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Purchasing System

Green Chemical Alternatives Purchasing Wizard

The Green Chemical Alternatives Purchasing Wizard is intended as a tool to reduce the hazardous waste profile in research labs, an effort that ultimately saves MIT, and its researchers, money while reducing hazard potentials and the burden to our environment. It is supported by Executive Vice President Curry's Fall 2003 Institute-wide purchasing policy, which identified environmentally preferable purchasing as a sound method for saving money while maintaining MIT's reputation for superior research. It is further supported by MIT’s requirement under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to identify opportunities for minimizing waste and MIT’s Pollution Prevention Program.

The Green Chemical Alternatives Purchasing Wizard is funded under the US Environmental Protection Agency’s People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) grant program, the MIT Department of Chemistry Paul Cook Innovation Fund, and the MIT Environmental Programs / EHS Headquarters Office .

What the Green Chemical Alternatives Wizard does

The Green Chemical Alternatives Purchasing Wizard is a web-based tool. The wizard is a guided process that allows the user to search from a select list of solvents commonly used in the laboratory, and the associated process. The Wizard identifies less hazardous and more environmentally benign chemicals or processes that may be substituted, and provides journal references as well as URLs to information that is available online. Users may print article information or have email sent with the URL for the article reference.

Who can use the Green Chemical Alternatives Purchasing Wizard


The Green Chemical Alternatives Purchasing Wizard is available to anyone with Internet access. The Wizard runs on both Mac and PC. To run the Wizard, you will need a Macromedia Flash player, which may be downloaded for free.

Links to MIT’s Purchasing System, however, are only accessible to members of the MIT community with certificates.

How to use the Green Chemical Alternatives Purchasing Wizard

Click on the link below to access the Wizard. Choose one of four methods to start your search:

  • By the chemical you wish to replace
  • By the process you wish to replace or modify
  • By an alternative chemical you may have heard or read about, or
  • By an alternative process you may have heard or read about

Click here to access the Green Chemical Alternatives Purchasing Wizard

Click here to download the Green Chemical Alternatives Purchasing Wizard Help Guide


Send requests for information to greenchem@mit.edu. If you need assistance in the purchase and use of less hazardous alternatives, please contact your department EHS Coordinator or the EHS office at 617-452-EHSS (3477).



MIT's Commitment
Reduce Recycle and More
Environmental Programs
Also of Interest

 

Tips for Sustainable Solvent Practices (PDF)

Generic Solvents Alternative Guide (PDF)

SciFinder Scholar


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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Environment, Health and Safety Office
Building N52-496
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307

ext-2-EHSS
617-452-3477

environment@mit.edu