Elevance Renewable Sciences in joint venture with EPA on green chemistry

By Michelle Yeomans

- Last updated on GMT

The Illinois-based company that specialises in green chemicals from renewable oils has co-hosted an event with the EPA to further discuss the development of cosmetics through green chemistry.

The joint venture comes after the EPA appointed Elevance with its' 'Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award' back in june, and requested a follow up be scheduled in an effort to learn more about how the Agency can work with industry leaders to accelerate the use of green chemistry technologies and products.

The EPA works closely with companies across the U.S. to promote green chemistry and economic opportunities from renewable products. A venture like this can help further promote these innovative chemical technologies​,” says EPA representitive, Jim Jones.

"While we believe that there are also opportunities for legislative support of these goals, today’s discussion with Jim and his team highlights our commitment to work together under current legislation to enable a vital and growing sector of our economy​," added Elevance's CEO, K’Lynne Johnson.

The day was said to have included presentations from the Agency and Elevance, followed by a tour of the green supplier’s laboratories.

"An effective regulatory review process is critical to commercializing innovative new chemicals that can provide improved products for consumers, new jobs from the emerging renewable chemicals industry and environmental benefits for everyone​,” Johnson explains.

Green award

As aforementioned, Elevance was awarded with the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award for its production of “high performing, green specialty chemicals at advantageous costs​” earlier in the year.

The EPA designed the award for companies involved in chemical products or processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances applying right the way across the life cycle of a product, including its design, manufacture, and use.

At the time, the Agency said Elevance was most suitable for the award as its production processes used innovations in metathesis catalysis that consumed significantly less energy and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent compared to petrochemical technologies.

EPA investment

Meanwhile earlier in the year, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced it had received $1.2 million in private sector research funding from global cosmetic company L’Oreal in a bid to determine if its chemical toxicity forecaster (ToxCast) could be used in systemic toxicity tests and replace current methods that involve animals.

The EPA is using ToxCast to screen chemicals to understand their potential impact on processes in the human body that lead to adverse health effects, and this alliance could serve as a milestone towards animal-free safety testing.

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