We all know that the many wonderful products we use in our daily life cause a lot of waste to be generated and accumulated due to age-old manufacturing practices. It is sad that this waste is piling up and we do not have adequate resources to recycle it. And when we try to do it, we only end up with another pile of waste.

It is at this point that the idea of green chemistry comes handy. When chemical products are designed keeping in mind the principles of green chemistry and E-factor, the enormous amount of waste produced by the industry can be kept under control.‘Recycle at Source’ should be the motto.

To elaborate this point, Dr. Komal Maheshwari from Newreka will be making a presentation at the upcoming conference. She will speak on “Recycle at Source” at the 14th Annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference, which will be held at the The Capital Hilton, Washington, DC from June 21 to 23. The presentation will emphasize how Green Chemistry and Engineering-based solutions can be applied to recycling processes. Synthesis and catalysis with green chemicals reduce waste in the system which is otherwise disposed off after primary/secondary treatment as effluent and is the biggest source of water pollution. Dr. Komal Maheswari is the Green R&D Manager at Newreka, where she, in her own words, does fundamental research that can change the way traditional chemists think about chemistry.

As the prestigious Annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference (GC & E) rides its way back into the heartland of green chemistry with a fitting theme in its 14th Annual Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference, a few thoughts on quality are rightly set to take the center-stage. The conference will pull thousands of professionals from different walks of the broad spectrum of this industry towards downtown Washington, DC between June 21 and 23, 2010.

At a time when the Indian green chemistry industry has stamped its credentials across the globe, the need and efforts for regulations, new technologies and its applications in consonance with international norms in the sector will be the key topics enveloping the conference. Rightly, its theme ‘Innovation and Application’ will spur these attempts as industrialists, researchers, chemists, industrial green chemical experts, students, entrepreneurs and scientists will be milling the venue – Capital Hilton, Washington, DC.

This year’s conference will focus on more than twenty areas of green chemistry and green engineering including the topics: Biofuels, Environmental health sciences, Biomimicry, International activities, Education, Pharmaceuticals, Energy, Sustainable Design Concepts, Entrepreneurship and Supply Chain Management. Last year’s conference attracted more than 400 attendees from 17 countries around the globe and according to the conference producers, this year’s conference will see even more people. This year, the world famous environmentalist, author and entrepreneur Paul Hawken, and US Congressman, John Tierney (D-MA) , author of the “Green Jobs” bill will present the key note addresses. There will be a full day of programs for undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral green chemistry and engineering students. The 2010 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards are also something to look forward to. The winners will announced on the June 21.

The event would help the participants identify the various impediments to the growth and functioning of the industry by providing a unique platform to interact and network with the industry and policy makers. It would also help Indian companies like Newreka to showcase the Indian capabilities in the sectors and invite global investors to invest in these upcoming sectors in the country.

So let’s keep our fingers crossed!