Moving to Safer Alternatives Chemicals, Materials, Products Ken Geiser Lowell Center for Sustainable Production December 2, 2004

Why Alternatives Assessment? We are moving from problem solving to solution making Growing consumer demand for safer, cleaner, greener products Leading firms and governments are experimenting with assessment tools Current tools vary considerably Little current effort to characterize, compare or learn from these initial experiences

Why Now? Problem Oriented 1950sRisk Analysis 1960s-1980s Risk Assessments 1980s-1990sCost/Benefit Analysis 1990sLife Cycle Assessment Solution Oriented 2000sAlternatives Assessment

Foundations Alternatives Analysis for Environmental Impact Assessment: Council on Environmental Quality, 1976 (40 CFR 1500) Swedish “Substitution Principle”, 1988 Technology Option Analysis: Ashford, 1993 Alternatives Assessment: O’Brien, 2000

What is Alternatives Assessment? A flexible, holistic analysis of alternatives and opportunities that prevent impacts from potentially harmful activities Focuses on solutions rather than problems; opportunities rather than inevitabilities Drives governments or proponents of an activity to focus on solutions rather than the “acceptability” of potentially harmful activities Avoids never-ending discussions of “how risky”

What do We Want? We need to be clear about our goals Less hazardous (safer) solutions Greener solutions More ecological solutions More sustainable solutions (Moving away from bads is easier than moving towards goods)

Example: Brominated Flame Retardants Finding alternatives to brominated flame retardants (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) BFRs—heavily used substance with extensive commercial investments BFRs have poorly articulated health risks The alternative selection is highly varied with no simple choices Appropriate alternatives depend on specific applications

It’s About Design Our world is a “designed place” Everyday we make design decisions We are liberated when we see that our world is designed rather than “given” Because our world is designed we can redesign it Design and redesign are complimentary processes

The Design Space Designers work within bounded design spaces A design space is an area of decision discretion Normal design spaces are bounded by cost, performance and manufacturing optimization

Integrating Health and the Environment One idea: we are simply adding health and environmental factors as two additional boundary variables (Safer Solutions) Another idea: we are seeking to find appropriate matches between efficiency, performance and natural systems (Ecological Solutions)

Selection/De-selection Design is about selecting/Correction is about de-selecting Design can be: Substance by substance Function by function System by system Non-perfect solutions lead to trade offs

Design Models Rationalist models: linear problem solving in discrete steps Gestalt models: solutions emerging from holistic organizing frameworks Behaviorist models: continuous, non-linear processes involving iteration and feedback loops

Role of Science All science has limits –uncertainties, indeterminacies, reductionisms Normal science –organized for discovery, not answering questions –accepts only certain kinds of evidence –is separated from “experienced judgment” Precautionary science (“appropriate science”) addresses questions, values all evidence and includes wise judgments Need to link risk and alternatives science

Types of Assessment Tools Lists and Categories Sequential screens –negative screens (“no carcinogens”) –positive screens (“easily recycled”) Matrix Aggregated vs Disaggregated Presentations

Types of Valuation How are we establishing “values” and “weighting” Cultural or subjective Dominant vs subordinate values Individual vs collective valuation Need to consider disparities and inequalities

Nesting Alternatives Chemicals Materials Products

Selecting Chemicals Lists –black lists, green lists, “Observation Lists” Hazard Assessment Methods –German “Column Model” –TURI “P2OASys” Screening Methods –Dutch “Quick Scan” Green Chemistry/ Green Engineering –Principles

Selecting Materials Material Assessments –McDonough/Braungart “Material Assessment Protocols” –Greenpeace “Plastics Pyramid” Material (Substance) Flow Analysis –WRI, “Material Accounts” –Material Balances Materials as systems

Selecting Products Design for Environment Life Cycle Assessments Ecolabel Analyses Product Management Systems –Product Take Back –Recycling and Reuse Products vs Services

Questions that Remain What about uncertainties? What about the limited “time-to-decision” window? What about trade-offs?

What is the Role of the Public? Should our models be limited to experts? Should our models be so formulistic as to be done by anyone? How should “affected parties” participate? If every selection has drawbacks, how do we address those who are not “made better off”?

The Challenge for this Meeting Assess the various models and strategies Identify the various strengths and limits Identify the criteria for selecting the most promising models Select those (or those combinations) that are most promising Suggest avenues for future research and development

Swedish Product Choice Principle Persons who pursue an activity or pursue a measure, or intend to do so, shall avoid using or selling chemical products or biotechnical organisms that may involve risks to human health or the environment if products or organisms that are assumed to be less dangerous can be used instead. - Swedish Environmental Code, 1999