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MANILA,
Sept. 27 (PNA) - A new trend is emerging in the industrial technology
worldwide and one local firm is encouraging fellow companies to follow
suit to help save the environment from further degradation.
"Green
Chemistry" is slowly taking over the industrial trade. It is the use of
chemicals designed to reduce or eliminate negative environmental
impacts, with some innovations are available in the Philippines.
Green
chemistry is a new and highly effective approach to pollution
prevention and ecological degradation because it applies innovative
scientific solutions to real-world environmental situations, proceeding
from the concept that “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure.”
Chemical-manufacturer
Chemrez Technologies Inc., for one, is leading the way in producing raw
materials for making biodegradable plastic and water-based polyester
resin, MB BioMate BM-305 and Polycol Aqua respectively, especially
designed to lessen environmental pollution.
Use
of such products will ultimately result in reduced waste, less costly
end-of-the-pipe treatments, safer products, reduced use of energy and
resources and improved competitiveness of chemical manufacturers and
their customers.
Of the estimated 83,000 chemicals in global commerce, only a few hundred are "green" or environmentally-friendly.
Hundreds
of others accumulate in human bodies, build up in nature or are linked
to diseases such as cancer. For many of the rest, the risks are unknown
or uncertain.
And
with the voluminous innovations created in different parts of the world
every day, creating "green chemicals" is virtually easy. However,
insufficient investment and lack of training keep scientists from
embracing green chemistry and designing safer substitutes, even
synthetic ones, for the vast majority of compounds in use today.
To promote Green Chemistry in the country, Chemrez is launching the Chemrez Green Chemistry Awards.
It
consists of two categories, CHEMREZ Green Chemistry Special Award for
the general public, individuals or groups; profit or non-profit
organizations and the Sibol Special Award: CHEMREZ Green Chemistry
Award for students, individuals or groups, high school or college
level.
The winners will be announced coinciding with the Department of Science and Technology's National Inventors' Week in November.
The
Chemrez Green Chemistry Awards will provide national recognition of the
winning chemical technologies that incorporate the principles of green
chemistry into chemical design, manufacture, and use, and that have
been or can be utilized by industry and the public in achieving their
pollution prevention goals, with green chemistry processes and
principles.
The
CHEMREZ Green Chemistry Awards entries for both categories above will
be adjudged on the exhibit days from November 17-21. (PNA) |
