Alternative Mass-Related Metrics

Abstract

The chemical industry of the future will use waste, as carbon dioxide, lignocellulose, plastic and food waste, as the raw material and renewable electricity as the energy source. In order to achieve this lofty goal it is essential to have simple and reliable metrics for measuring and assessing waste. The most well-known metric used for this task is the E-Factor. Other possible mass-related metrics, such as process mass intensity (PMI) are discussed. Energy is also mass-related and can be measured in kgs of CO2 equivalents and as such incorporated in the E-Factor. It will also be essential to identify renewable vs non-renewable energy used in the process.