We are ware that the design of a green product should adhere to the principles of green chemistry originally published by Paul Anastas and John Warner in “Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice” (Oxford University Press: New York, 1998).

1. Prevent Waste
  Design chemical syntheses to prevent waste, leaving no waste to treat or clean up.
2. Design safer chemicals and products
  Design chemical products to be fully effective, yet have little or no toxicity.
3. Design less hazardous chemical syntheses
  Design syntheses to use and generate substances with little or no toxicity to humans and the environment.
4. Use renewable feedstocks
  Use raw materials and feedstocks that are renewable rather than depleting. Renewable feedstocks are often made from agricultural products or are the wastes of other processes; depleting feedstocks are made from fossil fuels (petroleum, natural gas, or coal) or are mined.
5. Use catalysts, not stoichiometric reagents
  Minimize waste by using catalytic reactions. Catalysts are used in small amounts and can carry out a single reaction many times. They are preferable to stoichiometric reagents, which are used in excess and work only once.
6. Avoid chemical derivatives
  Avoid using blocking or protecting groups or any temporary modifications if possible. Derivatives use additional reagents and generate waste.
7. Maximize atom economy
  Design syntheses so that the final product contains the maximum proportion of the starting materials. There should be few, if any, wasted atoms.
8. Use safer solvents and reaction conditions
  Avoid using solvents, separation agents, or other auxiliary chemicals. If these chemicals are necessary, use innocuous chemicals.
9. Increase energy efficiency
Run chemical reactions at ambient temperature and pressure whenever possible.
10. Design chemicals and products to degrade after use
Design chemical products to break down to innocuous substances after use so that they do not accumulate in the environment.
11. Analyze in real time to prevent pollution
Include in-process real-time monitoring and control during syntheses to minimize or eliminate the formation of byproducts.
12. Minimize the potential for accidents
Design chemicals and their forms (solid, liquid, or gas) to minimize the potential for chemical accidents including explosions, fires, and releases to the environment.
We are also aware that Professor James Clark of the University of York (www.greenchemistry.net) states that:
“Green chemistry is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances”, and,
“Green Chemistry is the discovery and application of new chemistry/technology leading to prevention/reduction of environmental, health and safety impacts at source.”
The aim is to analyse the environmental impact of the Life Cycle Analysis of the product and application from “cradle” to “cradle” where the  decomposition/recycling of one product will provide raw materials for another product. This is the case for industrial products made from natural resources which biodegrade in the composting process to CO2 and H2O to be consumed in agriculture to make natural raw materials.
The web site www.envirowise.gov.uk provides further ideas to make your operation more environmentally benign. The National Non-Food Crops Centre is a source of information on sustainable practice for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries (www.nnfcc.co.uk).

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