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Green and Sustainable Chemistry: Designing Sustainable Personal Care and Household Products

Written by Updates on . Posted in 2022 Symposia, Tuesday PM.

Symposium Organizers: Paul Scott, Executive Director – Green Chemistry & Sustainable Design, The Estee Lauder Companies, Inc.

Personal care and household consumers are increasingly savvy and, with recognition of the climate crisis at an all-time high, demand more sustainable, yet high performing product options of manufacturers. At the same time, the existing sustainability frameworks well understood by consumers (e.g natural ingredients or the lack of certain ingredients of concern) do not necessarily result in formulas that are more sustainable or more aligned with the principles of green chemistry. The pursuit of truly greener products requires understanding of the nuances of ingredient properties, performance, and economics, and engagement of the entire value chain. Quantification and communication of green chemistry performance via the thoughtful use of metrics facilitates this understanding, and can drive greener ingredient innovations and choices.

This symposium will provide a forum to share case studies and success stories of designing more sustainable personal care and household ingredients and products through green and sustainable chemistry approaches. It will also create a dialog around remaining unmet industry needs. Some of the ideas to be discussed include:

  • The use of metrics (including the ELC Green Score Tool) to quantify green chemistry performance and facilitate greener product development and innovation.
  • The use of data analytics and Artificial Intelligence approaches in sustainable product design.
  • Examples of using a system thinking and life cycle approach ensure principles are considered throughout the whole value chain.
  • Examples of success stories in leveraging the principles of green chemistry and life cycle thinking to develop more sustainable ingredients, products, and processes.
  • Strategies for enabling and ensuring the economic competitiveness of truly greener processes and technologies in the consumer goods industry.