According to my good friend chemist Martyn Poliakoff, the principles of green chemistry should be as easy as A,B,C. Or, more precisely, PRODUCTIVELY. Poliakoff, who is Prof of Chemistry at Nottingham University and famed for his pioneering work with supercritical fluids (SCFs), PRODUCTIVELY spells out –
Prevent wastes
Renewable materials
Omit derivitization steps
Degradable chemical products
Use safe synthetic methods
Catalytic reagents
Temperature, pressure ambient
In-process monitoring
Very few auxiliary substances
E-factor, maximize feed in product
Low toxicity of chemical products
Yes, it is safe!
Reminds me of a creative writing exercise from school, but if it gets the message across to other chemists it can’t be a bad thing.