups need to be well attuned to consumer sentiment, particularly when it comes to promoting green and sustainable products. Collaborating with consumer groups to understand buying trends and “green” purchasing triggers can make all the difference between a successful product and one that fails to gain consumer interest. Marketing people also must understand that most consumers will not pay more simply because a product is green. The key is perceived value. Green, by itself, typically is not a compelling selling point. But if we can demonstrate value—whether in product performance, long-term energy savings, or other tangible benefits for the customer—our chances of success increase dramatically. In the United States, commercial buildings and residential housing are responsible for more than 36% of our country’s energy consumption, and yet, the success of green marketing in that industry has varied widely. Marketing super-energy-efficient office buildings has had limited success beyond the baseline standards set by EPA’s Energy Star program. The return on premium costs associated with ultrahighefficiency construction cannot be realized unless commercial property developers and owners hold their buildings long enough to reap savings in utility 448 A ■ ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / DECEMBER 1, 2003
bills. However, turnover in commercial property ownership is commonplace, and eco-marketing in this segment has not caught on significantly. The story is far brighter in residential housing, however, where encouragement from NGOs and the prospects of lower energy bills have resurrected interest in green homes. U.S. builders are marketing environmentally friendly features that were unheard of in homes 5 or 10 years ago. Porous driveways that allow rainwater to settle back into the ground and tankless hot water heaters—common throughout many parts of Europe and Japan—can save up to 50% in energy bills. Energy-efficient “low E” double-pane windows, heating systems that are about 90% more efficient, and appliances that use 50% less energy than those in the 1970s are now widely available. Hardwood flooring continues to lose market share to carpeting and laminates made from recycled materials—a shift that has reduced our reliance on diminishing lumber supplies (8). By marketing these and other eco-friendly upgrades to new and existing homes, builders are finding a growing pool of consumers willing to spend more money, as long as the value and the long-term payoff are obvious. In addition, local governments eager for efficient housing that has less impact on local utilities’ infrastructure are waiving certain rules and expediting permits and inspections for builders that market green homes. Those of us in the chemical industry need to understand consumers’ eco-purchasing interests and trends worldwide and match those needs with innovation and thoughtful marketing of green and sustainable chemistries. PHOTODISC
Collaborating with
This article was abstracted from a talk delivered on March 13, 2003, at the International Conference on Green and Sustainable Chemistry in Tokyo, Japan.
J. Michael Fitzpatrick is the president and chief operating officer of Rohm and Haas Co. He currently serves on the boards of Carpenter Technology Corp., McCormick and Co., Inc., and the Green Chemistry Institute, and he is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Franklin Institute and Science Museum. Kenneth A. Gedaka is the manager of technology communications at Rohm and Haas.
References (1) Hjeresen, D. L.; et al. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2001, 35, 114A–119A. (2) Chemical Week, Nov 13, 2002, p 27. (3) Chemical Week, Jan 22, 2003, p 18. (4) U.K. Awards for Green Chemical Technology; www.chem soc.org/networks/gcn/awards.htm. (5) Greenfreeze; http://archive.greenpeace.org/climate/green freeze. (6) Anastas, P. T.; Zimmerman, J. B. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2003, 37, 94A–101A. (7) Japanese Eco-Design Business May Help Businesses Meet New EU Standards. Edie News, www.greenbiz.com. (8) Carlton, J. Home, Green Home: Builders Embrace Environmental Goals. The Wall Street Journal, Feb 5, 2003, p B1.
