Safety and Sustainability
Safety, environmental performance, economic viability and social value are assessed throughout the SOWISE+ value chain.
Safe and sustainable by design (SSbD)
Developing new materials from urban waste requires more than proving that they can be technically produced. SOWISE+ will also assess whether its processes, materials and products are safe, environmentally sustainable, socially responsible and economically viable.
This work is carried out mainly through WP5, which applies the European Commission’s Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework together with a broader Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment approach.
Safety
Chemical, occupational and environmental risks.
Environment
Life-cycle impacts from waste input to end-of-life.
Economy
Costs, viability and long-term value creation.
Society
Social impacts, jobs, communities and stakeholder benefits.
The life cycle
Safety and sustainability are considered across the full SOWISE+ system
- Waste collection
- Processing
- Materials
- Products
- Use
- End-of-life
Sustainability in practice
Avoid shifting impacts
A circular solution should not solve one environmental problem while creating another.
Design better materials
Assessment results help improve formulations, processes and products during development.
Support responsible scale-up
Evidence on safety and sustainability helps prepare SOWISE+ solutions for wider uptake and replication.
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