Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ANALYST (STRENGTHENING THE INTEGRATED APPROACH OF HOLISTIC IMPACT ASSESSMENTS FOR SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE BY DESIGN PLASTIC VALUE CHAIN)
Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-06-30
Background and Motivation
Plastic pollution is a major environmental challenge. By 2015, 60% of all plastic produced had become waste. By 2020, global plastic production reached 370 million tonnes, generating approximately 400 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is widely used due to its durability and versatility. However, its recyclability is limited, mainly due to hazardous additives and complex formulations. There is a lack of comprehensive life cycle assessments considering environmental, health, social, and economic impacts.
In response, the European Union introduced the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework through the Green Deal and the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS). The ANALYST project addresses gaps in SSbD implementation, developing tools for integrated impact assessments to support informed decision-making.
Project Objectives:
The ANALYST project aims to advance safer and more sustainable chemicals and materials through tools assessing health, environmental, social, and economic impacts. Innovations include:
• ANALYST-BOX: A methodological framework integrating sustainability dimensions to evaluate materials and chemicals reliably.
• ANALYST-DIGI: A digital support system featuring a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Tool (DMDMS) and an Open Access platform for safer, more sustainable solutions.
• ANALYST-T-PACK: Actions to promote uptake and long-term impact, including stakeholder engagement, awareness campaigns, and dissemination.
Integration of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH)
Social Sciences and Humanities play a central role in the ANALYST project by helping to shape both its core methodology and its relevance to society. The project places strong emphasis on integrating the social dimension into its approach to impact assessment, ensuring that social, ethical, and economic factors are considered alongside health and environmental aspects. Experts in these areas are actively involved in developing the assessment framework and in ensuring that the tools produced are sensitive to real-world needs. In addition, ongoing collaboration with stakeholders helps to align project outcomes with user expectations and policy realities. Through open communication, educational outreach, and stakeholder engagement, ANALYST supports broader understanding and uptake of its tools, while also helping to prepare both the current and next generation of professionals to work toward safer and more sustainable materials. This human-centred approach strengthens the project’s potential to deliver practical, accepted, and lasting change.
Plastic pollution is a major environmental challenge. By 2015, 60% of all plastic produced had become waste. By 2020, global plastic production reached 370 million tonnes, generating approximately 400 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is widely used due to its durability and versatility. However, its recyclability is limited, mainly due to hazardous additives and complex formulations. There is a lack of comprehensive life cycle assessments considering environmental, health, social, and economic impacts.
In response, the European Union introduced the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework through the Green Deal and the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS). The ANALYST project addresses gaps in SSbD implementation, developing tools for integrated impact assessments to support informed decision-making.
Project Objectives:
The ANALYST project aims to advance safer and more sustainable chemicals and materials through tools assessing health, environmental, social, and economic impacts. Innovations include:
• ANALYST-BOX: A methodological framework integrating sustainability dimensions to evaluate materials and chemicals reliably.
• ANALYST-DIGI: A digital support system featuring a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Tool (DMDMS) and an Open Access platform for safer, more sustainable solutions.
• ANALYST-T-PACK: Actions to promote uptake and long-term impact, including stakeholder engagement, awareness campaigns, and dissemination.
Integration of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH)
Social Sciences and Humanities play a central role in the ANALYST project by helping to shape both its core methodology and its relevance to society. The project places strong emphasis on integrating the social dimension into its approach to impact assessment, ensuring that social, ethical, and economic factors are considered alongside health and environmental aspects. Experts in these areas are actively involved in developing the assessment framework and in ensuring that the tools produced are sensitive to real-world needs. In addition, ongoing collaboration with stakeholders helps to align project outcomes with user expectations and policy realities. Through open communication, educational outreach, and stakeholder engagement, ANALYST supports broader understanding and uptake of its tools, while also helping to prepare both the current and next generation of professionals to work toward safer and more sustainable materials. This human-centred approach strengthens the project’s potential to deliver practical, accepted, and lasting change.
The description below is separated by WP for ease of understanding. All the work described below is linked to collaborative work between the different ANALYST partners, with interconnections between the different experts.
More details can be found in each section of the ANALYST technical report (M1-M18).
WP1 - Setting the basis for ANALYST.
3 Deliverables (Dv) and 4 Milestones (MS) have been successfully submitted on time. The main activities and achievements can be described below:
WP1 activities defined dependencies between work packages (WPs) and tasks, mapped 145 data sources, and developed NLP tools for data extraction. The project set up a preliminary database structure, ensuring alignment across WPs.
WP2 - Development of ANALYST-BOX
2 Dvs and 1 MSs have been successfully submitted on time. The main activities and achievements can be described below:
WP2 achieved the integration of health, environmental, social, and economic dimensions. A comprehensive review of SSbD and life cycle methodologies identified methodological gaps and opportunities for alignment with policy and scientific practices. Collaboration with other WPs ensured consistency in data needs and tool development.
WP3 – Development of ANALYST-DIGI
2 Dvs have been successfully submitted on time. The main activities and achievements can be described below:
WP3 delivered the high-level system architecture and ontology for the digital tools, including the DMDMS and Open Access platform. A lifecycle data management approach was established, ensuring traceability and secure data flow.
WP4 – Demonstration and validation program in use-case environments
Not started. Beginning in M21.
WP5 – Driving adoption through ANALYST-T-PACK
2 Dvs and 2 MSs have been successfully submitted on time. The main activities and achievements can be described below:
WP5 focused on stakeholder engagement, identifying Key Exploitable Results (KERs) and developing an exploitation strategy. Collaborative activities with sister projects enhanced knowledge exchange.
WP6 - Project Management and Coordination
5 Dvs and 1 MSs have been successfully submitted on time. The main activities and achievements can be described below:
Successfully established the Project Management Plan (PMP), ensuring a clear structure for internal decision-making, quality control, and partner coordination. Furthermore, fostered cross-partner and WP collaboration through regular meetings, consortium coordination, and strategic engagement with the Project Officer and Advisory Board.
More details can be found in each section of the ANALYST technical report (M1-M18).
WP1 - Setting the basis for ANALYST.
3 Deliverables (Dv) and 4 Milestones (MS) have been successfully submitted on time. The main activities and achievements can be described below:
WP1 activities defined dependencies between work packages (WPs) and tasks, mapped 145 data sources, and developed NLP tools for data extraction. The project set up a preliminary database structure, ensuring alignment across WPs.
WP2 - Development of ANALYST-BOX
2 Dvs and 1 MSs have been successfully submitted on time. The main activities and achievements can be described below:
WP2 achieved the integration of health, environmental, social, and economic dimensions. A comprehensive review of SSbD and life cycle methodologies identified methodological gaps and opportunities for alignment with policy and scientific practices. Collaboration with other WPs ensured consistency in data needs and tool development.
WP3 – Development of ANALYST-DIGI
2 Dvs have been successfully submitted on time. The main activities and achievements can be described below:
WP3 delivered the high-level system architecture and ontology for the digital tools, including the DMDMS and Open Access platform. A lifecycle data management approach was established, ensuring traceability and secure data flow.
WP4 – Demonstration and validation program in use-case environments
Not started. Beginning in M21.
WP5 – Driving adoption through ANALYST-T-PACK
2 Dvs and 2 MSs have been successfully submitted on time. The main activities and achievements can be described below:
WP5 focused on stakeholder engagement, identifying Key Exploitable Results (KERs) and developing an exploitation strategy. Collaborative activities with sister projects enhanced knowledge exchange.
WP6 - Project Management and Coordination
5 Dvs and 1 MSs have been successfully submitted on time. The main activities and achievements can be described below:
Successfully established the Project Management Plan (PMP), ensuring a clear structure for internal decision-making, quality control, and partner coordination. Furthermore, fostered cross-partner and WP collaboration through regular meetings, consortium coordination, and strategic engagement with the Project Officer and Advisory Board.
In the first 18 months, the ANALYST project developed integrated methodologies and digital tools for Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD). These tools offer a holistic, interdisciplinary approach combining health, environmental, social, and economic dimensions, rare in existing frameworks.
Key advances include the ANALYST-BOX, a robust methodology for multidimensional chemical and material assessment, and the ANALYST-DIGI environment. This system includes a Decision-Making Digital Support Tool (DMDMS) and an Open Access platform, enabling traceable, interoperable data integration.
The application of Natural Language Processing (NLP) for data gap filling and database construction is novel in this context. The project also laid the foundation for a FAIR-compliant database, aligned with SSbD principles.
The next steps involve operationalising and testing the tools in industrial settings, finalising the Open Access platform, and engaging further with policymakers to ensure regulatory alignment.
Key advances include the ANALYST-BOX, a robust methodology for multidimensional chemical and material assessment, and the ANALYST-DIGI environment. This system includes a Decision-Making Digital Support Tool (DMDMS) and an Open Access platform, enabling traceable, interoperable data integration.
The application of Natural Language Processing (NLP) for data gap filling and database construction is novel in this context. The project also laid the foundation for a FAIR-compliant database, aligned with SSbD principles.
The next steps involve operationalising and testing the tools in industrial settings, finalising the Open Access platform, and engaging further with policymakers to ensure regulatory alignment.