Sustainable Chemicals are those designed and manufactured using efficient, effective, safe and more environmentally benign raw materials and processes. Within the broad framework of sustainable development, government, academia and industry should strive to maximize resource efficiency through activities such as energy and non-renewable resource conservation, risk minimization, pollution prevention, minimization of waste at all stages of a product life-cycle, and the development of products that are durable and can be reused and recycled.

Technical Areas of Sustainable Chemistry R&D include: Use of alternative synthetic pathways Use of alternative reaction conditions Design of chemicals that are inherently safer than current materials Use of renewable or recycled feedstocks Avoidance of persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic substances Increased energy efficiency Use of green analytical methods in processing

The Benefits of Sustainable Chemistry are both environmental and societal in nature and include: Avoiding the use of persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic and otherwise hazardous materials Utilizing renewable resources and decreasing consumption of non-renewable resources Minimizing negative environmental impacts of chemical processing and manufacturing, improving material and     energy efficiency, decreasing or eliminating the costs of hazardous waste treatment Reducing potential industrial liability Providing technologies that are economically competitive for and advantageous to the industry Promoting an understanding of the benefits of sustainable chemistry, and attracting promising students to     chemistry and related fields

Assessing Products and Processes of Sustainable Chemistry have multiple criteria: Impact on human health and the environment Safety of workers and users throughout the product life cycle Energy consumption and resource use Economic viability of the new technology Evaluation of the above factors at the local, country, regional, and global levels