Cristina Peralta / 15 September 2025

 The 12 Principles of Green Chemistry 

Although chemistry plays a fundamental role across numerous sectors of our society, it is impossible to ignore that certain chemical compounds have a significant negative impact on the environment. Far from questioning the importance and progress that chemistry has brought to our well-being, it is time to shift our perspective and adopt more responsible and sustainable solutions. In this context, the 12 principles of green chemistry serve as a crucial guide for promoting safer, more efficient, and environmentally respectful processes. 

What Is Green Chemistry? 

Green chemistry is an innovative approach within chemical science that aims to design products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances for both the environment and human health.  Its goal is clear: to minimise the environmental impact of chemical processes, reduce waste generation, and promote the use of safe and renewable raw materials.  The 12 principles of green chemistry can be applied across multiple sectors such as food, cosmetics, agriculture, and the chemical industry. They provide the foundation for the development of cleaner technologies and contribute to the transition towards a circular and low-carbon economy. 

Modern laboratory with glassware filled with green liquid, including beakers, test tubes, and Erlenmeyer flasks, surrounded by fresh plants. The image represents research in green chemistry and sustainable science."

The 12 Principles of Green Chemistry 

Formulated by Paul Anastas and John Warner, the 12 principles of green chemistry serve as a framework for designing environmentally friendly processes and products. These principles promote efficiency, safety, and sustainability by seeking to reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances from the earliest stages of design. 
  • Prevention: It is better to prevent waste than to treat or clean up waste after it has been created. 
  • Atom economy: Maximise the incorporation of all materials used in the process into the final product. 
  • Less hazardous chemical syntheses: Use methods that generate compounds with lower toxicity. 
  • Designing safer chemicals: Develop products that fulfil their intended function with minimal toxicity. 
  • Safer solvents and auxiliaries: Reduce or eliminate the use of hazardous solvents or auxiliaries. 
  • Energy efficiency: Design processes that require minimal energy input. 
  • Use of renewable feedstocks: Prioritise the use of renewable resources over finite ones. 
  • Reduce derivatives: Minimise the use of protection and deprotection steps in chemical processes. 
  • Catalysis: Prefer selective catalytic reagents over stoichiometric ones. 
  • Design for degradation: Create products that break down into harmless substances after use. 
  • Real-time analysis for pollution prevention: Develop monitoring methods to control processes and prevent the formation of microcontaminants. 
  • Inherently safer chemistry for accident prevention: Minimise the potential for explosions, fires, or hazardous emissions. 
These principles are particularly relevant in fields where the presence of microcontaminants poses a major challenge, such as water treatment or agricultural production—as they encourage the redesign of processes to reduce the generation of waste and harmful emissions. 

Table showing the 12 principles of green chemistry

Green Chemistry and Sustainable Development: Obtaining Purer Products 

Green chemistry is not only focused on reducing environmental impact but also on improving product purity and quality. By designing cleaner processes, impurities and undesired by-products are eliminated, resulting in safer and more effective ingredients—especially in sectors such as food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.  One of the key aspects is obtaining high-purity products while minimising the formation of contaminants during the process. This is particularly important when developing bioactive compounds, food additives, flavourings, or functional ingredients.  In addition, this philosophy directly contributes to reducing the generation of microcontaminants in industrial processes by avoiding the use of toxic or non-biodegradable compounds that could end up in water or soil. 

Technologies That Align with the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry 

Various technologies directly apply the 12 principles of green chemistry to create safer and more sustainable processes.  One such technology is microencapsulation, which protects active ingredients, controls their release, and enhances the stability of food, cosmetic, and agricultural products. This technique helps reduce the use of synthetic additives and preservatives while lowering the environmental impact of ingredients.  Another key technology is supercritical CO₂ extraction, which uses carbon dioxide in its supercritical state as a natural solvent, eliminating the need for hazardous organic solvents. This method is highly effective for obtaining plant extracts, essential oils, or high-purity bioactive compounds, in line with principles of energy efficiency and the use of renewable raw materials.  These technological solutions support the shift toward cleaner and safer production methods, helping to reduce the presence of microcontaminants and improving the overall sustainability of industrial processes. 
Avatar de Cristina Peralta

Cristina Peralta

Especialista en comunicación digital tecnológica. Mi labor en AINIA consiste en impulsar la proyección internacional y reforzar la competitividad de las empresas, conectándolas con tecnologías de I+D que les ayudan a posicionarse como lideres en innovación. Me motiva especialmente formar parte de proyectos con gran relevancias científico-tecnológica y entender los retos reales de la industria.

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