Will NY be one of the Winners of the Green Chemistry Awards 2023?

All the entries are in for the 2023 EPA Green Chemistry Challenge Awards, a program designed to  “recognize the environmental and economic benefits of developing and using novel green chemistry. As you know, green chemistry can significantly contribute to EPA’s effort in promoting source reduction. Through 2022, the 133 winning technologies provided big opportunities for pollution prevention: • 830 million pounds of hazardous chemicals and solvents eliminated each year—enough to fill almost 3,800 railroad tank cars or a train nearly 47 miles long. • 21 billion gallons of water saved each year—the amount used by 980,000 people annually. • 7.8 billion pounds of carbon dioxide equivalents released to air eliminated each year—equal to taking 770,000 automobiles off the road.”

Will New York have a winning entry? It’s possible. Last year, Provivi, a NY based company, won with its Provivi FAWTM entry –  a pheromone produced from renewable plant oils that target the fall armyworm, reducing the insect’s ability to mate and thereby reducing the need for traditional pesticides to eliminate this pest. And this year, the EPA tells me there are a handful of entries from New York.  I will bring you the update on this when it comes available this Fall. In the interim if you would like to be considered for 2024 please write greenchemistry@epa.gov or (202) 564-8849.