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Efficiency and innovation have quietly embedded sustainability into the DNA of the chemical industry—long before the hype cycles and regulatory pressures. Mitch Toomey, VP of Sustainability and Responsible Care at the American Chemistry Council (ACC), joins host Victoria Meyer to discuss how sustainability priorities are shaped by business needs, customer expectations, and practical realities. Mitch shares his journey from management consulting to the United Nations, BASF, and now ACC, spotlighting the business case for sustainability and the real progress chemical companies are making in reducing emissions and waste, even as industry output grows.
The conversation explores how the expectations around sustainability have shifted, why incremental improvements and transparency matter, and how the value chain—spanning suppliers, manufacturers, and customers—is working together to deliver meaningful results. Mitch addresses common public misconceptions about the chemical industry, offers insights into aligning diverse member interests at ACC, and closes with advice for future leaders who want to make an impact across business and policy.
Victoria and Mitch explore the following topics on this episode:
- The business case for sustainability: how efficiency and profitability drive lasting change
- Why chemical companies focus on practical, measurable sustainability improvements.
- How chemistry shapes everyday life
- Aligning diverse players across the chemical value chain for real sustainability progress.
- Mitch Toomey’s advice on careers and impact in sustainable chemistry.
Killer Quote: “What’s a safe and sustainable facility is a profitable facility.” – Mitch Toomey
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Turning Industrial Efficiency into Real-World Sustainability with ACC’s Mitch Toomey
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In this episode of The Chemical Show, host Victoria Meyer talks with Mitch Toomey, Vice President of Sustainability and Responsible Care at the American Chemistry Council (ACC). Mitch brings a wealth of experience across the public and private sectors, including significant roles at the United Nations and BASF. Their conversation centers on why sustainability still matters in the chemical industry—and why it’s becoming more integral to how businesses operate and succeed.
Mitch shares how his career started in management consulting, focusing on improving business efficiencies. He noticed that eliminating waste and optimizing processes not only improved financial performance but also delivered non-financial benefits, like using less water or producing less waste. This perspective took him to the United Nations and eventually to leadership roles in the chemical industry, where he’s seen how chemistry touches almost every facet of modern life.
Throughout the episode, both Victoria and Mitch highlight a core idea: the chemical industry has always been about efficiency. Over time, the drive to reduce waste, lower emissions, and innovate for better resource use has become synonymous with sustainability. Mitch points to data from ACC’s Responsible Care program showing that, since 2017, emission intensity among member companies has decreased even as industry output has increased. This is tangible progress—companies are finding that what is safe and sustainable is also more profitable.
Victoria and Mitch also discuss the shifting landscape of sustainability. While the past few years saw tremendous hype and big goals around carbon reduction and sustainable products, today’s focus is more pragmatic. Companies are pushing for improvements where there’s clear business value, making changes step-by-step rather than chasing all-or-nothing transformations. The hype cycle may have faded, but real improvement continues.
Another important theme in the episode is industry alignment. With both large and small companies under the ACC umbrella, Mitch emphasizes that their role isn’t to force alignment, but to help members see the overall direction and find efficiencies that benefit everyone. He notes that advancing sustainability often means leveraging the core strengths of each business—producing high-value products with less waste, greater transparency, and improved safety.
The episode closes with leadership advice from Mitch. He encourages new industry professionals to focus on understanding concrete problems they want to solve, rather than getting lost in broad debates about sustainability. Progress comes from tackling specific issues and showing tangible improvements.
For anyone curious about how sustainability is shaping the future of chemicals—from business operations to public perception—this episode offers straightforward, practical insights from one of the industry’s key leaders.
About Mitch Toomey:
As Vice President of Sustainability and Responsible Care®, Mitch Toomey is responsible for leading strategic implementation of ACC’s world-class EHS&S performance initiative and executing the industry’s commitment to sustainability – through innovation, collaboration, and technologies that enhance the safety and environmental impacts of ACC member products and operations.
At ACC, Mitch is focused on strengthening industry’s role as a solutions provider across six key areas: monitoring and improving air quality; conserving and protecting drinking water; increasing product and process safety; reducing greenhouse gas emissions; expanding recycling; and enhancing the workforce.
Prior to joining ACC, Mitch served as Director of Sustainability for BASF Corporation, the world’s largest chemical company. Before BASF, Mitch spent more than 15 years with the United Nations and UN Development Programme, where he helped champion the UN global social responsibility and sustainability movement.