Accelerating the industrial transition with safe-and-sustainable-by-design (SSbD)

Abstract

Safe-and-sustainable-by-design (SSbD) is a pre-market approach that integrates innovation with safety and sustainability along the entire life cycle. It aims to (i) steer the innovation process towards a sustainable industrial transition; (ii) minimise the production and use of substances of concern and phase them out in material and product flows; and to (iii) minimise the impact on health, climate and the environment during sourcing, production, use and end-of-life of chemicals, materials and products. The aim of this perspective is to share reflections on how an SSbD approach can accelerate the industrial transition towards safer and more sustainable chemicals, materials, processes, and products, and circular value chains. To achieve the speed, efficacy and efficiency needed to support this urgently required transition, an efficient science–policy–industry interface is imperative. It is essential that the safety and sustainability knowledge generated in research supports policy and, more importantly, is taken up by industry. Bridges are needed between research, policy, investment, and industry through closer collaboration. But there is also a need for internal collaboration within companies along the life cycle of products. This means a stronger alignment between research and development (R&D), sustainability, design, business, and production departments. To bridge these different silos, a community and platform is needed as a multi-sectoral “one-stop-shop” to bring the field of innovation closer to the fields of safety and sustainability (environmental, social, economic). Policy needs to set goals, related criteria and methodologies, and incentives; academia and research need to support the development of knowledge, data, and tools needed and provide critical interdisciplinary education; and industry has to make its information on chemical impacts and choices transparent and institutionalise it in a systematic and thoughtful way.