
Advances in Eco-Friendly Chemical Processes: Bridging Industrial Growth and Environmental Protection
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v8i2.13102Abstract
The chemical industry plays a critical role in supporting global economic development, yet its traditional production paradigms are associated with high resource consumption, energy demand, and environmental impact. To deal with the growing regulatory burden, societal demands, and environmental targets, eco-friendly processes in chemicals have become one of the major approaches to ensuring industrialization with environmental safety. This review includes an overall summary of the recent developments of green chemical processes with the focus on the basic principles, facilitating structures, and technologies that form the basis of sustainable chemical production. The most important advances in sustainable feedstocks, green catalysis, environmentally benign solvents, energy-efficient and intensified process technologies are also essential introductions, and the importance of digitalization, artificial intelligence, and life cycle-informed assessment tools in environmental performance optimization is also increasing. The review also discusses some of the barriers related to industry implementation, such as scalability, economic viability, and the necessity of having strong sustainability verification. Using chosen industrial case studies of China, South Korea, and Vietnam, various ways of integrating eco-friendly processes are demonstrated, including the adoption of renewable energy and low-carbon hydrogen, the adoption of circular plastics, and refinery energy optimization. Such examples demonstrate the significance of regional settings, system-level integration, and open environmental assessment in achieving significant sustainability results. The presented insights should guide the way future research proceeds and facilitate the shift toward the low-impact chemical manufacturing systems that are resilient.
Keywords:
Eco-Friendly Chemical Processes; Green Chemistry; Sustainable Manufacturing; Life Cycle Assessment; Industrial Case StudiesReferences
[1] Ameen, G., 2023. Industrial chemistry: Chemicals and technology in everyday life. In: Junejo, Y. (Ed.). Chemistry for the Life. ISRES Publishing: Konya, Turkey. pp. 213–246.
[2] Jadhav, A.S., Jagtap S., Gujar J.G., et al., 2024. Advancement in green and eco-friendly technologies for industrial waste remediation. Journal of Indian Association for Environmental Management (JIAEM). 44(1), 31–44.
[3] Patil, K.D., 2014. Review of green chemical technologies for sustainable developments in chemical process industries. Journal of Current Trends in Chemical Engineering. 2(2), 1–7.
[4] Siddique, I.M., Das S., 2024. Innovations in eco-friendly design and production: Tactics, obstacles, and prospects ahead. Chemistry Research Journal. 9(2), 32–39.
[5] Gomiero, T., Paoletti, M.G., Pimentel, D., 2008. Energy and environmental issues in organic and conventional agriculture. Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences. 27(4), 239–254.
[6] Aslam, M.A., Abbas, M.S., Mustaqeem, M., et al., 2024. Comprehensive assessment of heavy metal contamination in soil-plant systems and health risks from wastewater-irrigated vegetables. Colloids and Surfaces C: Environmental Aspects. 2, 100044.
[7] Khan, M.N., Aslam, M.A., Muhsinah, A.B., et al., 2023. Heavy metals in vegetables: Screening health risks of irrigation with wastewater in peri-urban areas of Bhakkar, Pakistan. Toxics. 11(5), 460.
[8] Khan, M.N., Aslam, M.A., Zada, I., et al., 2023. Statistical analysis and health risk assessment: Vegetables irrigated with wastewater in Kirri Shamozai, Pakistan. Toxics. 11(11), 899.
[9] Wu, W., Ma, B., 2015. Integrated nutrient management (INM) for sustaining crop productivity and reducing environmental impact: A review. Science of the Total Environment. 512–513, 415–427.
[10] Sheldon, R.A., 2016. Engineering a more sustainable world through catalysis and green chemistry. Journal of The Royal Society Interface. 13(116), 20160087.
[11] Verma, C., Chauhan, D.S., Aslam, R., et al., 2024. Principles and theories of green chemistry for corrosion science and engineering: Design and application. Green Chemistry. 26(8), 4270–4357.
[12] Sheldon, R.A., 2017. The E factor 25 years on: The rise of green chemistry and sustainability. Green Chemistry. 19(1), 18–43.
[13] Valavanidis, A., 2016. Green chemistry and new technological developments:New Avenues for the Green Economy and Sustainable Future of Science and Technology. Availabl e from: http://webapps.chem.uoa.gr/efs/scinews/Reports/PDF/NEW%20DEVELOPMENTS-GREEN-CHEM-PDF-33PAG-8-7-2016.pdf (cited 6 December 2025).
[14] Cravotto, G., 2025. Reshaping chemical manufacturing towards green process intensification: Recent findings and perspectives. Processes. 13(2), 459.
[15] Habib, U., Ahmad, F., Awais, M., et al., 2023. Sustainable catalysis: Navigating challenges and embracing opportunities for a greener future. Journal of Chemistry and Environment. 2(2), 14–53.
[16] Secchi, M., Castellani, V., Collina, E., et al., 2016. Assessing eco-innovations in green chemistry: Life cycle assessment (LCA) of a cosmetic product with a bio-based ingredient. Journal of Cleaner Production. 129, 269–281.
[17] Sartal, A., Martinez-Senra, A.I.,Cruz-Machado V., 2018. Are all lean principles equally eco-friendly? A panel data study. Journal of Cleaner Production. 177, 362–370.
[18] Panda, S., Gorantla, S., 2025. Green analytical approaches and eco-friendly solvents: Advancing industrial applications and environmental sustainability: A comprehensive review. Oriental Journal of Chemistry. 41(2), 616–627.
[19] Rocca, R., Acerbi F., Fumagalli L., et al., 2023. Development of an lca-based tool to assess the environmental sustainability level of cosmetics products. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. 28(10), 1261–1285.
[20] Roy, S., Singh, S., Chauhan, A.S., et al., 2025.Case studies and techno-economic analyses of green chemistry: Future prospects and life cycle assessment. In Green Chemistry: A Path to Sustainable Development. Elsevier: Amsterdam, The Netherlands. pp. 429–457.
[21] Lan, K., Wang, H.S.H., Lee, T., et al., 2024. A modeling framework to identify environmentally greener and lower-cost pathways of nanomaterials. Green Chemistry. 26, 3466–3478..
[22] Costanza, R., 2001. Visions, values, valuation, and the need for an ecological economics: All scientific analysis is based on a “preanalytic vision,” and the major source of uncertainty about current environmental policies results from differences in visions and world views. BioScience. 51(6), 459–468.
[23] Fayshal, M.A., 2024. Current practices of plastic waste management, environmental impacts, and potential alternatives for reducing pollution and improving management. Heliyon. 10(23), e40838.
[24] Chaturvedi, R., Darokar H., Patil P.P., et al., 2023. Maximizing towards the sustainability: Integrating materials, energy, and resource efficiency in revolutionizing manufacturing industry. E3S Web of Conferences. 453(4), 01036.
[25] Aithal, S., Aithal, P., 2021. Green and eco-friendly nanotechnology–concepts and industrial prospects. International Journal of Management, Technology, and Social Sciences (IJMTS). 6(1), 1–31.
[26] Anastas, P., Eghbali N., 2010. Green chemistry: Principles and practice. Chemical Society Reviews. 39(1), 301–312.
[27] Anastas, P.T., Kirchhoff, M.M., 2002. Origins, current status, and future challenges of green chemistry. Accounts of Chemical Research. 35(9), 686–694.
[28] Ganesh, K.N., Zhang, D., Miller, S.J., et al., 2021. Green Chemistry: A Framework for a Sustainable Future. ACS Omega. 6(25), 16254–16258.
[29] Horváth, I.T., Anastas P. T., 2007. Innovations and green chemistry. Chemical Reviews. 107(6), 2169–2173.
[30] Lozano, F.J., Lozano, R., Freire, P., et al., 2018. New perspectives for green and sustainable chemistry and engineering: Approaches from sustainable resource and energy use, management, and transformation. Journal of Cleaner Production. 172, 227–232.
[31] Mulvihill, M.J., Beach, E.S., Zimmerman, J.B., et al., 2011. Green chemistry and green engineering: A framework for sustainable technology development. Annual Review of Environment and Resources. 36(1), 271–293.
[32] Xia, D., Zhang, M., Yu, Q., et al., 2019. Developing a framework to identify barriers of green technology adoption for enterprises. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 143, 99–110.
[33] de Souza Barbosa, A., da Silva, M.C.B.C., da Silva, L.B., et al., 2023. Integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria: Their impacts on corporate sustainability performance. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. 10(1), 1–18.
[34] Hoang, T., 2018.The role of the integrated reporting in raising awareness of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) performance. In: Seifi, S., Crowther, D. (Eds.). Stakeholders, Governance and Responsibility. Emerald Publishing: Leeds, UK. pp. 47–69.
[35] Steinhäuser, K.G., Von Gleich, A., Große Ophoff, M., et al., 2022. The necessity of a global binding framework for sustainable management of chemicals and materials—Interactions with climate and biodiversity. Sustainable Chemistry. 3(2), 205–237.
[36] El-Halwagi, M.M., 2025. Sustainable Design through Process Integration: Fundamentals and Applications to Industrial Pollution Prevention, Resource Conservation, and Profitability Enhancement, 3rd ed. Elsevier: Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
[37] Machiba, T., 2011. Eco-innovation for enabling resource efficiency and green growth: Development of an analytical framework and preliminary analysis of industry and policy practices. In: Bleischwitz, R., Welfens, P.J.J., Zhang, Z.X. (Eds.). International Economics of Resource Efficiency: Eco-Innovation Policies for a Green Economy. Springer: Heidelberg, Germany. pp. 371–394.
[38] Martin, M., Svensson, N., Eklund, M., 2015. Who gets the benefits? An approach for assessing the environmental performance of industrial symbiosis. Journal of Cleaner Production. 98, 263–271.
[39] Sheldon, R.A., 2024. Green carbon and the chemical industry of the future. Philosophical Transactions A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences. 382(2282), 20230259.
[40] Tilsted, J.P., Newell P., 2025. Synthetic transitions: The political economy of fossil fuel as feedstock. Review of International Political Economy. 32(4), 1214–1238.
[41] Wacławek, S., Padil V.V., Černík, M., 2018. Major advances and challenges in heterogeneous catalysis for environmental applications: A review. Ecological Chemistry and Engineering. 25(1), 9.
[42] Hernandez, J., 2024. Earth Abundant Catalyst for Evironmental Sustainability Applications [PhD Thesis]. University of Texas at El Paso: El Paso, TX, USA.
[43] Raymond, M.J., Slater C.S.,Savelski M.J., 2010. LCA approach to the analysis of solvent waste issues in the pharmaceutical industry. Green Chemistry. 12(10), 1826–1834.
[44] Rath, P., Jindal, M.,Jindal, T., 2021. A review on economically-feasible and environmental-friendly technologies promising a sustainable environment. Cleaner Engineering and Technology. 5, 100318.
[45] Xu, Q., Riffat S., Zhang S., 2019. Review of heat recovery technologies for building applications. Energies. 12(7), 1285.
[46] Buchner, G.A., Stepputat, K.J., Zimmermann, A.W., et al., 2019. Specifying technology readiness levels for the chemical industry. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. 58(17), 6957–6969.
[47] Centi, G., Quadrelli, E.A.,Perathoner, S., 2013. Catalysis for CO2 conversion: A key technology for rapid introduction of renewable energy in the value chain of chemical industries. Energy & Environmental Science. 6(6), 1711–1731.
[48] Meher, A.K., Zarouri A., 2025. Green analytical chemistry—Recent innovations. Analytica. 6(1), 10.
[49] Ahmed, N., Das, N., Chakraborty, P., et al., 2023. Sustainable IT and green computing: Leveraging artificial intelligence for eco friendly innovations and energy efficient technology solutions. Propel Journal of Academic Research (PJAR). 3(2), 154–173.
[50] Ali, M., Shabbir, K., Ali, S., et al., 2024. A new era of discovery: How artificial intelligence has revolutionized the biotechnology. Nepal Journal of Biotechnology. 12(1), 1–11.
[51] Prabhakaran, P., Bhardwaj, S., Chopra, B., et al., 2024. Chemistry and technology innovation to advance green and sustainable chemistry. In: Sen, M. (Ed.). Sustainable Green Catalytic Processes. Scrivener Publishing: Beverly, MA, USA. pp. 273–300.
[52] Selvakumar, P., Preethi C., Nehru P., et al., 2025. AI in green chemistry sustainable manufacturing processes. In Cases on AI-Driven Solutions to Environmental Challenges. IGI Global Scientific Publishing: Hershey, PA, USA. pp. 297–318.
[53] Upadhyayula, V.K., Meyer, D.E., Curran, M.A., et al., 2012. Life cycle assessment as a tool to enhance the environmental performance of carbon nanotube products: A review. Journal of Cleaner Production. 26, 37–47.
[54] Mohan, S.V., Katakojwala, R., 2021. The circular chemistry conceptual framework: A way forward to sustainability in industry 4.0. Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry. 28, 100434.
[55] Sajadieh, S.M.M., Noh, S.D., 2025. A review of digital twin integration in circular manufacturing for sustainable industry transition. Sustainability. 17(16), 7316.
[56] Pappa, A., Pham‐Huu, C., Papaefthimiou, S., et al., 2025. Catalytic approaches for CO2 conversion to value‐added products: An overview of life cycle assessment studies. Advanced Energy and Sustainability Research. 6(8), 2400399.
[57] Davidson, M.G., Elgie, S., Parsons, S., et al., 2021. Production of HMF, FDCA and their derived products: A review of life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA) studies. Green Chemistry. 23(9), 3154–3171.
[58] Kim, H., 2024. Towards Carbon Neutrality: A Sustainable Approach to Renewable Olefins Production in Terms of Energy, Economic, and Environmental Development [PhD Thesis]. Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology: Ulsan, Republic of Korea.
[59] Zhang, Y., Yuan, Z., Margni, M., et al., 2019. Intensive carbon dioxide emission of coal chemical industry in China. Applied Energy. 236, 540–550.
[60] Flourat, A.L., Combes, J., Bailly‐Maitre‐Grand, C., et al., 2021. Accessing p‐hydroxycinnamic acids: Chemical synthesis, biomass recovery, or engineered microbial production? ChemSusChem: : Chemistry & Sustainability, Energy & Materials. 14(1), 118–129.
[61] Kim, J.F., Kim H.J., Park, J., et al., 2025. Research roadmap for sustainable polymeric materials in Korea. Macromolecular Research. 33(5), 535–551.
[62] Caygill, G., Zanfir, M.,Gavriilidis, A., 2006. Scalable reactor design for pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals production. 1: Potential scale-up obstacles. Organic Process Research & Development. 10(3), 539–552.
[63] Raza, K., Patle, V., Arya, S., 2012. A review on green computing for eco-friendly and sustainable IT. Journal of Computational Intelligence and Electronic Systems. 1(1), 3–16.
[64] Almalki, F.A., Alsamhi, S.H., Sahal, R., et al., 2023. Green IoT for eco-friendly and sustainable smart cities: Future directions and opportunities. Mobile Networks and Applications. 28(1), 178–202.
[65] Rafey, A., Ahmad, E., Pant, K., et al., 2025. Transforming plastic waste into hydrogen and nanocarbon: A sustainable path to clean energy and a circular economy. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. 64(7), 3651–3675.
[66] Aslam, M.A., Abbas, M.S., Irfan, R.M., et al., 2025. From ammonia to hydrogen: Evolution of ruthenium-based catalysts. ACS Catalysis. 15(21), 18631–18662.
[67] Aslam, M.A., Mustaqeem, M., Abbas, M.S., et al., 2025. Hydrogen revolution: Advances in catalytic ammonia decomposition. Clean Energy Technologies. 1(1), 49–69.
[68] Liang, J., Liu, D., Xu, S., et al., 2025. Innovative coal-to-olefin process integrated with sustainable renewable electricity and green hydrogen. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. 64(13), 7115–7125.
[69] Xia, T., Ma, Z., Li, M., 2024. Pioneering sustainability: The development and policy framework of ammonia fuel technology in China. International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy. 14(5), 651–663.
[70] Yildirim, A., Bilgili, M., 2026. Comparative techno-economic analysis of offshore wind, solar PV and hybrid green hydrogen production in Türkiye. Marine Georesources & Geotechnology. 1–23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1064119X.2026.2613742
[71] Albo, G., Aschoff, N., Saad-Filho, A. (Eds.), 2022. Capital and Politics: Socialist Register 2023, Vol. 59. NYU Press: New York, NY, USA.
[72] Cho, S., 2023. Near Term Environmental Transition: A Case Study of Ulsan City [PhD Thesis]. Harvard University: Cambridge, MA, USA.
[73] Jang, Y.-C., Lee, G., Kwon, Y., et al., 2020. Recycling and management practices of plastic packaging waste towards a circular economy in South Korea. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 158, 104798.
[74] Tri, P.Q., Van Hoi, N., Hiep, H.H., 2023. Dung Quat Oil Refinery Contributes to the Economic Development of Quang Ngai Province. Social Sciences Information Review. 17(2), 43–51.
[75] Van Giau, V., Kien, T.T., Van Thanh T., et al., 2024. The role of specific energy consumption in a heat recovery system for cassava starch production using an integrated agro-industrial system. Energy, Sustainability and Society. 14(1), 43.
Downloads
How to Cite
Issue
Article Type
License
Copyright © 2026 Yan Shi

This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.




Yan Shi