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The global market for green chemistry is expected to boom from $11 billion in 2015 to about $100 billion by 2020, according to data from the American Sustainable Business Council and the Green Chemistry and Commerce Council. While challenges remain -- notably around building a consensus about what "green" chemistry really means -- consumers are increasingly demanding safer and more sustainable products. "In a nutshell, the green chemistry market is poised for takeoff," writes Libby Bernick. GreenBiz.com (5/6)  

Starting Oct. 1, California's Safer Consumer Products law (also called the Green Chemistry Initiative) goes into effect, with the goal of making hundreds of commonplace consumer items safer -- from shampoos and cosmetics to cleaning supplies and food packaging.

The American Chemical Society's Green Chemistry Institute launched the Hydraulic Fracturing Roundtable, a consortium for businesses to explore sound chemical use in operations and sustainable alternatives to materials commonly used in natural gas exploration. Founding member companies include Apache, Dow Chemical, Marathon Oil, Nalco Holding, Rockwater Energy Solutions, and Trican Well Svc. Companies may sign on as founding members until December 31.

After new chemistry policies from the like of Target, Walmart and Kaiser Permanente, the economics of green alternatives are increasingly favorable.

Retail giant Target has announced its commitment to reducing harmful chemicals from its products and investing in green chemistry with the release of a new chemical strategy that covers its entire value chain, operations and products.

Three new goals to enhance the circular economy for plastics and reduce packaging waste have been announced by leading U.S. plastic producers including BASF, Dow, DuPont and Braskem. Together as part of the American Chemistry Council (ACC)'s Plastics Division, 15 leading resin manufacturers and an affiliated trade association have strengthened their commitments to capturing, recycling and recovering plastics.

Walmart announced in April that it has removed 95 percent of the 10 highest priority chemicals targeted by its pioneering Sustainable Chemistry Policy. This is striking progress, as Walmart announced its goal to eliminate these chemicals just two years ago.

Walmart sent a letter to its suppliers outlining its new sustainable chemistry policy, which seeks to curtail the use of substances that are hazardous to human health and the environment. The policy was developed over several years in consultation with the Environmental Defense Fund and other stakeholders.

Green cleaning products are no longer a niche interest, with many consumers willing to pay a little extra to pick up chemical-free or otherwise eco-friendly cleaning products, writes Stephen Ashkin. That shift is partly due to the rise of eco-labels and certification programs, which helped cleaning companies slice through the complexities of green chemistry. "With the advent of certification, standards and ecolabels, buyers have been given more tools to choose appropriate products," Ashkin explains.

Mountaintop-removal mining is changing water chemistry and harming fish stocks in the Appalachians, federal researchers say. "We're seeing significant reductions in the number of fish species and total abundance of fish downstream from mining operations," says biologist Nathaniel Hitt.

The pharmaceutical giant's czar of all things health, safety and sustainability talks overhauling supply chains.