The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the winners of the 2024 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards, recognizing innovative green chemistry technologies that minimize hazardous substances, conserve energy, and promote sustainability.
PhoSul LLC, based in Sugar City, Idaho, was awarded for its phosphate fertilizer production process. This process avoids the use of hazardous chemicals and reduces waste emissions typically associated with traditional phosphate fertilizers. The EPA highlighted PhoSul LLC's efforts to eliminate strong acids, heavy metals, and radioactive materials from their production method.
“I’m proud to recognize this year’s Idaho-based Green Chemistry Challenge Award winner PhoSul LLC,” said EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller. “Thanks to this company’s fertilizer production innovations, we’re finding new ways to prevent pollution and protect human health while supporting our farming economy.”
An independent panel of technical experts from the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute evaluated the 2024 submissions and provided recommendations to the EPA. The award ceremony is being held today in New York as part of Climate Week NYC.
The EPA is currently accepting nominations for the 2025 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. Companies or institutions with new green chemistry processes or products that help protect human health and the environment are encouraged to apply by December 13, 2024.
Since its inception over 25 years ago, the EPA has honored 144 technologies through these awards. These winning technologies have significantly reduced hazardous chemicals and resource usage, cut costs, and protected public health. Collectively, they have reduced nearly one billion pounds of hazardous chemicals, saved over 20 billion gallons of water, and eliminated almost eight billion pounds of carbon dioxide equivalents from being released into the atmosphere.
For more information on the 2024 winners and details about the EPA’s Green Chemistry Challenge, visit their website.
