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sustainability

Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products

Blueland sustainably manufactures and ships cleaning products using environmentally responsible ingredients that are recyclable, compostable, or both. The process begins with Blueland’s BPA- and antimony-free Forever Bottle, Forever Shaker, and Forever Tin. The final product results from adding the powdered or tablet soaps, cleansers, and detergents to warm or hot water in their respective containers. This method eliminates the use of single-use plastics like polyvinyl alcohol (PVA and PVOH polyvinyl) by enabling the shipping of lighter, water-free products.

Microbial-Based Nitrogen Fertilizer for Crops

Developed by Pivot Bio, a sustainable agricultural company that uses microbes to deliver nitrogen to plants as an alternative to synthetic fertilizers. Pivot Bio’s technology pinpoints a microbe natural to a crop’s specific microbiome with the genetic code for nitrogen fixation. All genetic changes to the microbe are within its genome and applied during the planting phase, where they bind to the root and continuously fix nitrogen throughout the growing season.

Progress towards a more sustainable synthetic pathway to ibuprofen through the use of solar heating

Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that is commonly used worldwide for pain relief and fever/inflammation reduction. It was discovered in the 1960s by Andrew Dunlop, who initially tested the drug on cures for hangovers. The drug was first made available via prescription in 1974 (United States) and soon became available as an over the counter drug purchasable at retail shops around the globe.

Solvents and sustainable chemistry

Solvents have many uses, both commercial and domestic. In the chemicals industry, solvents are used in the production of chemicals as media for chemical reactions and for chemicals separation/purification. Here, I attempt to demonstrate how appropriate selection of solvents for chemicals processing has been used to improve the sustainability of these processes using examples that have been, to the best of my knowledge using publicly available information, in commercial use at some time.

Embedding sustainable practices into pharmaceutical R&D: what are the challenges?

The world's population is predicted to exceed 9 billion by 2050, with growth in the developing world projected to triple global resource consumption. Industries, including pharmaceuticals, will still be competing for one Earth's worth of resources to meet this tripled demand. In order to thrive in the future, it is clear that routes to pharmaceuticals, which currently produce in the order of 100 kg of waste for each kilogram of drug in an optimized process, will need to be more efficient and sustainable.

Accelerating Sustainable Concrete Construction

Historic pier in Ventura, California

Applications for this meeting must be submitted by January 28, 2024. Please apply early, as some meetings become oversubscribed (full) before this deadline. If the meeting is oversubscribed, it will be stated on the Gordon Research Conference website. Note: Applications for oversubscribed meetings will only be considered by the conference chair if more seats become available due to cancellations.

The Elsevier Foundation Chemistry for Climate Action Challenge

The Chemistry for Climate Action Challenge is one of the Elsevier Foundation’s flagship partnerships. Together with Elsevier’s Chemistry journals, the Elsevier Foundation provides funding of 25,000 euros for 2 winning projects per year, implementing green & sustainable chemistry solutions in the Global South – advancing both Climate Action (SDG 13) and Gender Equity (SDG 5). 

ChemLuminary Award for Outstanding Sustainability Activities

Purpose:

To recognize a local section that has introduced a new and outstanding program promoting sustainability at the local level.

Description:

This annual award recognizes a local section that has introduced a new and outstanding program promoting sustainability at the local level. In keeping with the ACS Strategic Plan, the award recipient will have demonstrated that the program educates people about the transformative role of chemistry in achieving sustainability.

Environmental Convergence Opportunities in Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (ECO-CBET)

Creating effective solutions to our most pressing environmental and sustainability challenges requires imaginative thinking - the kind that evolves when researchers from disparate fields, expertise, or perspectives fully immerse themselves in work toward a common goal.

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