The safe and sustainable by design (SSbD) concept integrates functionality with safety
and sustainability aspects at an early phase of the innovation and product development
process. A qualitative integrated safe, sustainable, and recyclable by design (SSRbD)
approach was developed in a series of cocreation workshops involving risk assessors,
toxicologists, eco-design, and sustainable development experts. The SSRbD approach
consists of (1) identification of functionality, criticality, toxicity, environmental,
social, circularity/recyclability, and economic impacts in a life cycle thinking perspective;
(2) development of SSRbD strategies; and (3) verification of SSRbD strategies. The
first two steps were applied to three case studies (building sector: new recyclable-by-design
bio-sourced polyurethane (PU) to replace PVC (polyvinyl chloride) as insulating material
for window frames; transport sector: fire-resistant, intrinsically recyclable epoxy-vitrimer
materials for
sustainable composites to replace metal for train body; and packaging sector: recyclable
MultiNanoLayered (MNL) films to replace multilayer films for packaging with drastically
reduced concentrations of compatibilizers). Guidance for identifying polymer material-relevant
information needs was developed. In terms of internal organization, an interdisciplinary
group for case study assessment was developed. Each case study comes with specific
challenges and needs, which is why a tailor-made approach is required for the application
of SSRbD of polymeric materials and products.
Keywords
Innovation - Safety - Sustainability - Recyclability - Polymeric materials - Integrated
approach - SSbD
Bibliographical Record
Lya G. Soeteman-Hernández, Géraldine Cabrera, Arrate Huegun, Pablo R. Outón, Sébastien
Artous, Stephanie Desrousseaux, Yvonne Staal, Virginia Cazzagon, Camilla Delpivo,
Daniel Ganszky, Simon Clavaguera. Safe, Sustainable, and Recyclable by Design (SSRbD):
A Qualitative Integrated Approach Applied to Polymeric Materials Early in the Innovation
Process. Sustainability & Circularity NOW 2025; 02: a25547325.
DOI: 10.1055/a-2554-7325
