Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 8, 2026

Designed for Molecular Recycling: A Lignin-Derived Semi-aromatic Biobased Polymer
Published on: November 30, 2020
How Circular Can the Chemical Industry Sector Be(come)?
1School of Chemistry and Physics Faculty of Science Centre for Environment and Society Queensland University of Technology 2 George St Brisbane QLD 4000 Australia.
None:
The current perspective discusses the urgent need for the chemical industry to become more circular by adopting principles of circular economy. Importantly, many chemical products do not fit into the mainstream circular economy scheme that relies on a circular flow of resources, by recovering, retaining or adding to their value as many chemical products are intentionally dispersed into the environment. However, the chemical industry is a key sector that will support the return of the seven transgressed planetary boundaries to the safe operating space. Already defined circularity indicators - as published in the ISO 59000 family of standards - applicable to the chemical industry are discussed and new circularity indicators are introduced. In addition, the introduction of a waste framework with Scope 1, 2, 3 waste categories as a reporting tool is briefly discussed as an enhanced focus on waste generated along the value chain could improve the circular material use rate that currently is below 7%.
Related Concept Videos
Pericyclic Reactions: Introduction
Pericyclic reactions can be classified into three categories: electrocyclic reactions, cycloaddition reactions, and sigmatropic rearrangements. Electrocyclic reactions and sigmatropic...
Woodward–Hoffmann Selection Rules and Microscopic Reversibility
Thermal Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry
Selection Rules: Thermal Activation
Conjugated systems containing an even number of π-electron pairs undergo a conrotatory ring closure. For example, thermal electrocyclization of (2E,4E)-2,4-hexadiene, a conjugated diene containing two π-electron pairs, gives trans-3,4-dimethylcyclobutene.
Cycloaddition Reactions: Overview
Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry
Selection Rules: Photochemical Activation
Diels–Alder Reaction Forming Cyclic Products: Stereochemistry

