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Advancing Environmental Health: The DfE Program on Emerging Chemicals and Sustainable Solutions

The Design for the Environment (DfE) program, initiated in 2005, aims to facilitate business engagement in environmental stewardship through multi-stakeholder projects that reduce priority chemicals' usage. With a focus on creating lasting change, DfE has reached over 200,000 business facilities and 2 million workers. It collaborates with various industries to phase out harmful substances, including pentaBDE in flame retardants and lead in solders, while promoting safer alternatives. DfE also assists formulators in enhancing the health and environmental profiles of products, ensuring compliance with emerging standards.

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Advancing Environmental Health: The DfE Program on Emerging Chemicals and Sustainable Solutions

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  1. Design for the Environment Program Emerging Chemicals & DfE Tools October 25, 2005

  2. DfE Themes • DfE provides access to OPPT technical tools and expertise that serve as an incentive for business participation in our work. • DfE projects: • are multi-stakeholder; • are driven by a business “client”; • have the potential to result in lasting change; and • benefit business and the environment. • DfE promotes reduction of priority chemicals. DfE Projects have touched more than 200,000 business facilities and approximately 2 million workers.

  3. Coordination Framework for Emerging Chemicals • Development driven by pentaBDE communication issues • Purpose • Coordinate • Make improvements available • Provide avenues for addressing emerging chemical issues (e.g. TCNC workgroup) • Group meets periodically • Information dissemination • Consider “candidate” chemicals • Regions, HQ & States

  4. Furniture Flame Retardancy Partnership • The Partnership • Chemical and furniture manufacturers • Consumer Product Safety Commission • NGOs • National Institute of Standards & Technology • Fire Safety Advocates and Environmental Groups • The Issue • Predominant flame retardant (pentaBDE) was being found increasingly in human tissue, breast milk and the environment. • This flame retardant was phased-out at the end of 2004. • Need for fire safety will likely increase based on planned national standards. • Decision-making for alternatives to a 18.7 million pound per year chemical.

  5. Lead-Free Solder Partnership Life-Cycle Assessment • The U.S. electronics industry is moving away from lead solder • E.U. will ban lead in electronics by 2006 • Industry approached DfE based on past relationship • Partnership will help U.S. Industry adopt lead-free alternatives and maintain international competitiveness • Tin-lead and alternatives: • 95.5% tin, 3.9% silver, and 0.6% copper • 57.0% bismuth, 42.0% tin, and 1.0% silver • 96.0% tin, 2.5% silver, 1.0% bismuth, 0.5% copper • 99.2% tin and 0.8% copper

  6. Lead-Free Solder Partnership (cont’d) Life-Cycle Assessment • Significant potential • Annual lead solder use in electronics estimated at 176 million pounds • Key Findings • extraction of silver • energy use in manufacture • Final Report on DfE website

  7. DfE FormulatorPartners with Chemical Product Manufacturers to Improve Health and Environmental Profile of Products DfE Review • Considers Every Formulation Ingredient • Prepares Health and Environmental Profile (Existing Data, Estimation Models, Chemical Expertise) • Situates Chemical on Continuum of Improvement • Recommends Safer Substitutes Continuum of Improvement Formula Ingredient by Use Class Sustainable Improved Of Concern Characteristics of Sustainable Ingredient Characteristics of Improved Ingredient Characteristics of Ingredient of Concern

  8. Example of a Recognized Formulation Green Chemistry encourages formulator to go “greener” A C B’ D A + B + C + D = Total Formulation B Surfactants Solvents Bleaches Builders

  9. DfE Formulator Partnerships • Offer Companies Access to EPA Expertise, Advice and Recognition • Yield Measures of Environmental Benefit • Partnerships have reduced the use of 40 million of pounds of chemicals of concern • More than 70 recognized products in the following sectors: Industrial/Institutional Cleaners and Laundry Detergents, Holding Tank Treatments/Deodorizers, and Industrial Coatings

  10. OAQPS/OPPT/Regional Collaboration on Area Sources • M2P2/FOSTTA discussions led to recognition of P2 solutions • OAQPS must regulate 50 Area Source Categories with limited resources – an initial partnership will address six • Identified P2 options for OAQPS regulations on Area Source Categories • Example: DfE Best Practices for Auto Refinishing complemented regulatory requirements for the Area Source Rule • Effective, low-resource implementing mechanism • VOC emissions could be reduced by 86,000 tons per year and auto refinishing shops could save $650 million

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