Manuscripts must be English (not more than 8000 words in length), and authors are invited to incorporate modifications derived from feedback at the forum discussion. To prepare their manuscripts, authors are asked to closely follow the “Instructions to Authors” which can be found on the Journal of Cleaner Production home page: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/30440/authorinstructions

Authors are invited to access and build upon the insights and wisdom of authors who have published in the JCLP. All papers will be rigorously, refereed by peer-reviewers.

Manuscript submission
To submit your article online, go to: http://ees.elsevier.com/jclepro. When asked to indicate the “Article Type” in the submission process, please select “Special Issue: Cleaner Production Initiatives and Challenges for a Sustainable World”. All papers will be handled through Elsevier’s EES system. Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication in any other journal.

Tentative schedule
Submission of full papers: 27 February 2012
Begin review and revision process: 10 March 2012
Submission of revised papers: 30 July 2012
Final decision notification: 29 October 2012
Publication of the Special Issue: 15 December 2012

For further information, or to discuss ideas for contributions, please contact any of the corresponding Guest-Editors. E-mail: specialissue-JCP@advancesincleanerproduction.net.

For complete details, http://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-cleaner-production/journal-news/call-for-papers-special-issue-on-cleaner-production-initiatives-and-challenges-for-a-sustainable-world/.

Time: 11:00 PT, 12:00 MT, 1:00 CT, 2:00 ET

Register: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/263356334

Presenters: Dr. Anahita Williamson, Director, New York State Pollution Prevention Institute & Kate Winnebeck, Senior Environment, Health & Safety Specialist, New York State Pollution Prevention Institute

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool used to quantify the environmental impacts of a product throughout the entire life cycle, from material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, and end of life. The inputs and outputs of the product life cycle are quantified and then translated to environmental impact. Results are commonly used to compare the environmental footprint of multiple products which perform the same function.

LCA results are useful for communicating the environmental impact of a product both internally and externally. Internally, LCA results allow those operations or materials which contribute significant environmental impact to be identified, allowing target future improvements to be targeted. Externally, LCA results can be used to validate marketing claims or compare the environmental impact of products by multiple manufacturers.  This webinar will focus on the LCA process and how LCA results can be used to drive sustainability. Case study examples will also be presented.

Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/677970906

OLYMPIA – A group of state environmental leaders from California, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Vermont, Washington, and the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) today praised Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-New Jersey and Sen. James M. Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, for conducting a hearing to help advance legislation that updates the 35-year-old Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
TSCA is the primary federal environmental law that regulates the safety of the tens of thousands of chemicals used every day in the United States.  Over the past several months leaders from industry, government and environmental groups have been working with the Senate to forge a major federal overhaul.

“I believe there has never been such broad agreement that TSCA needs to be fixed,” said Ted Sturdevant, Director of the Washington State Department of Ecology. “States urge Congress to establish a strong federal system that ensures the safety of chemicals in commerce.”

In the absence of an effective federal chemical safety law, states have stepped in to protect people and the environment. During the past eight years, 18 states have passed bipartisan supported legislation ranging from comprehensive chemical safety laws to bans on specific high-risk chemicals. For example, California recently joined 10 other states in banning Bisphenol A (BPA) from baby bottles and sippy cups.

“Federal leadership of chemical regulation policy is essential,” said Debbie Raphael, Director of California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control, part of the California Environmental Protection Agency. “While California is paving the way in terms of seeking alternatives for toxic chemicals in consumer products, we need a strong effort on a national scale, and we applaud this bipartisan effort.”

But most states do not have the capacity or expertise to set up individual chemical management programs to deal with the unintended consequences of problem chemicals in commerce. Of particular concern are the cleanup costs resulting from persistent bioaccumulative toxics, known as PBTs.

“Michigan strongly supports this legislative reform because states do not have the resources to develop 50 individual state chemical management plans across the country,” said Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Director Dan Wyant. “In Michigan, we are working to be leaders in green chemistry – creating new products and economic opportunities that make a difference in people’s lives.”

“The Environmental Council of the States supports TSCA reform and has articulated the points that the states believe need to be addressed in three resolutions adopted by the state environmental agencies’ leaders,” said Tom Burack, ECOS President and Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. “We are pleased to see bi-partisan interest in making improvements to this law, and look forward to working with Congress and others to achieve them.”

State legislatures have been active during the 2011 state legislative season. For example, New York is the first state to ban the use of “Chlorinated Tris” or tris(2-chloroethly) phosphate in children’s goods starting in 2013, and Connecticut is the nation’s first state to ban BPA from thermal paper in cash register receipts.  State legislatures meeting in 2012 are expected to continue addressing toxic chemical concerns.

###

Media Contacts:

Kathy Davis, Ecology media relations, 360-407-6149, kathy.davis@ecy.wa.gov

Ken Zarker, Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction, 360-407-6724, ken.zarker@ecy.wa.gov

State Environmental Contacts:

• Ted Sturdevant, Director, Washington State Department of Ecology; 360-407-7001

• Jim Marxen, California Environmental Protection Agency; 916- 324-6544

• Jay Apperson, Maryland Department of Environment; 410-537-3012
• Thomas Burack (Tom), ECOS President, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services; 603-271-2958
• Dan Wyant, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality; 517-373-7919
• Paul W. Aasen, Commissioner, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency; 651-757-2016

• David Mears, Commissioner, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation; 802-241-3808

For more information: Ecology’s Chemical Policy website: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/toxics/policy.htm

Ecology’s website: http://www.ecy.wa.gov

Ecology’s social media: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/about/newmedia.html

U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee: archived webcast:  http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_id=a2714f34-802a-23ad-4b23-3ba5732a0172

SCCP November 2011 Webinar (PDF)

The August 2, 2011 webinar introduced the Safer Chemistry Challenge Program (SCCP) and provided an overview of the program.

SCCP August 2011 Webinar (PDF)

Success stories are used to:

• Encourage companies to adopt pollution prevention and safer chemistry by showing real world examples.
• Identify technologies and techniques that were successful.
• Measure the effectiveness of pollution prevention and safer chemistry projects by quantifying chemical reductions, pollution reduction, money savings, and other benefits.
• Promote environmental performance beyond the industry standard.

Here is a standard template to use in developing your company’s success story.  Email the completed success story to saferchemistry@gmail.com for it to be posted with the other SCCP success stories.