Innovative chemicals and materials can offer marked improvements in the quality of life in both technologically advanced and developing nations. The industrial promise of these materials often accelerates their commercialization, and malignant environmental & health effects are not realized until the materials are in widespread use and well distributed in the natural world. Government regulations and product bans result in costly remediation efforts, which can quickly outweigh lifetime profits of the material (e.g., DDT, PCBs, asbestos, and flame retardants). This model is neither economically or environmentally sustainable, and it is critical that we begin to incorporate environmental objectives at the design stage of new materials. The carbon nanotube (CNT) industry is poised for rapid expansion and many labs at MIT are directly involved in the advancement of the synthetic processes. We have been working closely with these materials scientists to monitor the gaseous co-products of CNT manufacture and evaluate the implications of their release to the environment. In this way, we endeavor to select synthetic conditions that minimize environmental impact and maximize product performance. By co-optimizing for environmental and performance objectives during the design phase of this industrially important chemical, we can protect human & ecological health, as well as the monetary investment in this new product. It is our hope that this work will not only ensure the safe and conscientious advancement of the carbon nanotube industry, but also serve as a model for the early development of future materials: environmental & materials scientists working together to increase the commercial lifetime of the target product and protect the natural world.