Green thoughts from Slovakia

In Stara Lerna

I am writing this while staying in the beautiful resort of Stara Lerna in the mountains of Slovakia in Central Europe. My excuse for being here is the XXVIth Conference of Czech and Slovak organic chemists. Apart from my own lecture it is very pleasing to see how many of the lectures strongly link to green chemistry. While the emphasis of the green chemistry-related papers is mostly on synthetic methodology, catalysis and alternative reaction media we are also hearing about plant-based chemicals and innovative technology being applied to organic synthesis.

Chemicals from crops

I was particularly conscious of the literally growing importance of chemicals from crops on the long drive here from Bratislava which, apart from the spectacular mountainous region, took us through large agricultural regions. In Europe the integration of eastern European countries will result in an enormous increase in the number of farms, typically smaller than those in countries such as the USA, but still adding up to an enormous resource for chemicals and materials as well as for food and energy. Crop-based chemicals are on the increase with, for example, about 5% of the commercial lubricants in several European countries being derived from crops. More research on extraction, separation and purification as well as the properties of the more unusual plant metabolites is required if we are to be in a position to properly exploit this sustainable resource.

Materials based on biomass

Similarly we continue to see reports on new materials based on biomass and in this issue we can read about one ‘fun’ application for starch. I was also interested to see the use of starch-based trays for packaging vegetables in a supermarket in York. Such applications are an illustration of what can be achieved and should also be encouraged through more research and development.

Being positive with green chemistry

These are examples of where green chemistry comes into direct contact with the consumer and, along with larger scale new processes such as the manufacture of polylactic acid, can be used to help show the general public easy-to-understand and refreshingly positive aspects of chemistry. The media is very quick to publicise negative news about chemicals and we need to restore the balance. I am sure that all of our readers will have been following the developments at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg and will have noticed that the one agreement that was quite quickly reached concerned the control of chemicals. The users as well as the manufacturers of chemicals are very concerned over these issues and we as practising chemists must help to show the way forward through innovative and imaginative research on new ‘greener’ products as well as synthetic routes and methodology.

September 2002

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