‘Green Chemistry’ is a word that is being used more and more in the Chemical Manufacturing industry. It refers to environmental-friendly practices in chemical processes and is largely attributed to have been coined by Paul Anastas.

Practices that make a chemical process greener include using biodegradable solvents as opposed to using materials that are difficult to break down such as chlorinated hydrocarbons, and using processes that reduce the total waste which includes solvents, raw materials and process aids.

Also, Green Chemistry focuses on the use of less energy and a decrease in the emission of greenhouse gases. The term ‘E-Factor refers to the measure of how green a chemical process is. It is calculated by measuring the total amount of solvents, reagents and consumables and dividing that by the amount in kilograms of the final product.

Biocatalysis is an emerging technology that is increasingly being turned to in the enhancement of Green Chemistry. It involves the use of catalysts which accelerate a wide range of chemical reactions and are completely biodegradable. They are also renewable as they are normally made as a result of fermentation of sugars.

Chemical companies, especially in the pharmaceutical industry are increasingly adopting the use of biocatalysis to improve sustainability. An example is the pharmaceutical giant; Pzifer which has replaced a long-used chemical processing step with a more efficient enzymatic step in the production of pregabalin, which is the active ingredient in its drug, Lyrica.

Due to a remarkable decrease in the production of solvent and the amount of starting material needed, the E-Factor was reduced from 86 to 9.

Indeed Biocatalysis is the ‘it’ word in the advancement of Green Chemistry.

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