Hopper Press

Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry

Eric Needle — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 20:01:24 +0000

As a general guideline, when you print, and want to print greener, you should strive to work within the Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry, available on the EPA website and 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.

Have anything to add?
Contact: e@longbow.net

Tags greem, printing, green+chemistry

Greening America Business Challenge

Eric Needle — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:55:38 +0000

Many small businesses contact us, and ask what they can do to 'green up' their business. Community Greenhouse Foundation has developed a program to help you reduce electric and water usage, to encourage recycling and use of recycled materials, and to reduce the amount of solid waste your organization produces. And to launch their efforts, they announce the Greening America Business Challenge.

Forest Stewardship Council

Eric — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 20:56:50 +0000

Responsible printers, step on up and show your green. Printers can become certified by the Forest Stewardship Council to show they responsibly use paper products.

Sustainable Forestry Initiative

Eric — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 14:00:35 +0000

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) program is based on the premise that responsible environmental behavior and sound business decisions can co-exist.

Show Off Your Green

Eric — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:00:35 +0000

Connected to both the green building industry and the health & wellness world, we see the need to create a place where consumers can find and connect with businesses and people who make a difference. We call this new place on the web, Get Green Directory. Printers, designers, and corporate marketing managers can be part of the solution. Show off your green by building a listing for your organization.

Get Green Today Expo

Eric — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 16:33:15 +0000

Why Printing Needs To Go Green

Eric Needle — Mon, 30 Jan 2006 17:04:39 +0000

The printing industry flys under the radar when you think about big business. Where do you think they rank?

Top Ten Green Printing Practices

Eric — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 16:57:12 +0000

How can a printer "green" their business? First by caring. Then by ensuring their operations exceed environmental regs, adopting pollution prevention and resource conservation best practices. Here are some examples of what you can do to run your press while carefully watching how you impact the enviroment. And by the way, some of these practices will also save time and money - you just can't beat that.