The environmental process performance tool

With increasing pressure from Europe to clean up its industrial processes the UK has responded by the implementation of Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) through the Environmental Protection Act, 1990. Every operator must now demonstrate that they select the Best Practicable Environmental Option (BPEO) but just how environmentally sound are chemical processes, particularly batch processes? To answer this question the effect on the environment must be considered both in the design stage and during operation. In order to do this the environmental impact must be assessed. This paper discusses the Environmental Process Performance Tool (EPPT) which is being developed to examine the environmental performance of chemical processes.