Reactions: Sustainable chemistry

Letters to the editor

Sustainable chemistry

“Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy” ignited celebration among scientists for its support of a more sustainable future. However, research often requires the production and use of potentially harmful chemicals and generates literal tons of trash, contradicting the visions and ideals of sustainability-minded scientists. Scientists need to advocate for sustainability action at the regulatory level to reduce negative impacts of research, including resource use, chemical factory pollution, waste treatment by-products, and other areas beyond the scope of a scientist’s lab bench.

Pilot studies have explored research sustainability through “reduce, reuse, recycle” approaches by focusing on individual- and lab-scale waste production. Unfortunately, a focus on personal sustainability risks overshadowing the outsize impacts of industrially sized participants throughout the research life cycle.

We need to address how companies we rely on for research supplies upstream in the research life cycle are among the top 100 contaminators of air and water with a history of unsustainable activities that risk the health of communities and water sources. Continuing in the life cycle, hazardous waste and wastewater treatment facilities downstream in research’s life cycle are undersupported, ranking D+ on the 2021 Infrastructure Report Card.

We ask that scientists expand their definitions of science sustainability. While we need industrial producers and suppliers, we have an obligation to support civic action that reduces their negative impact. We cannot trade environmental and social sustainability for harmful business-​as-usual research practices.

Scientists have political avenues to drive change. Despite judicial restrictions on the US Environmental Protection Agency’s oversight and barriers to climate change legislation, state legislatures and municipal decision makers are very active and responsive to local constituency priorities. Scientists can develop collaborative relationships with decision makers to use their scientific expertise to guide sustainability legislation and regulation for research stakeholders. Centering sustainability can lead to sustainable research practices to help protect communities. While this may seem daunting, many professional and political organizations help guide scientists at all experience levels through local and federal action. While we cannot avoid all the hazards inherent in scientific research, ensuring that scientists are an active part of civic society can help minimize the harms that science as a system sometimes requires.

Griffin McCutcheon (Detroit) and Caitlyn A. Hall
(Tucson, Arizona)