Safe and Sustainable by Design framework for the next generation of Chemicals and Materials

SSbD4ChEM brings together stakeholders from industry, government, academia, and civil society to develop and promote best practices for safe and sustainable product and process design, through demonstration in 3 case studies.

SSbD4CheM aims to meet the EU's strategic objectives for digital, enabling, and emerging technologies, sectors, and value chains by developing a comprehensive Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework that uses new science-based approaches to identify and address potential hazards and risks, and innovative technologies to support the design of safer and more sustainable products and processes.

SSbD4CheM objectives include: 1) SSbD framework to facilitate development of the next generation of chemicals and materials applicable to renewable composites in automotive value chain, PFAS-free coatings for textile and cellulose nanofibers as additive in cosmetics to replace plastic microbeads, 2) Development of efficient hazard screening tools for alternative assessment of next generation chemicals/materials/products combining in silico tools and multicriteria analysis, 3) Advanced explorative ex-ante LCA method supported by molecular and data-driven modelling to fill data gaps for (novel) materials and chemicals, 4) Integration of chemical/(nano-)material characterization methods to assess products’ environmental safety, quantify emissions to support occupational and consumer safety limits, 5) Development of alternative, in vitro models, as part of New Approach Methodologies for adequate exposure scenarios, 6) Harmonization and validation of analytical and toxicological methods for proposition to regulatory and standardization bodies to contribute to the development of new standards and facilitate market acceptance of SSbD4CheM project results, and 7) Enhance overall SSbD4CheM impact through stakeholder engagement, training, dissemination and exploitation and drive industrial innovation.