Applying Sustainability Concepts to Modern Liquid Chromatography

Abstract

There have been incredible developments over the last century brought about by the world shifting from focusing on productivity and efficiency to becoming increasingly focused on the impact that society has on the environment, and indeed on our own well-being. Climate change is already impacting society, and therefore behaviors, both individually and collectively, must be modified to create a better and more sustainable path forward. Governments are striving to implement policy changes towards a greater use of green technology, specifically around the generation of energy. Individuals and industrial organizations have also taken up the challenge, and now many companies are driving to significantly reduce their environmental footprint, or indeed become carbon negative within very short time frames (5–10 years). This generation, perhaps more than any other previous one, may be closest to causing wide-scale calamitous changes to the planet and to society. It is therefore pertinent for all aspects of society to assess what can be achieved to reduce the environmental footprint, no matter how small the impact may seem.