Green Chemistry at Work 2

California Businesses Making Products Safe from the Start

Leading California businesses are showing that consumer products don’t have to contain toxic chemicals, threaten public health, or produce large amounts of waste. Safer alternatives exist, and they work. Companies that design their products to be safe from the start are seizing new business opportunities, gaining access to new markets, improving efficiency, and saving money—all of which gives them an edge over their competitors. These businesses are also building momentum for a new green chemistry industry in California.

Report

Environment California Research and Policy Center

This report highlights seven Golden State businesses that are identifying unnecessary hazards in their facilities, in their manufacturing processes and in the products they sell—and acting to eliminate them. They join many other businesses (including 12 profiled in Environment California Research & Policy Center’s 2010 report, Green Chemistry at Work) that are making Californians healthier and succeeding in the marketplace by following the principles of green chemistry.

However, the use of safer alternatives to toxic chemicals in commerce remains the exception, rather than the rule. California can protect public health, safeguard our environment, help companies remain competitive in the global marketplace, and set an example for the rest of the nation by finalizing the Safer Consumer Products Regulations, a key part of the state’s Green Chemistry Initiative.