Elemental sustainability importance

It is vital that we seek to maximise the metals catalytic activity and recover 100% of elements from catalytic processes at both the end of reaction and end of life (the only exception may be carbon that can be burnt for energy production at end of life). Development and application of Earth-abundant catalysts for a wider range of catalytic applications is possible in the midterm. However, the long-term and ideal scenario would be that even critical elements can be used as sustainable catalysts if total recoveiy from anthropogenic cycles is guaranteed. The concept of elemental sustainability for catalysis is likely to become increasingly important in the future. Now is the time for producers and users alike to progress to circular economies and embrace sustainable catalysis. 

A. J. Hunt, T. J. Farmer, J. H. Clark, Elemental Sustainability and the Importance of Scarce Element Recovery, in Element Recovery and Sustainability, ed. A. J. Hunt, Royal Society of Chemistry, London, 2013, pp. 1-28. 

A. J. Hunt, The importance of elemental sustainability and critical element recovery for the pharmaceutical industry, in Greener Pharmaceuticals, Royal Society of Chemistry London, 2015. 

The Importance of Elemental Sustainability and Critical Element Recovery for the Pharmaceutical Industry... 

Many key chemical transformations that are conducted by both medicinal and process chemists within the pharmaceutical industry require elements that have been regarded as critical in Table 5.1 (Figure 5.3). The concept of elemental sustainability is of paramount importance for the long-term prosperity of the pharmaceutical industry. The pharmaceutical industry relies on the use of critical element catalysts to undertake many of the key chemical transformations highlighted in Figure 5.3. ... 

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