The GC3 Innovators Roundtable is a highly collaborative conference that provides many benefits to attendees and accelerates the adoption of green chemistry

There are many reasons why I like the GC3 Innovators Roundtable. Apart from catching up with friends and peers, I also get to be with like-minded people who care deeply about green chemistry and sustainability. There are many other benefits such as:

Different industries attend, which increases the learning opportunities for attendees

It convenes many stakeholders including the chemical industry, manufacturers, trade associations, brands and retailers. These range from start-up companies to very mature organizations.

GC3 provides connectivity between supply chain actors and that facilitates conversations between seekers and solution providers. (It’s all about networking!)

GC3 is seen as a “go to” resource for technical discussions and a convener for action. For example, the preservatives project Guidance document, developed by a GC3 working group, is used by many organizations on their quest to develop and use safer preservatives.

An overview of the 2019 GC3 Innovators Roundtable

A prelude to the two-day GC3 Innovators Roundtable was the Startup Network Technology Showcase. Ten preselected start-up finalists presented their technologies to the audience. A panel of judges chose three finalists to present in a “shark tank” scenario at the main GC3 event. The three finalists were

• Akron Ascent Innovations who has a new adhesive technology platform, providing removability and reusability of adhesives on a wide range of surfaces.
• Colorifix has engineered new colorants for textile dyes using agricultural by-products, which result in a reduction in harmful chemicals in textile dyeing. I have previously blogged about this technology and am glad to see that it continues to gain traction.
• Visolis has developed new “platform chemicals” from a variety of biomass feedstocks, which can be drop-in replacement chemicals in many different industries.

The GC3 always has a selection of keynote speakers, panel discussions and working sessions, all followed by Q&A. This year, I identified the following themes.

Progress trumps perfection

From Proctor and Gamble’s new Tide Eco box packaging to Allbirds sustainable insoles made from greener materials, both small and large companies, panels and keynote speakers are adhering to this approach.

Making progress and publicly sharing sustainability goals and successes can inspire and encourage others to follow suit. There are huge sustainability challenges, such plastics reduction and our dependence on non-renewable resources, so share successes rather than strive for perfection. Others will be inspired and maybe creativity will be sparked.

Open source accelerates impact

More and more companies are sharing their data and assessment tools and moving towards open platforms. Without mentioning specifics, there were examples of companies sharing their datasets and chemical assessment tools to accelerate impact and scale.

A benefit of this approach is much improved transparency, which is a critical enabler of sustainability.

Chemicals from renewable resources

Admittedly, this was a green chemistry conference, but the number of companies developing new chemicals and materials from renewable resources using sugar, bacteria, yeast and fermentation seem to be increasing at warp speed. I wrote a post about some of the innovations in my Circular Textile Series.

Finally I would reiterate the collaborative environment, networking and learning prospects that flourish from attending a GC3 Innovators Roundtable.

Impacts to your business?

Questions to consider:

• Do you attend conferences to help inform your sustainability strategies?
• Are you seeking and developing more environmentally-conscious products?

For help with any issue associated with sustainability, circularity and chemicals, contact Amanda Cattermole at (415) 412 8406 or Amanda@cattermoleconsulting.com. We can help you develop powerful solutions to protect your company and brand reputation, which will result in safer products manufactured in cleaner supply chains.

Tips and Insights contains information to help you make informed chemical management decisions. Each post highlights a particular topic and includes questions you may want to consider for your business.