Aliging Profit with Purpose - Global Goals Yearbook 2019

new product is intended to help avoid
a problematic chemical currently used
to treat fabrics and textiles. Moreover,
this reduces the amount of wastewater
generated so that the application process
can become safer. The performance
level of the environmentally-friendly
alternative is just as high as that of the
previous product. To develop these alternatives,
scientists at Merck are using
the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry,
developed by chemists Paul T. Anastas
and John C. Warner.
Sustainable production thanks to
reengineering
Within the scope of the reengineering
program, the company is also examining
how sustainable the chemical manufacturing
process is. Employees are investigating
the functional properties of
chemical reactions and are attempting
to achieve the same results in a more
efficient way. The manufacture of betaamalyse
is one example. Merck extracts
this enzyme from sweet potatoes. The
original manufacturing process required
large quantities of raw materials, organic
solvents, and energy. Two resourceful scientists
therefore searched for a different
approach. The result was a new and more
sustainable approach to the production
of beta-amylase: Organic solvents are no
longer needed. In addition, the product
is 15 percent purer than its predecessor.
How can green chemistry be assessed?
To test how sustainable greener products
really are, Merck developed the quantitative
green chemistry evaluator DOZN:
“When evaluating the general sustainability
of bio-based products, it’s important
to consider competing resources
and the efficiency of the manufacturing
process,” says Dr. Jane Murray, Head of
Green Chemistry for Life Science at Merck.
Based on the 12 Principles of Green
Chemistry, the online tool evaluates how
products perform in the main categories
“improved resource use,” “more efficient
use of energy,” and “minimized risks for
humans and the environment.”
DOZN calculates a score for each of
the 12 Green Chemistry Principles, these
are then combined to yield an aggregate
“green” score. A range of data, including
the Globally Harmonized System of Classification
and Labelling of Chemicals
(GHS), is incorporated into the evaluation.
This facilitates a comparison of
the products. The tool was validated
by an independent consultancy and
published in 2017. In addition, DOZN
2.0 will offer customers the possibility to
also assess their own processes and help
them to better understand the ecological
impact of their developments.
Cyrene – a green solution
The Life Science business of Merck has
a portfolio of more than 300,000 products.
Since customers are increasingly
seeking more sustainable alternatives
for existing substances, the company is
constantly working to develop new ones.
In the meantime, there are more than
750 such greener alternatives, such as
the solvent Cyrene, for instance. In 2017,
Merck, in partnership with Circa Group
and the University of York, received the
European Bio-Based Chemical Innovation
of the Year award for this product.
Cyrene is based on cellulosic waste and is
manufactured in just two steps. The
manufacturing process is almost
energy-neutral and releases
water to the environment.
This green solvent is a more
sustainable and safer
alternative to conventional
substances N,N-
Dimethylformamide
(DMF) and N-Methyl-
2-pyrrolidone (NMP).
The latter solvents
are under increasing
regulatory restrictions
due to their
associated toxicity.
Dr. Murray explains:
“Products such as
Cyrene are based on
natural resources. They
are more sustainable,
biodegradable and safer.”
Green chemistry for aspiring young
scientists
If the aim is to advance environmentallyfriendly
alternatives such as these, it is
necessary to engage in scientific discourse.
In line with holistic sustainable
development, Merck is actively committed
to integrating the Principles of Green
Chemistry more strongly into university
curricula. Together with the nonprofit
organizations Beyond Benign and My
Green Lab, the company has developed
guidelines for experiments in organic
chemistry laboratories. These describe
the alternatives that can be used in 10
classic organic chemistry experiments.
The objective is to reduce the quantity
of hazardous substances and waste in
laboratory courses. The guidelines, published
in early 2018, also contain educational
materials that teaching staff can
individually tailor to their needs. Since
publication, the guidelines have been
accessed more than 550 times online.
Global Goals Yearbook 2019
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