Thursday, January 2, 2014

Where do I see Green Chemistry in 5, 10, 20 years?

When I entered the Jansan industry in 1985 the beginnings of the sustainability movement were already under way.  Almost every industry insider knew that ortho dichlorobenzene was a known carcinogen.  D'limonene was a miraculous new solvent that could easily replace butyl solvents.  Now d'limonene is a controlled substance in many jurisdictions.  In the early 90's manufacturers made us aware nonyl phenols were known endocrine disrupters.
In the past 25 or so years I have noticed a natural progression towards what has become a cash cow for some companies.  Entire industries have developed as a result of market reaction.  Certainly there will always be manufacturers that develop products that fool consumers into the belief that they are purchasing products that are greener, safer and more gentle on the environment.  The reality is that consumer/user safety is the most important factor in the acquisition process.  Many consumers believe that a rubber stamp on the product that they purchase means that everything is ok....
In the late 90's biologicals became an even bigger part of Jansan chemistry with the addition of bacterial and enzyme products for cleaning and odor control.  In fact it was said at that time, that in some parts of the world 25% of all cleaning products contained enzyme additives.  These bacterial solutions have evolved well beyond the expectations of industry veterans.  Shortly after an oil spill it was discovered that specific bacteria thrived in the ocean in areas where oil was nearly non existent. Just a few years ago a strain of bacteria was discovered that had effective biological activity in the presence of plastics and their additives.
What's next?  We all have our suspicions.  But here is the good news!  The likelihood of there being toxins present in these new cleaning compounds is significantly greater than it was just a few years ago.  The moral of the story is....
The revolutionary chemistry of today is the everyday cleaning solution of tomorrow.  And that is the reality of the free market economy.  Safer products shouldn't mean additional costs.  Third party approval agencies offer the consumer a guarantee.  For this guarantee the end user must accept that products will cost more.  My two cents worth...  If you purchase your cleaning products from a trusted source.  You shouldn't have to pay more for safer technology and biodegradability.