The 2025 Connections Collection: Green Chemistry Ideas in Action

Welcome to your all-access hub for Beyond Benign’s 2025 Connections Collection — a curated library of recorded talks from inspiring leaders across the global green chemistry community. This page is your go-to resource for discovering fresh ideas, practical tools, and innovative strategies you can use in your classroom, lab, or organization.

Think of this as a series designed to support and energize your work. Each video session offers a unique perspective on how green chemistry is being applied to tackle real-world challenges and shape a healthier, safer future. Whether you’re an educator, researcher, or industry professional, you’ll find actionable takeaways and new inspiration here.

The recordings featured here are drawn from the 2024–2025 Green Chemistry Connections webinar series. To be the first to know about upcoming sessions, register for alerts here.

EXPLORE THE COLLECTION

Community Touchpoint: Introducing the 2024-2025 Green Chemistry Connections Team With Dr. John Warner

In the season’s kick-off, we hear from Dr. John Warner, co-founder of Beyond Benign and the field of green chemistry, alongside the team behind the 2024-2025 series: Sara Catingan, Jasmine Hong, Gagan Daliaho, Tessa Faulks, Adele Mastroyannis, Sarah Boudreau, and Michelle Pains Duarte.

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Green Chemistry Toward a Circular Economy

Green chemistry is a key driver in building a circular economy—one that designs out waste, keeps materials in use, and supports regenerative systems. In this session, interdisciplinary leaders in industry, research, and education share how they’re applying green chemistry principles to close the loop.

New Paradigms in Organic Waste Processing | Dr. Colin Barrow, Deakin Distinguished Professor and Chair of Biotechnology at Deakin University.
Insights on the Circular Economy and Green Chemistry | Dr. Edward Buckingham, Professor of Management at Monash Business School and Program Director for the Master in Business Innovation at Monash Indonesia.
Green Chemistry Through a Blue BioTech Lens | Dr. Peter Ralph, Professor of Marine Biology at the University of Technology Sydney.
Quantum Materials and the Circular Economy | Dr. Qin Li, Professor of Environmental Engineering at Griffith University.

Lab Safety: Not-So-Scary Alternatives

How can green chemistry help create healthier, safer learning environments? In this session, education and lab-safety leaders share real-world applications for K-12 and higher-ed classrooms.

Not-So-Scary Lab Safety Alternatives | Dr. Elizabeth Braun, Director of Educational Content and Learning at the Laboratory Safety Institute.
Lab Safety and Green Chemistry for High School Students | Cassie Lydon (White Bear Lake High School, Beyond Benign Certified Lead Teacher) and Cassie Javner (Shakopee High School, Beyond Benign Certified Lead Teacher).
Safety through the lens of Green Chemistry | Dr. Jane Wissinger, Professor Emerita of the University of Minnesota.

Presentations From the 2024 LatinXChem Green Chemistry Poster Winners

Beyond Benign was proud to sponsor the green chemistry awards at the 2024 LatinXChem event, which invites Latin American chemists from across the world to share their research in a virtual forum. We were thrilled to welcome the green chemistry award winners to Green Chemistry Connections to share their research.

Low-Cost and Benign Syngonnium-Derived Biochar as Catalyst in Furfural Conversion | Vinicius Madriaga, PhD student in chemistry at the Universidade Federal Fluminense.
Karen Michelle Coutiño Melchor Shares Her Award-Winning Project in Green Chemistry | Karen Michelle Coutiño Melchor, student at the National Technological Institute of Mexico.
LatinXChem: A Latin American Perspective to Share and Discuss Chemistry | Dr. Gustavo Mondragón-Solórzano, Postdoctoral Research Associate at Northeastern University.

Biomimicry and Nanotechnology for Green and Sustainable Chemistry

From the structure of leaves to the iridescence of butterfly wings, nature offers powerful design blueprints for solving complex challenges. In this session, researchers and educators explore the nanoscale and nanotechnology for green and sustainable chemistry alongside the brilliance of biomimicry.

Biomimetic Materials | Dr. Terry Turner, CTO of Sonic Essentials Pty Ltd. and Micronisers Australasia Pty Ltd.
Biomimicry Education at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria | Sally Fierenzi, Learning Innovation Programs Officer at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria.
Mimicking Coloration in Nature | Olivia Faye-Dickinson, PhD Researcher at the University of Bath.

Green Chemistry Outreach and the Student Journey

How can educators and graduate students promote a more sustainable future? By inspiring the next generation of green chemists. In this conversation, educators and graduate students explore methods to engage students through green chemistry concepts—motivating them to tackle environmental challenges and gain the skills they need to drive innovation in a rapidly changing world.

Efficacy of Green Chemistry Outreach Program for Middle-Year Students | Adele Mastroyannis, PhD Researcher in Marine Biotechnology at Flinders University and high school teacher in science and mathematics.
A Smashing Good Time: High School Mechanochemistry Outreach With TAMU’s SMASH Program | EJ Broker, PhD Candidate at Texas A&M University and instructor at the Smash Chemistry Youth Adventure Program Summer Camp.
Sustainable, Authentic Science Research for High School Students | Dr. Julian Silverman, Assistant Professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology, advisor with Harrison High School’s Research Program, and an Associate Board Member at New York Sunworks.
Translating Innovation Into Education | Janie Butler, Education and Workforce Development Specialist at The Good Food Institute and CEO of Science Done Sustainably.

Health and Pollutants

From air pollution to forever chemicals, pollution continues to pose serious risks to human and environmental health. In this session, scientists and researchers explore how green chemistry can help reduce exposure, improve public health, and spark innovation—from PFAS remediation to toxicology-informed risk assessment.

PFAS Soil Washing – How Low Can You Go! | Charles Grimison, Technical Director at Ventia.
Turning PFAS Contamination Into Battery Innovation | Dr. Xiao Tan, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Queensland.
Air Quality, Smoke, and Health | Dr. Amanda Wheeler, Senior Research Scientist in the CSIRO Environmental Research Unit.
The Link Between Climate Change, Toxicology, and Risk Assessment of Chemical Exposures | Dr. Paul Wright, Associate Professor of Immunotoxicology and Unit Leader of Toxicology in the School of Medical Sciences at RMIT University.

Systems Thinking, Sustainability, and Circularity Teaching Tools

Educators are finding creative ways to embed sustainability, systems thinking, and circularity into the chemistry curriculum. In this conversation, speakers highlight tools and strategies for engaging students. Watch the recordings to learn about student engagement at Texas Woman’s University, My Green Lab’s Freezer Challenge, equity in STEM, and more.

Driving Change: Green Chemistry for a Sustainable Future | Dr. John Beatty, Assistant Professor in the Division of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Texas Woman’s University.
Sustainability and Systems Thinking in Green Chemistry Education | Peter Mahaffy, Professor of Chemistry at The King’s University and Dr. Alisha Szozda, Postdoctoral Fellow at Carleton University and Chief Moderator of the Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning Community.
Sustainability, Circularity, and Green Chemistry | Christina Greever-Wilson, Director of Communities at My Green Lab.

ARC Training Centre for Green Chemistry in Manufacturing

The ARC Training Centre for Green Chemistry in Manufacturing is transforming and revitalizing Australian Manufacturing through the adoption of green and sustainable chemical technologies. In this session, the center’s director and three PhD students share how they’re bridging research and industry to accelerate real-world impact.