Goal:
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Design 100% of our products and processes using sustainability criteria including the principles of green chemistry
Roadmap to 2030
As we work towards our 2030 objectives, we focused our efforts in 2020 on:
01
Developing and implementing an enhanced company chemical management policy including broadened governance for substances of concern
02
Expanding the integration of safer design principles into our innovation pipeline of new products as well as into our existing product portfolio
03
Collaborating with Beyond Benign and others to promote the adoption of sustainable and green chemistry principles
A more holistic approach
Global regulatory trends, in conjunction with an increase in industry efforts, expand value chain transparency, further driving a holistic assessment of industrial process design and operation.
At DuPont, we remain committed to embracing a broader and more inclusive approach to product and process design that addresses upstream and downstream lifecycle impacts in addition to considering safer design options.. We do this by incorporating sustainability criteria across the product lifecycle, by increasing value chain transparency and collaboration, and by integrating the principles of green chemistry into our development activities. This leads to a portfolio in which materials are safer and more sustainable by design.
Safer and more sustainable, by design
As scientists, our commitment is to identify and develop the innovative solutions that will make the world safer and more sustainable. This requires understanding options and making thoughtful choices at every step of the process. It means making sure innovators throughout our company understand the principles of green chemistry, and cultivating a product stewardship mindset in everything we do. It means collaborating across industries to review, to develop, and to champion the science and practices that determine what it means to be safer. Lastly, it means continually reviewing our processes and our portfolio to address areas of concern and remaining aware of emerging developments in relevant fields of study.
Image: Kevlar™ Powder
Ultimately, we recognize that we may not be able to pursue opportunities that do not align with our commitment to safety and sustainability in our portfolio. That means re-shaping a potential market opportunity or discontinuing or re-formulating product solutions that do not meet our standards.
In 2019, we eliminated the use of long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from our products and processes, including recently integrated operations. These commitments, along with our Safer by Design goal, will help ensure that we consistently live our core values.
—See our PFAS commitments for more updates on our progress.
Our approach to product stewardship
Our rigorous and comprehensive Product Stewardship and Regulatory (PS&R) Management System (MS) is at the core of our commitment to product safety-related risk management and is a critical part of our new product innovation process. Since 2004, DuPont businesses have followed the Responsible Care® management system, which provides a strong foundation to our product stewardship commitment. Every DuPont business uses the PS&R MS globally to assess and manage potential risks associated with each product and to regularly identify opportunities for improvements throughout the product life cycle.
Our businesses conduct a product stewardship review before any product or service is commercialized, and if there are significant changes to the product raw materials or end use applications, manufacturing process, regulations or other relevant risk factors.
As part of our commitment to Responsible Care®, DuPont businesses routinely audit their PS&R Management Systems to ensure they are effective and align with the ACC Product Safety Code. As an added level of assurance, we conduct third-party audits of a sampling of our businesses, our US chemical manufacturing sites, and our headquarters every three years to verify that our Responsible Care® program continues to meet or exceed the ACC’s requirements. In 2019, a third party audited our product stewardship program and found it to be in conformance with these requirements. The next external audit will happen in 2022.
Our Safer by Design Stories
Developing low-VOC adhesives
DuPont Mobility & Materials developed MEGUM™ W 9500, a paint-like, heat reactive, water-based adhesive that establishes strong bonds between rubber and metal.
Advancing our chemical management processes
Our enhanced focus on the management and governance of SoC also inherently contributes to our Corporate Sustainability Goals for Safer by Design.
Green chemistry award for our production facility
Our E&I Semiconductor Technologies site in Hsinchu, Taiwan, was recognized with the 2020 Green Chemistry Application and Innovation Award by the Taiwan Environmental Protection Agency for improvements in green chemistry processes.
See all our Innovating Safer by Design Stories
Read more stories about how DuPont is innovating safety by design in our Stories Hub...
