Green Chemistry Metrics for Environmental Friendly Processes: Application to Biodiesel Production Using Cooking Oil

Abstract

Nowadays, the main causes of environmental pollution arise primarily from the industrial activities and the depletion of natural resources. Damages to the environment have led to regulatory restrictions, decisions, and actions to limit wastes at the source. These are the basic ideas and principle of the green chemistry concept. However, constrained to continue to produce for an increasingly demanding society, the chemical industry has no choice but to “produce differently” by integrating the principles of green chemistry and also sustainability. In other terms and from a philosophical circular economy point of view, it is permitted to say: “cradle—to—new live rather than to grave.” Consequently, the industry needs to measure the impacts at all levels to be able to manage and adapt new approaches which should be evolutionary in nature and not just be concerned by the yield and financial aspects. Several parameters have been proposed during the last two decades since the very first ones: environmental factor and atom economy. The studies have shown that in order to quantify the “greenness” of a reaction or process, several parameters have to be involved not to miss any of the principles of green chemistry like the prevention rather than the waste treatment, the use of less hazardous components, the safe design, the design for energy efficiency, the use of renewable feedstock’s, and the design for degradation.