Greenchemistry CIC
Professor James Clark
University of York
2nd Green Chemistry and the
Consumer symposium
FEEDSTOCKS
MANUFACTURING
PRODUCTION
RETAIL
Life Cycle for Supply Chain
E
Feedstock
W
E
C
Manufacturing
W
Recycle
E
C
E
Production
W
Remanufacture
E
C
Retail
End of Life
W
W
Refurbish
The Green Chemistry & the
Consumer project
• New venture aimed at delivering knowledge and
understanding of green chemistry to retailers & consumers
• Covers all chemical-dependant consumer products including
clothing, furnishing, electronic goods, personal care products
and food
• Objectives
– to encourage direct involvement of the retail sector in green chemistry
research
– to engage representatives from throughout the supply chain
• Main outputs
• Quarterly newsletter
– Current green chemical information that is comprehensible to
a widely non-technical audience
• Annual events
Highlights to date
• 1st symposium held in London in April 2003
• Sample issue produced and circulated to 200 individuals and
selected organisations
• Core sponsorship secured from the RSC, M&S and GSK for
forthcoming year
• Advisory committee established with representatives from core
funders as well as the CIA and Greenpeace
• Positive feedback from The Rt Hon Alun Michael MP, the CIA,
NFU, British Retail Consortium, Greenpeace and WWF as well
the retail trade.
Packaging &
Plastics
Lubricants
Dyes &
Pigments
Solvents
Fragrances &
Perfumes
Food additives
Pesticides
Research areas
relevant to
consumer products
Electronics
Flame
Retardants
Preservatives
Surfactants
Adhesives
Textiles &
Fabric
Treatments
Highlights from the newsletter
Greener wood adhesives
Stopping corrosion naturally
The latest on the EU’s
proposed chemicals
legislation REACH
Polychromic plastics: one
chemical, many colours
WEEE and RoHS
explained & how
Green Chemistry
can help
Fluorine takes the fizz out
of sparkling wine
Green dyeing in any colour
Corn cob packaging
Unwrapping the
packaging options
Wanted: solutions
and customers for
UK farming
The New Green Chemistry CIC
• One of 6 CICs funded by Yorkshire Forward
• Hub at York University with Leeds and CSL
as partners
• Goal: Provide Industry with a flexible, reliable
way to tap into University expertise to help
improve their products and processes
Green Chemistry CIC
• Projects managed via Commercial manager
• Senior researchers assigned specifically to
work on the Projects
• An expert academic assigned to advise on
Projects
• Pool of approx. 20 experts not just from
Chemistry Depts, includes Chem.Eng. and
Biochemistry
Green Chemistry CIC
Facilities/Equipment
• The York Clean Technology Centre and the
Leeds Cleaner synthesis group have modern
labs and a wide range of equipment
• Additional facilities are available within the
Universities (e.g. £25m SRIF Technologies
Facilities York) and at CSL
Green Chemistry CIC
Services based on expertise in:
 Chemical synthesis
 Catalysts, including biocatalysts
 Surface chemistry
 Alternative solvents
 Alternative reagents
 Analytical services
 Renewable raw materials
 Environmental Legislation
Green Chemistry CIC
Services
• 3 Tier approach
– tier 1: short problem solving exercises to
identify opportunities
– tier 2: short lab based studies (indication of
feasibility)
– tier 3: longer lab based studies
(demonstration of feasibility)
Green Chemistry CIC
Examples
• A Catalyst that cannot be reused - conditions found
that allow limited re-use, longer term studies to find
better catalyst
• An adhesive failing to stick properly-cause found and
Company able to modify process
• Bromination processes using toxic/dangerous
phosphorus - improved conditions found,
demonstrated and incorporated by Company
• Chromium used for priming aluminium prior to
bonding - investigations ongoing for replacement