GREEN CHEMISTRY
We’re used to taking non-renewable resources from the ground, turning them into chemicals and consumer goods, and eventually throwing them away, to end up as landfill or ocean plastic. But a new approach turns this model right around. Green chemistry seeks ways to transform waste or renewable natural materials, to make safe chemicals and recyclable products.
Prof. James Clark of the University of York’s Green Chemistry Centre describes examples that include cleaning products from sawdust and food wastes, fuels from waste cooking oils, medical devices from seaweed, and clothes from pineapple leaves. He spoke in the 2024 Orkney International Science Festival about the practical benefits and the underlying vision.
https://www.york.ac.uk/chemistry/peop...