From Innovation to Impact: Scaling Sustainable Chemistry in the Formulated Household and Commercial Products

The formulation of cleaning products with high bio-based content can be challenging because they typically contain ethoxylated surfactants made from ethylene oxide (EO) derived from petroleum. However, the recently established production of EO from corn-based ethanol in the US has enabled the manufacture of alcohol ethoxylates, polysorbates, PEG’s and other EO derivatives with very high bio-based content while maintaining the traditional performance of these ingredients. Croda has now utilized this bio-based EO along with other plant-based ingredients to develop a new thickening agent for use in household care formulations. The new thickener is an easy-to-handle polymer/surfactant liquid blend that can be added to home care formulations like laundry and hand dishwash liquids without need for pH adjustment or pre-solubilization. The thickening performance is provided by a highly ethoxylated ester-based polymer technology that is pre-solubilized with a custom designed alcohol ethoxylate. The resulting liquid blend can be added directly to surfactant-rich home care formulations to give cold processable, thickened products. By starting with plant sourced raw materials in combination with Croda’s bio-based ethylene oxide, the resulting blend is produced with a bio-based content of 97%. The blend provides a sustainable and effective thickening option for laundry, dishwash, and other surfactant rich products, particularly for high nonionic formulations where salt thickening is not possible.

Betamethyl valerolactone (BMVL) can be prepared through the biochemical transformation of sugar to mevalonate followed by thermochemical conversion. This cyclic ester can be efficiently converted to polyesters by ring opening transesterification polymerization at low temperatures using simple and recyclable catalysts. Due to its structure BMVL has low ring-strain and thus a low ceiling temperature. Thus, the corresponding polymer can be thermally depolymerized and returned the monomer that can then be repolymerized. Moreover, the aliphatic nature of the polyesters produced render them susceptible to industrial composting that can convert the aliphatic polyesters to carbon dioxide and water, the building blocks for plant sugars through photosynthesis, through the action of microorganisms. In this presentation, I will discuss applications of BMVL in the preparation of polyester polyols for polyurethanes, polyester soft segments for multiblock polymers, and reactive polyesters for additive manufacturing. In each case, I will highlight the salient sustainability aspects of this versatile biobased monomer.

Addressing the growing global plastic waste crisis requires practical and scalable recycling strategies. Current recycling technologies suffer from high energy and economic costs due to inefficient sorting and separation, while the inherent incompatibility among mixed plastics leads to poor thermo-mechanical properties. To overcome these challenges, my research explores two different approaches toward a universal compatibilization strategy for mixed plastics. In the first method, a reactive singlet nitrene is employed to compatibilize mixed plastics through covalent bond formation, and the presence of dynamic siloxane motif enables reprocessability for up to three cycles while maintaining mechanical performances. In the second method, pre-synthesized polymers containing dynamic Diels-Alder bonds enable in situ exchange and entanglement of different polymers during processing. Together, these strategies provide a pathway to transform mixed plastic waste into high-value, mechanically robust, and reprocessable materials, offering a scalable and energy-efficient solution to global plastic waste.

As consumer awareness for chemical safety rises and regulatory expectations evolve, manufacturers need reliable ways to screen out chemicals that pose long-term business and compliance risks. However, design and formulation decisions are often constrained by fragmented hazard information that is also technical in nature. Pharos is a publicly accessible, independent chemical hazard database that supports formulators and product developers in identifying known hazards, comparing safer alternatives.
This presentation will demonstrate how to improve products by leveraging aggregated regulatory lists, academic research, and private company chemical policies in a simple framework that categorizes hazard data by human health and environmental endpoints.
By integrating easy to interpret hazard information into formulation workflows, manufacturers move beyond reactive compliance toward proactive, future-proof formulation design. Attendees will leave with actionable insights on how hazard screening tools can accelerate sustainable chemistry adoption.

Creating high-performing, cost-efficient products that meet customer expectations and deliver shareholder value is central to every formulated products company. At the same time, consumer awareness of product safety has increased significantly. Companies are now expected to meet performance, cost, and safety requirements to avoid liability and reputational risk.
As the list of chemicals of concern continues to grow, many companies struggle to determine where to focus their efforts to transition away from substances that pose risks to human and environmental health. Change Chemistry is a business-to-business collaborative that supports companies across the value chain in adopting safer, more sustainable chemicals.
Working with member companies in the paints and coatings value chain, Change Chemistry has developed a prioritization framework that enables collaborative action to identify the highest-hazard and highest-risk chemicals within product portfolios. This approach allows stakeholders—from chemical manufacturers to retailers—to align on shared priorities and develop targeted action plans that accelerate substitution toward safer alternatives.
This talk will describe the framework and its impact on helping the paints and coatings value chain transition away from chemicals of concern and deliver safer products for consumers.

This session presents a practical, end-to-end case study of how AlEn USA develops EPA Safer Choice-certified cleaning products—from initial consumer insight through formulation, packaging design, regulatory approval, and final manufacturing. The talk will highlight how sustainability is embedded at every stage of development, including AlEn’s vertically integrated recycling facility, which enables the company to produce its own post-consumer recycled (PCR) packaging.