Molly Jacobs
University of Massachusetts Lowell Lowell Center for Sustainable Production
LCSP and TURI
Substitution Aims and Activities
The US Substitution Context The US Substitution Context
Primary Drivers
Industry consortia Retailers
Advocacy Efforts
The US substitution context The US substitution context
States are the major policy force, but gov’t programs of critical importance
Federal programs, not policies:
Incentivizing/Promoting Informed Substitution
US OSHA
• No rule mandating substitution
• Transitioning to Safer Chemicals initiative
EPA
• Future potential in TSCA
• Safer Choice Program
• Environmental Preferable
Purchasing Program
Learning with Purpose
About our organizations: TURI About our organizations: TURI
• Companies must :
– Report
toxics use– Pay
fees– Plan
toxics reduction– No mandate to substitute, just plan
• Objective of the law:
• Enhancing competiveness of Massachusetts industries AND environment and public health protections
• Implemented by:
– MassDEP
– Office of Technical Assistance (OTA) – Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI)
Adopted 1989 Effective 1990 Expanded 2006
EDUCATION
• Toxics Use Reduction planner trainings
• Alternatives Assessment trainings
• Fact sheets, case studies
• Library
EDUCATION
• Toxics Use Reduction planner trainings
• Alternatives Assessment trainings
• Fact sheets, case studies
• Library
GRANTS
• Community
• Academic
• Industry
• Small business
GRANTS
• Community
• Academic
• Industry
• Small business
RESEARCH
• Safer alternatives R&D – cleaning laboratory
• Alternatives assessments RESEARCH
• Safer alternatives R&D – cleaning laboratory
• Alternatives assessments
POLICY
• Regulatory decision support
• information and analysis on state and national toxics policy issues POLICY
• Regulatory decision support
• information and analysis on state and national toxics policy issues
TURI – Programs linked to substitution activities
TURI – Programs linked to substitution
activities
TURA requires TUR plans
TURA planners develop such plans and required to undergo a 40-hour training course, pass a
written exam and undertake continuing education credits
Created a pool of “champions” within
companies and among consultants that are trained to know how to look for substitution options and think about the challenges.
TURI TURI
TUR Planning: institutionalizing “substitution thinking”
Sister organization of TURI
Housed within the Department of Public Health – academic program within the University of Massachusetts Lowell
Research center with expertise in:
• Environmental and occupational epidemiology
• Industrial hygiene
• Risk assessment
• Alternatives assessment
• Green chemistry
• Chemicals policy
Specific initiatives to substitution:
• Green Chemistry and Commerce Council
• Alternatives assessment CoP/Interagency dialog
Lowell Center for Sustainable Production
Lowell Center for Sustainable
Production
Disease Prevention and Environmental Protection
• Facilitating a transition to safer chemicals
• Long‐standing interest and experience in
substitution – considered part of of a pollution prevention/toxics use reduction approach
• Enhancing both worker and public health protections
Program work foci:
• Science
• Business and markets
• Policy
Approach
•
Research and analysis
•
Strategic engagement and facilitation
Aims of our substitution initiatives
Aims of our substitution initiatives
Aims of our substitution initiatives Aims of our substitution initiatives
A focus on alternatives assessment
Restricting a chemical – what are we moving towards?
Without an informed consideration of the
options, industry is often too quick to adopt the easiest “drop‐in”
substitute that is not being regulated often with regrettable
consequences.
20062014
“Innovative substitution” by mainstreaming green chemistry
GC3: A cross sectoral, business‐to‐business network of over 100 companies and other organizations
working collaboratively to accelerate green chemistry across sectors and supply chains
facilitating the R&D and market connections to
identify safer, green/sustainable chemistry solutions for hazardous chemicals
• Preservatives challenge
• Retailers roundtable
Aims of our substitution initiatives Aims of our substitution initiatives
A focus on mainstreaming green chemistry
Enhancing conversation, collaboration and coordination to advance substitution and a transition to safer chemicals
• the right people in the room
• strategically facilitating conversation
• An “action” agenda – specific outcomes
Host and facilitate networks, conferences, symposiums, strategic meetings
• Alternatives assessment community of practice
• Interagency dialog on alternatives assessment
• GC3 roundtable
• Supply chain collaborations
