Sustainability Indicators for Chemical Processes: III. Biodiesel Case Study

The chemical industry is one of the most important business sectors, not only economically, but also societally; as it allows humanity to attain higher standards and quality of life. Simultaneously, chemical products and processes can be the origin of potential human health and environmental issues, incurring economic costs, and raising social concerns. An alternative to addressing these challenges after the fact is the implementation and development of more sustainable products and processes. To guide decision-makers, designers, and stakeholders in developing more sustainable chemical processes, the sustainability evaluation and design tool Gauging Reaction Effectiveness for the Environmental Sustainability of Chemistries with a Multi-objective Process Evaluator (GREENSCOPE) has been proposed and developed. Two previous contributions presented a holistic set of sustainability indicators as well as their definition, a sustainability measurement scale, and data requirements. This contribution demonstrates the successful implementation and use of GREENSCOPE for a sustainability performance assessment. In this evaluation, the manufacture of biodiesel is undertaken as a case study to demonstrate and describe this achievement. Results from this study show the positive features of this process and identify opportunities for sustainability improvement in the areas of material and energy use, environmental impacts, and economics during the production of this important biofuel. Therefore, GREENSCOPE is proposed as a fundamental tool for evaluating and designing more sustainable chemical processes.