Green chemistry is of growing importance at CU Boulder.  Numerous initiatives benefiting green chemistry are in place on campus including those at links above and listed below.

  • The CU Boulder's EH&S department takes select hazardous waste streams and, using chemical reactions, transforms them to create non-hazardous waste. 
  • This February 2020 poster summarizes sustainability and green chemistry efforts in place in the Chemistry Department at CU Boulder including solvent recycling and green chemistry modifications to teaching lab experiments.
  • CU Green Labs promotes a green chemistry culture on campus and works in partnership with colleagues in EH&S and the Chemistry Department to implement efforts increasing green chemistry education opportunities, chemical reuse, and reduction of hazardous waste generation.

Actions for green chemistry and green chemistry education are not only being taken at an increasing number of universities across the nation, but also through organizations such as Beyond Benign, the American Chemical Society (ACS), and a working group of the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories. Even companies are stepping up and asking for a workforce trained in green chemsitry; this policy statement put out by the Green Chemistry and Commerce Council signed by companies such Johnson and Johnson, Dow Chemical and 31 other companies, is calling on “institutions of higher education to integrate green chemistry and sustainability principles into chemistry, engineering, science and business curricula.”