Chemicals on their own, or after assembly into more complex devices, are at the heart of most technologies, ranging from drugs to energy-saving light emitting diodes. Chemists in academia and industry are increasingly trying to manage the entire life cycle of molecules. Sustainability requires the use of renewable starting materials and, at the end of a useful life, return of those products to the planet in a form that allows their efficient degradation via natural processes back to natural materials.

The Honours Bachelor of Applied Science in Sustainable Chemistry program examines chemical processes, including those leading to small molecules and polymers, strategies for improved energy generation and utilization, and the use of metrics to establish the sustainability of chemical processes. These processes are evaluated against the 12 rules of Green Chemistry, and more broadly by considering feedstocks, solvents, energy utilization, and the fate of both desired products and undesired byproducts.

The program provides students with a uniquely integrated and inquiry-based approach to research and problem-solving in chemistry and chemistry-related areas. The traditional practices of Chemistry are examined through the lens of sustainability, with the objective to develop in students the ability to identify and implement better ways to practice chemistry, particularly in industry. In this program, students may choose to focus on experimental work, with access to elite laboratory facilities with some of the most modern instrumentation found in any university in Canada.