EPA/OPPTS/OPPT/Design for the Environment

Partnerships for a Cleaner Future

The Design for the Environment (DfE) program is one of EPA's premier partnership programs, working with individual industry sectors to compare and improve the performance and human health and environmental risks and costs of existing and alternative products, processes, and practices. DfE partnership projects promote integrating cleaner, cheaper, and smarter solutions into everyday business practices.

EPA also supports using "benign by design" principles in the design, manufacture, and use of chemicals and chemical processes—a concept known as "green chemistry." EPA's Green Chemistry Program promotes the research, development, and implementation of innovative chemical technologies that prevent pollution in both a scientifically sound and cost-effective manner. In addition, EPA's emerging Green Engineering Program strives to help academia introduce a "green" philosophy into undergraduate chemical engineering curricula. The DfE Program works with these and other related programs.

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New Publications

The report, "Environmental Profiles of Chemical Flame-Retardant Alternatives for Low-Density Polyurethane Foam," is now available. This report contains a summary of the environmental and human health attributes of selected flame retardants as alternatives to pentabromodiphenyl ether (pentaBDE).

The Solders in Electronics: A Life-Cycle Assessment (full report) and LCA summary document are now available. This report contains the results of an evaluation of the potential environmental impacts of selected lead-free solders as alternatives to tin-lead solder.