CONTEXT
Plastic, being predominantly made from fossil feedstock, has reached a global annual production of almost 370 Mtons in 2019 - a substantial portion of it being quickly discarded as waste. Almost 70% of the collected plastic waste in the EU (29.1 Mtons) is currently incinerated, landfilled or exported to other countries causing harm to the economy, wildlife, and eventually to human health. Increasing the recycling percentage is vital to limit global heating to 1.5°C.
Societal urgency dictated by those health and environmental impacts has motivated innovators to develop new solutions to make them safer, more sustainable and more recyclable by design. However, lack of targeted guidance, of holistic vision and the existence of multiple definitions, regulations and standards result in ambiguity and multiplication of criteria.
The aim of SURPASS is to overcome this global challenge by developing the first safe-, sustainable-, recyclable-by-design (SSRbD) Assessment and guidance dedicated to polymeric materials.