ALCHEMISSTS: Alternative Chemicals and Materials Integrating Safety, Sustainability, New Production Technologies and Socio-Economic Aspects

SSbD

The AlchemiSSts project focuses on developing safer alternatives to common but harmful chemicals found in everyday products. Using the Safe and Sustainable by Design framework , the project will create and test new substances, assess their safety and sustainability, and promote their adoption through a dedicated certification process. By engaging stakeholders and utilizing data-driven tools, AlchemiSSts aims to ensure these new materials are both environmentally friendly and socially accepted while contributing to pollution reduction goals.

Context

The European chemical industry is undergoing a major transformation under the European Green Deal, aiming for climate neutrality by 2050. Central to this is the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS), which promotes Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) chemicals to minimize environmental and health impacts, while fostering a circular economy.

Despite the opportunities for global leadership in sustainable production, challenges persist, such as replacing Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) with safer alternatives, navigating technical and economic barriers, regulatory complexities, and achieving consumer acceptance. The SSbD framework, developed by the European Commission, offers a structured life-cycle approach but can be difficult for small and midsize enterprises(SMEs) to implement due to limited resources.

The AlchemiSSts project addresses these obstacles by fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the creation of tools to support SSbD adoption. This initiative aligns with the goals of the European Green Deal, advancing sustainability and competitiveness in the EU chemical industry.

Summary and objectives

AlChemiSSts is an innovative project addressing the need for safer and more sustainable chemical alternatives in Europe. The project focuses on developing substitutes for surfactants, flame retardants, and plasticizers, showcasing the practical application of the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework across multiple industrial value chains. By overcoming barriers to implementation and fostering collaboration, AlChemiSSts aims to enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of the European chemical industry, contributing to the transition toward a circular and green economy.

Objectives

1. Develop Alternatives: Create new SSbD-driven alternatives with surfactant, flame retardant, or plasticizing functionalities.
2. Proof of Concept: Generate evidence and validate the applicability of the SSbD framework.
3. SSbD Certification: Develop a certification methodology to promote and facilitate SSbD implementation.
4. Integrated Tools: Implement tools and approaches for safety, sustainability, and social assessments, leveraging interoperable FAIR data.
5. Demonstrate Applications: Showcase the SSbD framework through targeted use cases and real-world applications.

Consortium

• Instituto Tecnológico del Embalaje, Transporte y Logística – Coordinator
• Entelos Institute
• QSARLAB Spoka Z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnoscia
• GreenDecision srl
• Yordas GmbH
• Institute of Occupational Medicine
• International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory
• Blaszczyk Aneta
• Centre for Social Innovation Ltd
• Laurentia Technologies
• Bergische Universitatet Wuppertal
• Pinturas Blatem, S.L.
• Fundación TEKNIKER
• Instituto Pedro Nunes – Associação para a Inovação e
• Desenvolvimento em Ciência e tecnologia
• Carl Bechem GmbH
• AVANZARE Innovación Tecnológica S.L.
• Nasika Products S.A.
• K-Flex Poland Sp. O.o.
• Cauchos Ruiz-Alejos S.A.
• Applus+ Rescoll
• (Affiliated Entity) Applus+ LGAI Technologies
• Albion Technologies Ltd
• Centexbel
• National Technical University of Athens
• Devan Micropolis, SA
• (Affiliated Entity) Devan Chemicals, NV
• SIOEN Industries NV

ITENE’s role

The ALCHEMISSTS project work plan consists of 10 interconnected work packages, with ITENE as the Project Coordinator.
In addition to this coordinating role associated with WP10, ITENE will lead WP6: Integrated Human and Environmental safety profiling.

This involves evaluating hazards, occupational health and safety (OHS) risks, and environmental impacts throughout their life cycle, in line with the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework.

Main Contributions

1. Data Gap Analysis and Harmonization:

  • Conducting a comprehensive analysis of data gaps across the value chain for substances, materials, and products.
  • Establishing a detailed data gap matrix to support the use of recommended models under regulatory frameworks like REACH.
  • Addressing specific data requirements for advanced materials and nanomaterials using OECD guidelines and insights from past projects.

2. Hazard assessment and profiling:

  • Characterization of the potential hazards posed by the developed materials/products, including human health and environmental safety assessment.
  • Development of an Integrated Approach to Testing and Assessment (IATA) to be implemented in view of the availability of data and characteristics of the susbstances being evaluated.

3. Integrated Environmental, Health, and Safety Assessment:

  • Leading the evaluation of risks across production, processing, and final application phases.
  • Developing life cycle-based approaches to predict exposure and identify hotspots using tools like material flow analysis (MFA) and environmental release models.
  • Conducting environmental exposure and biodegradability studies to ensure alignment with OECD protocols.
  • Comparing Risk Characterization Ratios (RCR) of new alternatives with existing substances of concern to prioritize safer options.

ITENE’s leadership ensures the project’s alignment with regulatory standards while contributing critical data and methodologies to advance the SSbD framework’s implementation.

Funding