The fourth BIO-SUSHY training session explored how to incorporate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) into the Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) framework, providing a vital basis for developing truly sustainable, PFAS-free coating alternatives.
What We Covered
LCA Fundamentals (ISO Standards)
The session walked through the four core LCA steps essential for credible environmental evaluation:
- Goal and Scope Definition: Establishing proper functional units to ensure fair comparisons
- Inventory Analysis: Quantifying all material and energy flows throughout the product lifecycle
- Impact Assessment: Converting flows into 16 environmental indicators across five policy concerns: climate change, pollution, resources, ecosystem/biodiversity, and toxicity
- Interpretation: Identifying hotspots and trade-offs to guide improvement decisions
A key principle emphasized was avoiding impact shifting where improvements in one lifecycle stage or environmental category simply move the burden elsewhere. Comparisons must be based on equivalent functionality rather than mass alone.
The SSbD Framework in Practice
The SSbD approach presented follows an iterative, tiered methodology that evolves from screening-level assessments to full lifecycle evaluations as innovation matures. Performance scoring relies on improvement thresholds relative to benchmark systems rather than misleading single composite scores.
Real-World Case Studies
Three BIO-SUSHY applications demonstrated practical implementation:
- Food Packaging Trays: Biopolymers (PHA, PBS) replacing conventional materials
- PFAS-Free Textile Coatings: Production scenarios in both Europe and Asia
- Glass Cosmetic Packaging: Slip-enhancing coatings reducing product waste
Key Challenges Identified
Participants identified several ongoing challenges:
- Data Availability: Emerging biopolymers not yet present in standard LCA databases
- Uncertainty Management: Relying on laboratory-scale literature data introduces variability
- Trade-Off Complexity: Improvements in one impact category may compromise others
Takeaway
No universal environmental winner exists across all impact categories. Credible SSbD decision-making requires careful trade-off analysis and transparent documentation of assumptions, data sources, and uncertainty levels.
The questionnaire is brief and will take no more than five minutes to complete.
You can now access the official recording here: Recorded Webinar
The workshop Presentations are also available online now on our Website.
Join us for our next event!
We also invite you at our upcoming Workshop, “How coatings support circularity of materials”, taking place on 13 October 2026 at Hotel Van der Valk in Mons (Belgium).
Check out the agenda and secure your spot today: 
Agenda: https://lnkd.in/e-qhViib 
Register Here: https://lnkd.in/e-qhViib
Thank you in advance for your time and support.
Stay tuned for future updates and trainings.
