So you think your process is green, how do you know? — Using principles of sustainability to determine what is green – a corporate perspective

An approach to quantitatively and systematically evaluate synthetic organic reactions and processes is described. This sustainability-based approach allows chemists to clearly assess whether or not chemistries and chemical processes are ‘greener’. The results of this work indicate that close attention to effective use and reuse of solvents will result in the largest gains for reducing life cycle impacts in batch chemical operations.