Acting on our 24 Principles
Setting our compass toward sustainability
Nowadays, product developments are very much geared to the key demands of sustainability: environmental compatibility, biodegradability, tolerance in application and a high proportion of natural, renewable raw materials.
Needless to say, these requirements have to be satisfied without any compromise on the performance and efficiency fronts. In appraising our new developments on the basis of our 24 Principles, we have introduced a new dimension in sustainability at Cognis.
These 24 Principles, represented by the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry and the 12 Principles of Green Engineering, provide Cognis a holistic and useful set of decision and orientation aids.
The 12 Principles of Green Chemistry have become a widely accepted set of criteria for a rapid assessment of “greenness” of a given chemical route.
Green Chemistry
| 1 |
Prevent waste and contamination |
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| 2 |
Maximize atom economy |
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| 3 |
Design less hazardous chemical synthesis |
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Design safer solvents and products |
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Use safer solvents and reaction conditions |
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Increase energy efficiency |
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Use renewable feedstocks |
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| 8 |
Avoid chemical derivatives |
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Use catalysts, not stoichiometric reagents |
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Design chemicals and products to degrade after use |
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| 11 |
Analyze in real time to prevent pollution |
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| 12 |
Minimize the potential for accidents |
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Green Engeneering
| 1 |
Inherent rather than circumstant |
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Prevention instead of treatment |
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Design for separation |
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Maximize efficiency |
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Output-pulled versus input-pushed |
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Conserve complexity |
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Durability rather than immortality |
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Meet need, minimize excess |
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Minimize material diversity |
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Integrate material and energy flows |
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Design for commercial “afterlife” |
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| 12 |
Renewable rather than depleting |
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Together, these 24 Principles cover all essential key issues of green and sustainable chemistry and processing.
One of our main focal points has been continuing to put our 24 Principles into action. This has meant defining uniform and reliable measurements and mechanisms to gauge the fulfillment of each point. We have begun to fully integrate the Principles into our R&D and engineering processes and analyze precisely how our products measure up to them.
To calculate the sustainability of projects according to the 24 Principles, Cognis Corporate Technology has developed a computer-based tool. R&D teams, supported by Corporate Technology now work with this instrument to assess products and processes at an early stage of product development. To develop this tool, we began by analyzing the 24 criteria and what each one means for our products and processes, as well as how to measure it. It became clear that the Principles were relevant at different stages of the value chain: starting materials (reactants), production (transition from input to output) and final product (output). Top priorities in defining which metrics to apply were reliability and comparability.
The initiative to develop transparent methods for measuring products according to each of our 24 Principles represents a significant step toward more quantifiable and transparent sustainability. Ultimately, it will enable Cognis to present a complete picture of its environmental impact.
Take a look at some examples showing how Cognis products fulfill the 24 Principles of Green Chemistry and Green Engineering.
Our 24 Principles of Green Chemistry and Green Engineering are based on parameters defined by the Yale University professors and sustainability experts Dr. Paul T. Anastas and Dr. Julie B. Zimmerman, who is planning a seriesof sustainability workshops for Cognis staff. Read more about her view on the top and expectations.