Resource efficiency

There has been a push for direct data collection (DDC) as an alternative to remote data capture (RDC). In this approach most of the required clinical data are acquired directly from existing patient record systems such as MRI machines, ECG, EEG, TTM, laboratories, and other measurement equipment. This approach eliminates the need for paper transcription and reentry to another system. It promises error-free and resource-efficient data capture, which allows early locking of the database and therefore potentially earlier product launch [30]. 

Efficiency combines the resource and effectiveness dimensions. In fact, the criterion has many different (and non-contradictory) definitions, depending on the context. For the purposes of the present discussion the pursuit of efficiency can be taken as either reducing the cost of achieving a given level of effectiveness, or improving the effectiveness achieved from a fixed budget or set of resources. Efficiency has sometimes been seen as a controversial criterion, but much of this controversy probably stems from the tendency of some policy-makers to use the term efficiency when they really mean cheap , and to refer to efficiency improvements when they really mean cutbacks . Understood and employed properly, the criterion really ought to be widely accepted, particularly when used in combination with equity. 

Degree of Precision Required. A statement of the required precision of the results from the sampling effort for each characteristic of Interest is needed to allocate sampling and testing resources efficiently. As previously discussed, the form of these statements will depend on the objective and type of characteristics. The users of the study results must make these determinations. Statistical methods to evaluate tradeoffs and alternatives may be useful in assisting the study administrators in this effort. 

Resource efficient syntheses and production processes of fine chemicals contribute significantly to sustainable development. This has also been pointed out in Agenda 21 Promote efficient use of materials and resources, taking into account the life cycles of products, in order to realize the economic and environmental benefits of using resources more efficiently and producing fewer wastes (Agenda 21, Chapter 9.18). 

The earher the information on resource efficiency is used in synthesis design, the more efficient process development wiU be. Therefore, appropriate metrics are initially applied to a choice of literature protocols and prehminary experimental data. As knowledge about the process increases, for example, during scale up, it is successively fed into the mass balance. In addition, environmental impacts associated with the mass balance can be evaluated. 

The mass balance of the processes (Figure 5.4) shows that the catalytic procedure (Scheme 5.2a) is much more resource efficient than the stoichiometric conversion (Scheme 5.2b). As expected, integrating the synthesis of the iridium catalyst results in an increase of the overall waste production (compare (a) II and (a) III, Figure 5.4). 

Case study 4 Process scale up and resource efficiency of an industrial product... 

In addition to the comparison of different stages of process development during scale up, the evaluation of alternative syntheses or processes using mass indices and environmental factors or LCA may reveal the lack of resource efficiency and thus call into question the current mode of operation. Decisions that were made in earlier stages of scale-up may then be revised. 

Our case studies prove that optimization objectives generally followed in synthesis design and during scale up show a high potential for increasing resource efficiency. These objectives are, for example, increases of yield and the recycling efficiency of solvents and auxiliary materials. 

The scope to increase resource efficiency during scale up was shown to be large in the case studies assessed here. Therefore, efforts to implement methods such as mass balancing or LCA would pay off soon, since this would help to fully tap optimization potentials concerning ecology and economy. 

In the life cycle phases of product manufacturing, the focus of resource efficiency moves from the material applied per unit to resources used in the various production phases, for example, cooling lubricants, compressed air or hydraulic oil and on the energy requirements of the production processes [24]. Process relevant information is based on equipment energy consumption curves. Each curve is specific to a production equipment item and enables an accurate determination of the energy consumption of the item over the production time. 

The Ecodesign Directive can include selected pollutants in life cycle assessment considerations (connected with the topic resource efficiency). This does, however, not cover the topic RISKCYCLE. 

Within the broad framework of sustainable development, we should strive to maximize resource efficiency through activities such as energy and nonrenewable resource conservation, risk minimization, pollution prevention, minimization of waste at all stages of a product life-cycle, and the development of products that are durable and can be re-used and recycled. Sustainable chemistry strives to accomplish these ends through the design, manufacture and use of efficient and effective, more environmentally benign chemical products and processes". 

Sustainability overall objective for human beings formulated by the United Nations in the 1990s is to ensure sustainable development for future generations chemical companies have already started to translate this objective into their industry practice with respects to products developed and sold, energy and natural resource efficiency in their processes, climate protection, corporate social responsibility for the workforce as well as stakeholders in production and consuming areas sustainability as an objective also already inspired operations research and supply chain literature (see for example Zhou et al. 2000 Al-Sharrah et al. 2002)... 

Combinatorial chemistry has provided new ways for the pharmaceutical industry and for academic researchers to address specific problems in a time- and resource-efficient manner. Given the involvement of specific oligosaccharide structures in signal transduction processes, combinatorial carbohydrate libraries are... 

Use nonrenewable resources efficiently For example, use metal only where its strength and lightness are essential. 

The chance for a substantial rise in resource efficiency and an effective reduction of toxic risks can be missed if the market actors concentrate on alternatives with a lower level of innovation. Frequently there is a limitation on the side of the suppliers due to the limits of the traditional business (plastisol manufacturers do not produce underbody hard shells, manufacturers of floor coverings are bound to their machinery and can thus hardly switch over to using other materials). 

Innovation is what is new and (permanently) successful on the market. Innovation always has to overcome the inertia of existing routines (institutional strac-tures, processes, adjustments). Innovations to improve resource efficiency and safety in chemical production have taken place in Europe and also globally in the course of the past 20 years, but have not (yet) completely replaced outdated pro-... 

Li M, Yang WL, Wen LR, Li FQ (2008) A first resource-efficient and highly flexible procedure for a four-component synthesis of dispiropyrrolidines. Eur J Org Chem 2751-2758... 

Efficient Use of Time and Resources. The probability of collecting useful data is increased by taking time to consider what can affect the results and ultimately what experiments to run. Designed experiments use resources efficiently to maximize the knowledge gained from the experiments. 

In their presentations the experts confirmed the prospect of success of such new business models among which the Chemical Leasing concept seems to be the most advanced and comprehensive one showing the highest potentials both in terms of resource efficiency as well as environmental compatibility. 

A critical element of Cleaner Production is that it results in a "win-win" scenario for industry and the environment as it implies striving for continuous resource efficiency to create economic savings for the company. In this way... 

Sustained high demand for the optimisation of production processes and resource-efficient use of raw materials (cost reduction)... 

Compared to business models run before Chemical Leasing was implemented, all cases showed remarkable increases in resource efficiency and environmental performance. 

In the last years the Austrian Ministry of Environment made every effort to promote innovative ways of chemicals management based on resource efficiency as well as on precaution. Applying Chemical Leasing", profits do not result from the quantity of chemicals sold, but rather from the services rendered by means of the chemicals. If business interests are no longer related to the sale of chemical substances it is in the interest of all the parties involved, to use the substances with maximum efficiency. This clearly is the environmental policy motivation for this new focus, which ensures that economic success and ecological benefits are no longer contradictory. 

---