What is Green Chemistry?
This is a set of 12 principles aimed at reducing and eliminating the use and generation of hazardous materials. The principles can be incorporated into new product development, such as new drugs, and the focus is on industrial applications so the principles should be directly applicable to your business.
Briefly, the principles are:
- Prevention - safer than treating or cleaning up waste afterwards.
- Atom Economy - maximise the incorporation of all materials used in the process into the final product.
- Less Hazardous Chemical Synthesis - minimise the use and generation of toxic substances.
- Designing Safer Chemicals - minimise toxicity whilst maintaining the chemical’s functionality.
- Safer Solvents and Auxiliaries - solvents and separation agents should be made unnecessary, where possible.
- Design for Energy Efficiency - if possible, synthetic methods should be conducted at ambient temperature and pressure.
- Use of Renewable Feedstocks - preferable to depleting feedstocks, where possible.
- Reduce Derivatives - use of blocking groups, protection/deprotection, and temporary modification of physical/chemical processes should be minimised; such steps require additional reagents and can generate waste.
- Catalysis - catalytic reagents (as selective as possible) are superior to stoichiometric reagents.
- Design for Degradation - design chemical products so that they break down into innocuous products at the end of their function.
- Real-time Analysis for Pollution Prevention - analyse in real-time with in-process monitoring and control prior to the formation of hazardous substances.
- Inherently Safer Chemistry for Accident Prevention - choose substances to minimise the potential for chemical accidents, including releases, explosions and fires.
How can your company benefit?
- Financial savings through enhanced resource efficiency.
- Meeting the demand from the supply chain and end users for sustainability.
- Reduced costs associated with waste treatment and disposal.
- Better compliance with regulations and permit conditions (eg REACH and PPC).
- Enhanced public image of the chemical sector
How can you implement these principles into your business?
Try the online Green Chemistry Diagnostic Tool
See the guide GG679 Resource efficiency through green chemistry, download case studies from the publications page, or call the Advice Line for specific questions on 0800 585794.