Common drugs such as paracetamol and ibuprofen can now be made from a compound found in pine trees, which is also a waste product from the paper industry, instead of crude oil products, according to a study. Common pharmaceuticals are manufactured using chemical precursors derived from crude oil, presenting a niche sustainability challenge as the world targets Net Zero.

A team from the University of Bath’s Department of Chemistry and Institute for Sustainability developed a method of creating a range of pharmaceutical precursors from biorenewable beta-pinene, a component of turpentine which is a waste by-product from the paper industry with an annual production of more than 350,000 tonnes.