COVER FEATURE
INGENIEUR
Mainstreaming Sustainability in the Chemical Industry
By Nik Meriam Nik Sulaiman Honorary Professor , Chemical Engineering Department , Faculty of Engineering , University of Malaya
It has been suggested that we are now living in a new geological epoch referred to as the Anthropocene . The term has been used to describe the time during which humans made substantial impacts on the Earth ’ s geology and ecosystem . 1
Differing views have been proposed as to the actual start date of this epoch . Some have suggested the beginning of the industrial revolution in mid-1850s while others point towards the more recent Great Acceleration period ( circa 1950s ) where the effects of accelerating human changes are now clearly visible at both socio-economic as well as environmental levels .
How has the chemical industry sector contributed to these planetary changes ?
Importance of the Chemical Industry in our everyday lives
The chemical industry plays a very important role in providing basic human needs and increasing desires . The products and materials from the chemical industry serve the needs of consumers in essentially every aspect of our lives including food , clothing , pharmaceuticals , personal care , packaging materials and many more . The chemical industry is also a significant player in the provision of essential services such as clean water and waste management . The chemical industry value chain is thus , both complex and diversified ranging from basic chemicals to intermediates and formulated products before they reach the end user markets .
Impact on Natural Resources and the Environment
Providing these products and services requires raw materials and energy which come from the earth ’ s natural capital . A broad definition of natural capital refers to the world ’ s stock of natural resources ( renewable and nonrenewable ) combined with assets that provide free goods and services such as clean water , fertile soil , and others . 2
The conventional chemical process industry utilises the natural resources and ecosystem assets based on the linear economic approach of “ take-make-dispose ”. This strategy inevitably results in waste or rather residuals that are inefficient in terms of resource use and recovery . In many instances the improper disposal and lack of proper management of these waste and residuals have resulted in detrimental impacts on the environment . Documented episodes of environmental pollution from the chemical industry bear witness to these misfortunes . Classic examples of environmental disasters associated with the chemical industry include the infamous Minamata disease , the Meuse Valley air pollution , the Love Canal , Bhopal incident and closer to home the recent Sungai Kim Kim incident .
In keeping with the need to remain competitive and increasingly fulfil the demand of a more environmentally conscious market , the manufacturing sector inclusive of the chemical process industry has undergone an evolution of waste / residuals management practice from a passive to a reactive and now to proactive approach . The waste management hierarchy requires pollution
14 VOL 86 APRIL-JUNE 2021