Mark Rossi

Expertise

Toxics use reduction, pollution prevention, green chemistry, clean production, chemical footprinting

Research Interests

• International chemicals management implementation
• Industrial and financial sector chemical footprints and safer solutions
• Intersection of chemicals, plastics, circularity, biodiversity, and climate change
• Toxics use reduction, pollution prevention, green chemistry, clean production, and environmentally preferable purchasing

Education

• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Environmental Policy, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Master of Arts (M.A.), Environmental Policy, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, Tufts University
• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Philosophy, Muhlenberg College

Biosketch

Mark Rossi is a senior research associate at the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production (LCSP). He is a leader in creating innovative solutions to the challenges of hazardous chemicals in products, manufacturing operations, and supply chains.

Rossi led and co-created solutions for safer alternatives to chemical pollution from 2004-2025 as the co-director and then executive director at the non-profit environmental organization, Clean Production Action. Recognizing that no single organization can solve the complex problems of chemical pollution, he founded in 2006 the multi-stakeholder collaboration, BizNGO Working Group for Safer Chemicals and Sustainable Materials, to bring together business leaders, regulators, and environmentalists to co-create safer solutions.

In the search for reducing the complexity of finding safer alternatives to hazardous chemicals, Rossi led the development of and co-created the chemical hazard assessment method, GreenScreen® for Safer Chemicals in 2007, and the ecolabel standard, GreenScreen Certified® in 2017. Today, companies across the globe use GreenScreen to select safer chemicals and products in the building, electronics, retail, textile, health care, firefighting foam, apparel, and food service ware sectors. Seeing the need for a metric to track progress away from hazardous chemicals to safer solutions, he co-founded the Chemical Footprint Project (CFP) in 2014. The concept of chemical footprinting as defined by CFP is now integrated into the international Global Framework on Chemicals. With LCSP team members he has co-authored many research reports, including: Chemical Footprint Project annual reports (2016-2020); Alternatives to Methylene Chloride in Paint and Varnish Strippers (2015); Guidelines for Sustainable Plastics (2009); and Alternatives Assessment Framework of the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production (2006).

Selected Awards and Honors

• Massachusetts Advisory Committee to the Administrative Council on Toxics Use Reduction, appointed by the Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs (2012-2024)
• Fred Granek Memorial Pollution Prevention (P2) Ambassador Award, National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (2020)
• Environmental Merit Award for BizNGO, US Environmental Protection Agency Region I (2012)
• Scientific and Technology Achievement Award, US Environmental Protection Agency (2011)

Selected Publications

• Fong, A., McPherson, A., Rossi, M. and Rajan, K. (2024). Building a roadmap for safer and sustainable material chemistries: Addressing the PFAS problem through informatics and data-driven chemistry. MRS Energy & Sustainability 12:112-120.
• Maffini, M., Rayasam, S., Axelrad, D., Birnbaum, L., Cooper, C., Franjevic, S., MacRoy, P., NachmanKeeve, E., Patisaul, H., Rodgers, K., Rossi, M., Schettler, T., Solomon, G., and Woodruff, T. (2023). Advancing the science on chemical classes. Environ Health 21 (Suppl 1), 120.
• Geiser, K., Tickner, J., Edwards, S. and Rossi, M. (2015). The architecture of chemical alternatives assessment. Risk Analysis 35(12), 2152-2161.
• Rossi, M., Thorpe, B., and Peele, C. (2011). Business and advocacy organizations create a roadmap to safer chemicals. New Solutions, 21(3), 387-402.
• Rossi, M. (2014). The business case for knowing chemicals in products and supply chains. Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals.
• Rossi, M. and Blake, A. (2014). Plastics Scorecard: evaluating the chemical footprint of plastics. Clean Production Action.
• Rossi, M. Peele, C., and Thorpe, B. (2012). BizNGO guide to safer chemicals. Clean Production Action.
• Rossi, M. Peele, C., and Thorpe, B. (2011). BizNGO chemical alternatives assessment protocol. Clean Production Action.
• Lavoie, E. Heine, L., Holder, H., Rossi, M., Lee, R., Connor, E., Vrabel, M., DiFiore, D., and Davies, C. (2010). Chemical alternative assessments: enabling substitution to safer chemicals. Environmental Science & Technology, 44(24), 9244-9.
• Rossi, M. and Heine, L. (2007). GreenScreen for Safer Chemicals: evaluating flame retardants for TV enclosures. Clean Production Action.
• Thorpe, B. and Rossi, M. (2007). Require safer substitutes and solutions: making the substitution principle the cornerstone of sustainable chemical policies. New Solutions, 17(3), 177-192.
• Rossi, M. (2007). The Louisville Charter: a stronger chemicals policy. New Solutions, 17(3), 173-175.
• Rossi, M., Charon, S., Wing, G., and Ewell, J. (2006). Design for the next generation: incorporating cradle-to-cradle design into Herman Miller products. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 10(4), 193-210.
• Rossi, M., Tickner, J., and Geiser, K. (2006). Alternatives Assessment Framework, Lowell Center for Sustainable Production.
• Rossi, M., Tickner, J., Edwards, S., and Geiser, K. (2005). Designing safer alternatives: chemicals, materials and products. Lowell Center for Sustainable Production.
• Tickner, J., Schettler, T., Guidotti, T., McCally, M., and Rossi, M. (2001). Health risks posed by the use of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) in PVC medical devices: a critical review. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 39, 100-111.
• Rossi, M., Brown, H., and Baas, L. (editors) (2000). Greening of Industry Network special conference issue. Business Strategy and Environment, 9(5).
• Rossi, M., Brown, H., and Baas, L. (2000). Leaders in sustainable development: how agents of change define the agenda. Business Strategy and Environment, 9(5), 273-286.
• Norberg-Bohm, V. and Rossi, M. (1998). The power of incrementalism: environmental regulation and technological change in pulp and paper bleaching in the U.S. Technology Analysis and Strategic Management, 10(2), 225-245.
• Rossi, M. and Geiser, K. (1994). A proposal for managing chemical restrictions at the state level. Pollution Prevention Review, Spring, 209-220.
• Rossi, M., Ellenbecker, M., and Geiser, K. (1991). Techniques in toxics use reduction: from concept to action. New Solutions, 2(2), 25-32.