Which is best for the Environment? ChinaPaperPolystyene

Coffee Cups - Manufacture China – most energy to make Polystyrene – made from oil Paper – made from wood, messy process Cost of Energy varies

Coffee Cups- Use Polystyrene – use once Paper – use once China – multi-use BUT needs washing (hot water, detergent)

Coffee Cups- Verdict You have to use a china cup 1000 times before it is environmentally better than Polystyrene

Coffee Cups - Disposal China – landfill Polystyrene – landfill (125 times better) Paper – can be composted – generates CH 4 (greenhouse effect)

One of the main problems in chemical manufacture is the generation/disposal of (toxic) waste

Manufacture of Terephthalic Acid 26 Mtons per year world-wide 500,000 tons per year per plant CH 3 COOH O2O2 Catalyst

DuPont (former ICI) – Wilton Manufacturing Terephthalic Acid

Why not make fibres from Sheep?

Fibre from Sheep 1 Sheep produces 3.5 kg wool/ year 500,000 tons of wool need 10 8 sheep 10 sheep need 1 acre of land 10 8 sheep need 10 7 acres (640 acres = 1 square mile) 10 8 sheep need 15,625 square miles

Fibre Production Sheep need 15,625 square miles 1 TA plant needs 25 acres

What about the dead sheep?

Flixborough 1974

Bhopal 1984

Cuyahoga River 1969

Love Canal - Canada

Assessing Risk Risk = Hazard x Exposure What we do now Limit Exposure  Acceptable Risk Green Chemistry if Hazard = 0  Risk = 0

What is Green Chemistry? Carrying out chemical activities (design, manufacture, use and disposal) such that hazardous substances will not be used or generated

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