U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now accepting entries for nominations for its 2016 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards for companies or institutions that have developed a process or product that better protects public health and the environment.
Since the start of the program, EPA has received more than 1,500 nominations and presented awards for 104 new technologies that have reduced more than 826 million pounds of hazardous chemicals and solvents, savings 21 billion gallons of water, and eliminating 7.8 billion pounds of carbon dioxide releases.
EPA is sponsoring the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards in partnership with the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute® and members of the chemical community including industry, trade associations, and academic institutions.
Nominations are due to EPA by December 31, 2015.
Next June, EPA expects to give five awards for outstanding green chemistry technologies in traditional categories and a sixth award for a green chemistry technology that addresses climate change.
The award areas include:
- Greener Synthetic Pathways
- Greener Reaction Conditions
- Greener Chemical Products
- The Design of Greener Chemicals
- Small Business (for a technology in any of the three focus areas developed by a small business)
- Academic (for a technology in any of the three focus areas developed by an academic researcher)
- Specific Environmental Benefit: Climate Change (for a technology in any of the three focus areas that reduces greenhouse gas emissions)
