The E-Factor

Abstract

The invention of the E-Factor in 1992 was a game-changing moment in the development of sustainability and green chemistry that completely changed our perception of waste. Prior to this revolutionary event waste management was focused on waste remediation. The E-Factor focused attention on the amount of waste formed, in particular the prodigious amounts formed in the manufacture of fine chemicals, such as flavors and fragrances and active pharmaceutical ingredients. It resulted in a paradigm shift in the concept of an efficiency in chemical processes, from an indicator based solely on yield to one that assigned value for eliminating waste.