The Chemical Life Cycle Collaborative (CLiCC) is funded by the US Environmental Protection Agency's Network for Characterizing Chemical Life Cycle (NCCLC) program . The primary objective of this collaborative is to develop, implement and disseminate an open-access, online tool for rapid and efficient characterization of chemical life-cycle impacts. The CLiCC tool is being developed to evaluate life-cycle impacts for chemicals and materials at an early stage of the chemical product development process, when the precise manufacturing routes and fates of the products are still uncertain.
Specifically, the CLiCC tool will (1) enable rapid, high-throughput screening of life-cycle impacts for new chemicals; (2) provide a platform for accessing, generating and sharing information on the life-cycle impacts of chemicals; and (3) expand life cycle thinking in emerging professionals, high school students and the general public through highly accessible, targeted modules. An international network that includes academic and industry partners will collaborate to develop the tool. Participants from a range of established and start-up companies will conduct pilot studies using a beta version of the CLiCC tool, providing feedback on its effectiveness, ease of use, and need for further improvements.