Lauren Heine photo Lauren Heine

Interim Executive Director, Northwest Green Chemistry
Webinar: Chemical Hazard Assessment - Informing Decisions for Safer Chemicals, Materials, and Products

Through her work with Northwest Green Chemistry and beyond, Dr. Lauren Heine enhances human and environmental health by applying the principles and practices of green chemistry, green engineering and multi-stakeholder collaboration leading to systemic changes and innovation in business, products and processes. She co-authored and led the development of GreenScreen for Safer Chemicals, a method for comparative chemical hazard assessment currently used by a growing number of large manufacturers of products ranging from chemicals to electronics, apparel and footwear. As an author for the university textbook, Introduction to Environmental Engineering 3rd ed., she integrated sustainability and green design concepts. For the OECD, she drafted the report Policy Principles for Sustainable Materials Management. Lauren served on the California Green Ribbon Science Panel and worked closely with the USEPA Design for the Environment Program (DfE) and stakeholders to develop the DfE Criteria for the Safer Choice Program and Criteria for Alternatives Assessment. She served as technical advisor for the Interstate Chemicals Clearinghouse Alternatives Assessment Guide. She co-chaired the buyers tool development subcommittee for Wal-Mart’s Chemical Intensive Products Network. From 2003-2007, she created and led the development CleanGredients™, a web-based information platform for identifying greener chemicals in partnership with DfE. Lauren co-founded the Zero Waste Alliance in Portland, OR. Prior to that, Lauren was a Fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science in the Green Chemistry Program at the US EPA and taught Organic Chemistry labs at Bowdoin College. Lauren publishes and speaks frequently on green chemistry metrics, alternatives assessment and science-based multi-stakeholder processes. Lauren earned her doctorate in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Duke University.