A design-phase environmental safe-and-sustainable-by-design categorization tool for the development and innovation of nano-enabled advanced materials (AdMaCat)

Abstract

In support of the European Union's circular economy action plans and its chemical strategy for sustainability, initiatives are being developed aimed at integrating ‘safe and sustainable by design’ (SSbD) principles and approaches in the development of chemicals and materials to promote a toxic-free environment. The expected widespread use of advanced materials (AdMa) underlines the need for addressing sustainability and environmental safety as early as possible in the material design. Here, we present AdMaCat, which is a SSbD first-tier screening categorization tool addressing environmental concerns of AdMa. The tool is aimed at the early design-phase in materials development to enable a transparent and systematic evaluation of the functionality, safety, and sustainability of AdMa in a circular economy context. AdMaCat delivers a color-coded output with design recommendations covering the material life-cycle stages of manufacturing, use, and end of life. The applicability of AdMaCat is illustrated through a case study on organic aerogels for insulation purposes, focusing on material and process selections, application, and waste management options. We conclude that AdMaCat can assist in identifying data gaps and inform decisions regarding the design of tailored AdMa by optimizing the balance of functionality, safety, and sustainability in a circular economy.