The 1 Principles of Green Chemistry

In 1998, Anastas and Warner teamed up to write the best selling and most cited book in the field of Green Chemistry, Green Chemistry Theory and Practice, which explicated the 12 principles of Green Chemistry. The principles, intended as guidelines for practical chemistry, provided a road map for chemists both of academia and industry to promote pollution prevention through environmentally conscious design of chemical products and processes. The 12 principles are  

It is better to prevent waste than to treat or clean up waste after it is formed. 

Synthetic methods should be designed to maximise the incorporation of all materials used in the process into the final product. 

Wherever practicable, synthetic methodologies should be designed to use and generate substances that possess little or no toxicity to human health and the environment. 

Chemical products should be designed to preserve efficacy of function while reducing toxicity. 

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