Sustainable Chemistry & Innovation

Man Using Laundry Detergent to Clean Clothes

Chemistry plays an essential role in the products and technologies we use every day, from vital ingredients in consumer products to raw materials in manufacturing processes. ACC member companies are innovators – developing the products that are critical to advancing sustainability in our communities and around the world.

It is imperative that chemicals are produced and used in ways that protect the health of people and the environment. The chemical industry is taking steps to make products safer, make our manufacturing processes more stringent, and to be more transparent about how ACC members are assessing their products for safety and sustainability.

Sustainable Chemistry benefits from a holistic approach to assess the sustainability attributes that should be considered as we work to solve today’s multiple challenges. As chemists and engineers work on designing new products and processes to meet new and existing applications, they are assessing potential impacts to human health and the environment across the product lifecycle, and increasingly working to design for material recovery at end of life.

Responsible Care® Product Safety Code

Through the Responsible Care^® Product Safety Code, which is mandatory for all ACC member companies, chemical manufacturers work to evaluate, validate and continuously improve their product safety performance, while also making information about chemical product safety readily available to those who are potentially exposed to the chemicals.

In developing new products and technologies, ACC members consider product safety and sustainable chemistry throughout the product innovation process. This means incorporating product safety assessments to identify hazards and potential risks early in the product development process, as well as reviewing existing product portfolios to identify opportunities to innovate products with improved safety profiles.

ACC members are committed to openly and transparently provide information about potential hazards and risks associated with the products they manufacture, to increase confidence in their safety.

Portfolio Sustainability Assessments (PSA): A Tool to Promote Chemical Product Safety

In order to assess products in multiple categories and consider potential trade-offs, many ACC member companies have undertaken a Portfolio Sustainability Assessment (PSA) to review their product portfolios and help steer them toward increasingly greater sustainability outcomes. The PSA approach can help companies identify the most impactful solutions as they develop new products and assess existing programs for sustainability contributions.

One model that member companies are using is a framework developed by the World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD), which provides an approach and structure for companies to assess their product portfolios for a range of sustainability impacts.

Through ACC’s Innovation Program, we continue to share information about member company leading practices that drive innovation and new product development with greater contributions to sustainability, as well as encourage members to establish their own PSAs and create a culture of Sustainable Chemistry across their organizations.

Fast Facts: Science-based Product Safety Information

Chemicals sold and used in the United States are highly regulated and subject to oversight by federal agencies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, among others. Any chemistry introduced or imported into the U.S. must undergo rigorous review and approval processes by government bodies, such as EPA and FDA.
Manufacturers submit information that supports chemical hazard and risk characterizations to government bodies and others across the globe before chemicals can enter the marketplace in those countries. Hazard, exposure and risk information is used by these authorities to conduct chemical safety assessments needed to approve or restrict products into new markets. Assessment outcomes and supporting information are generally available in the public databases.
To help enhance scientific understanding of chemical safety, the chemical industry sponsors two primary scientific initiatives:
- The Long Range Research Initiative (LRI) promotes innovation in assessing chemical safety.
- ACC’s Center for Chemical Safety helps advance knowledge about how chemicals interact with the body and the relationship between chemical exposure and safety.

ACC Member Contributions to Product Safety & Innovation

ACC members are committed to the safety of the products they manufacture and providing transparent information about these products. Our companies are focused on innovating new products and materials that optimize the sustainability outcomes of our products.

How ACC Members Are Assessing Product Portfolios to Enhance Sustainability Oct 03, 2023

Responsible Care® Product Safety Code

Portfolio Sustainability Assessments (PSA): A Tool to Promote Chemical Product Safety

Fast Facts: Science-based Product Safety Information

ACC Member Contributions to Product Safety & Innovation

How ACC Members Are Assessing Product Portfolios to Enhance Sustainability

Evonik’s RHEANCE^® One Biosurfactant Enables Sustainable, High-Performing Personal Care Products

Nouryon’s Agrilan® 1015 Biodegradable Dispersant Provides a Sustainable Solution for the Global Farming Community

Chemours EVOLVE 2030 Provides a Science-Based, Data-Driven Approach to Evaluate Product Sustainability Impacts

Clariant Innovates Highly Effective, Low-Carbon Footprint Surfactants for Personal Care and Cleaning Products

Afton Initiative Enhances Transparency for Product Hazard Communications