Plasticizers, fLame-retardants and surfactANts: new alternatives validating the safE and susTainable by deSign approach

Project Information

PLANETS

Grant agreement ID: 101177608

DOI

10.3030/101177608

EC signature date 11 September 2024

Start date 1 November 2024

End date 31 October 2028

Funded under

• Digital, Industry and Space

Total cost

€ 16 892 631,25

EU contribution

€ 14 458 039,77

Coordinated by

COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
France

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PLANETS (Plasticizers, fLame-retardants and surfactANts: new alternatives validating the safE and susTainable by deSign approach)

Reporting period: 2024-11-01 to 2026-04-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Beyond the development of individual case studies, PLANETS aims to demonstrate that the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework can become a practical and scalable approach for the European chemicals and materials industries. The project addresses a critical challenge facing Europe: maintaining industrial competitiveness and innovation while responding to increasing environmental, health, and regulatory demands. By integrating safety, sustainability, functionality, and circularity considerations from the earliest stages of innovation, PLANETS seeks to reduce the risk of regrettable substitutions and to accelerate the market uptake of safer and more sustainable alternatives. The project brings together industrial partners, research organizations, and SSbD experts to establish methodologies, assessment tools, and decision-making processes that can be applied across different value chains and material classes.
A key objective is to generate robust scientific evidence supporting the transition toward safer and more sustainable chemicals and materials while ensuring technical performance and economic feasibility. The selected case studies cover products that are widely used in everyday applications and that currently face sustainability or safety concerns. By addressing surfactants, flame retardants, and plasticizers, PLANETS targets substances that are relevant to multiple industrial sectors (coatings, foams and childcare respectively). Demonstrating SSbD solutions in these sectors will provide valuable guidance for future product development and regulatory implementation.
In addition, PLANETS contributes to the European Green Deal and the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability by promoting transparency across value chains, improving hazard and exposure assessments, and supporting circular economy principles. The project also seeks to strengthen collaboration between industry and academia, facilitating knowledge transfer and the development of harmonized assessment approaches. Ultimately, PLANETS intends to establish practical pathways that enable companies to innovate responsibly, reduce environmental impacts, protect human health, and reinforce Europe’s leadership in sustainable chemicals and materials innovation.
Finally, the social acceptance of these SSbD alternatives will be assessed. To support awareness and stakeholder engagement, dissemination flyers providing accessible information on plasticizers, surfactants, and flame retardants have been developed and distributed. In addition, two stakeholder surveys have been conducted: a general survey targeting a broad range of stakeholders and a consumer-oriented survey specifically focused on childcare products. These activities contribute to evaluating perceptions, expectations, and the social acceptance of the proposed alternatives.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The SSbD framework has been tailored to meet industrial requirements, emphasizing the incorporation of industrial design principles for enhanced practicality. A structured approach based on FAIR principles has been established to manage data and prepare the DPP (digital passport product), complemented by training initiatives to raise awareness within the chemical sector. These activities have successfully gathered valuable insights and feedback, which are instrumental in guiding policy decisions.
In the course of the work on surfactants, an initial process was investigated, but challenges with the catalyst's availability and effectiveness were faced. A simplified SSbD assessment was conducted to evaluate the initial process and identify potential alternative synthetic routes. This led to the establishment of a new synthetic route, through which four prototypes of surfactants were developed. Additionally, the synthesis of 1.4dioxane-free surfactants was completed, and they are now ready for use in polymerization.
The definition of routes for flame retardant SSbD alternatives was completed supported by the simplified SSbD assessment. New halogen-free FRs for use in thermoplastic and thermoset foams were developed, and the synthesis of various FR alternatives was investigated and optimized. Thermal stability and flame retardancy properties were analyzed for different formulations.
In the context of plasticizers, routes for alternatives were defined using the SSbD approach, with a scoping phase conducted to define system boundaries and identify hotspots in assessments. The value chain was defined to inform partners about stakeholders in the production of plasticizers, and a benchmark of existing products was performed to identify composition, manufacturing location, and price. The regulatory landscape was completed, incorporating pertinent regulations for both the teether and spoon. In addition, a consumer survey was conducted, which received nearly 100 responses, helping to validate user needs and inform the final product requirements.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The findings achieved so far represent an advance beyond the state of the art in several areas.
First, the project is developing safer and more sustainable alternatives for surfactants, plasticizers, and flame retardants. New precursors selection strategies and synthesis routes have enabled the development of SSbD surfactants. The substitution of halogenated flame retardants has been achieved while the main challenge remains the scale up production to multi-kilogram quantities for industrial demonstration. The establishment of an European silicon value chain strengthens raw material security and autonomy.
Second, the project has advanced the application of the SSbD approach and supported policy development. An SSbD workflow, a shared Wordbook, and an SSbD-based ECV Calculator have been developed to facilitate implementation. SSbD ambassadors help connect experts with value-chain actors, while simplified assessment tools identify hotspots and support higher-level evaluations. In addition, PLANETS has contributed to policy discussions through feedback on the revised SSbD framework, OECD tools, and ECHA proposals concerning CMR substances in childcare articles.
Finally, the project has identified new skills needs and established an ongoing training programme covering key SSbD aspects. Training materials, openly available through the PLANETS website, Zenodo, and YouTube, have already gained recognition from PARC and other initiatives. These resources also support the collaboration with the EIT Raw & Advanced Materials Academy to develop SSbD learning pathways for industry.