It is helpful when learning about the foundations of modern green chemistry to look at some common misconceptions and how chemists in the area are working to counteract them. In a 2012 article, James Clark at the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence, University of York highlighted some of the ways in which the traditional principles have been misunderstood.[1]
In this video, he focuses on biodegradability (principle 10: design for degradation), in particular its tension with newer recycling techniques (born out of principles 1 and 2), illustrating that a naïve understanding of the twelve principles is not sufficient in modern green chemistry thinking.
