Announcing CleanGredients® Version 2

We are thrilled to announce that CleanGredients® Version 2 is now online! We have spent the last year and a half developing this new version, which offers additional user features and easily accommodates new ingredient modules. While most of the improvements are behind the scenes, users may notice a few differences. For example, you now can manage user accounts for your organization. The search interface also has changed; we attempted to simplify the interface while giving users the search options and control they were seeking. Your username and password will remain the same. We are eager to hear your feedback about CleanGredients® Version 2, so please contact us with comments or questions.

CleanGredients® Solvents Module to Launch in May

The CleanGredients® Solvents Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) is putting the finishing touches on the solvents module, which should be released within the next month. The Solvents TAC will reconvene in two weeks to conduct a final review of results from the online survey that many of you completed in February. The TAC then will sign off on the final configuration of the solvents module and it will be released in beta version. You can find the draft list of solvent attributes at http://cleangredients.org/about/ingredient-attributes/solvents. We will send an announcement as soon as the module is available online. If your company is interested in listing solvents in CleanGredients® or if you have general questions about the solvents module, please contact us.

Additional Modules Development

Progress continues on developing additional modules for CleanGredients®. The Fragrances TAC has been working on proposed sensitization criteria for the DfE Screen for fragrances. For the chelating agents module, DfE and NSF have solicited analytical data from chelating manufacturers for the purposes of developing the DfE Screen for chelants and sequestrants. Feel free to contact us with questions or comments about development of the fragrances or chelating agents modules.

News and Outreach

GreenBlue Senior Developer Alec Gosse will present on CleanGredients® at the 12th Annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference, to be held 24-26 June in Washington, DC. For more details on the event, please visit the conference website.

In early April, Topher Buck presented at the Sustainable Packaging Coalition Spring Meeting about CleanGredients® as a system for connecting suppliers with formulators and how this model could apply to other formulated products, including the inks, coatings, and adhesives used in packaging.

Topher spoke about CleanGredients® as part of the "Sustainability, Green Chemistry, and Environmental Issues" session at SODEOPEC 2008 in Lake Buena Vista, FL and at the United Soybean Board Coatings, Inks, and Solvents Technical Advisory Panel Meeting in Indianapolis, IN in mid-April.

A report recently released by Business for Social Responsibility and Forum for the Future aims to focus companies' efforts to back up the environmental claims of their products. The report, entitled Eco-promising: communicating the environmental credentials of your products and services (PDF, 680KB), offers a look at the past, present, and future of green labeling schemes and suggests ways that companies can live up to their green promises.

On 10 April, The Quad City Times published the article, "Green Clean: Chemical Concern Grows, So Do 'Friendly' Products." The article, an overview of green cleaning products and certification programs, lists CleanGredients℠ as a resource. Read the article.

On 26 March, The New York Times examined the growing interest in green chemistry and how it has affected product development in an article titled, "A Turn to Alternative Chemicals." Read the article.

Also on 26 March, The New York Times featured Clorox’s new line of green cleaning products in its article, "Clorox Courts Sierra Club, and a Product is Endorsed." Read the article.

Upcoming Events of Interest

• Greener by Design 2008: Strategies, Tools, and Markets for Product Innovation
    Hilton Alexandria Mark, Alexandria, VA
    12-13 June 2008
• Green Chemistry in Education Workshop
    University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
    15-20 June 2008
• The 12th Annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference
    Capital Hilton in Washington, DC
    24 – 26 June 2008
• 20th Biennial Conference on Chemical Education
    Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
    27-31 July 2008
• The Green Chemistry and Commerce Council (GC3) Innovators Roundtable
    Nike World Headquarters, Beaverton, OR
    09-11 July 2008
• Gordon Research Conference: Green Chemistry
    Bates College, Lewiston, ME
    03 – 08 August 2008