Guidelines for the new Green Foundation box

Dear Green Chemistry pioneers,

The scope of Green Chemistry is well described by, but not limited to, the definition proposed by Anastas and Warner in 1998,¹ which incorporates a set of principles aimed at reducing or eliminating the use or generation of hazardous substances in the design, manufacture, and application of chemical products (Fig. 1). This journal leads the continuously evolving interdisciplinary science of green chemistry, publishing research that promotes the safe management and use of chemicals with reduced environmental impact, advances a circular economy through efficient recycling technologies and resource efficiency, and works to develop a technology base that is inherently non-toxic to living organisms and the environment.

Fig. 1 Summary of the 12 principles of Green Chemistry.

Scientific papers are often presented in such a way that they appeal primarily to experts within a given field. At Green Chemistry, we believe that impactful science should resonate not only with experts, but also with the broader scientific community and society at large – to embrace talented researchers from a community of diverse backgrounds and disciplines. To make the author and reader experience more accessible, we now introduce the Green Foundation box as a requirement for all submitted articles (starting December 2^nd, 2024). This feature is intended to provide a concise way for authors to contextualize their work in terms of the green principles applied, the wider sustainability/societal impact, and provide metrics to quantify the advance of their work for editors, reviewers, and readers.

Here's how it works. To make fulfilling our requirement as straightforward as possible we ask that authors answer three specific questions based on the article type, keeping responses within 140 words.

Primary research: communications and full papers

1. How does your work advance the field of green chemistry?

2. Please can you describe your specific green chemistry achievement, either quantitatively or qualitatively?

3. How could your work be made greener and be elevated by further research?

 

Secondary research: critical reviews, tutorial reviews, and perspectives

1. What advances in green chemistry have been discussed?

2. What makes the area of study of significant wider interest?

3. What will the future of this field hold, and how will the insight in your review help shape green chemistry science?

These answers should describe how their research advances the field of green chemistry and how research of these green aspects can be assessed qualitatively or quantitatively through a range of methods, models, indicators and consequent metrics.² If a manuscript is accepted, the Green Foundation box will be positioned in the published article between the Abstract and the Introduction.

A wider and more complete list of examples can be found in our Green Chemistry blog post “Green Foundation box” alongside other news and updates.

Please find here an example of what a Primary research Green Foundation box will look like based on the recent Full Paper by Ferlin et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D4GC00930D).

Green foundation

1. The work introduces the use of a solid electrolyte into organic electrosynthesis, and it proves that with this approach it is possible to significantly reduce the waste associated with the use of stoichiometric classic homogeneous electrolytes generally containing halides

2. Calculation of the green metrics (E-factors, RME, MRP) for the newly defined procedure and several literature examples allows quantification of the specific achievement. The E-factor has been reduced by ca. 82–99%. The mass of the electrolyte generally constitutes 25–68% of the entire kernel and, in our case, we could obtain a very low value of 0.12%.

3. Future research will be dedicated to expanding the utilization of solid electrolytes in different electro-assisted processes using safe recoverable reaction media.

Please find here an example of what a Secondary research Green Foundation box will look like based on the recent Perspective by Nabera et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D3GC01053H).

Green foundation

1. Recent increases in energy prices in Europe have created a scenario where greener production technologies for the production of ammonia and methanol have become relatively cost effective. We show that renewable options for both ammonia and methanol had the potential to outperform their fossil counterparts for six months as of December 2021.

2. If the European chemical industry can establish cost-competitive production routes of green ammonia and methanol then they have the opportunity to lead the transition and global movement towards environmentally responsible practices, while simultaneously reaping significant economic benefits in the long run.

3. Global concerns regarding the environment and the price of sustainability means that identifying cost-competitive low-carbon technologies are of special interest. With a coordinated effort from academia, industry, and policymakers, Europe can lead the grand transition towards more sustainable practices in the chemical industry.

Further examples can be found by following this link to our blog post.

References

1. Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice, ed. P. T. Anastas and J. C. Warner, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1998.
2. An RSC cross-journal collection of selected examples that showcase the benefits and trade-offs of green chemistry by providing assessment methods, models, and metrics. [https://pubs.rsc.org/en/journals/articlecollectionlanding?sercode=gc&themeid=ca916995-9c76-4711-828a-b240ef12f235].

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