About SPF
The Sustainable Plastic Framework (SPF) is a self-diagnostic Microsoft Excel spreadsheet designed to provide a holistic, qualitative assessment for projects in the early stages of innovation. As the recommended starting point within the SURPASS assessment workflow, this tool is ideal for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and innovators who need to evaluate their material's profile when detailed quantitative data is not yet available. Based on previous work from the OASIS project, the SPF has been specifically enhanced to address the needs of SSRbD for polymeric materials.
How It Works: A Questionnaire-Based Approach
The SPF tool guides you through a comprehensive self-assessment based on a structured questionnaire. The evaluation is broken down into six key dimensions, or "items," ensuring a 360-degree view of your project's sustainability profile.
The six assessed dimensions are:
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Functionality
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Hazard (covering health, environment, and physical aspects)
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Release and Exposure
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Environmental Impact
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Economic Performance
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Social Impact
For each of these dimensions, the spreadsheet presents 10 targeted questions. The assessment process involves three steps, all completed within the Excel file:
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Initial Diagnosis: You first score your current situation for each question on a scale from 0 to 10 and provide details on the practices you already have in place.
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Target Setting: Next, you define a "targeted situation" by describing the new practices you plan to implement and setting an aspirational target score for each question.
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Progress Tracking: The spreadsheet allows you to return at a later date to input an "updated situation," enabling you to track your progress against your initial targets.
Your Results: An Automated Dashboard
A key feature of the SPF tool is its ability to automatically generate a visual management dashboard directly within the Excel file upon completion of the questionnaire. This provides immediate, easy-to-understand feedback on your assessment.
The dashboard includes two main components:
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Radar Chart: This chart provides a powerful visual summary of your assessment, plotting your scores for the "Initial," "Targeted," and "Updated" situations across the six dimensions. This allows you to instantly see where you are, where you want to be, and where your main strengths and weaknesses lie.
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Unique Score: The tool calculates an overall percentage score that represents your project's "level of sustainability." This single, high-level metric is derived from the sum of the equally weighted scores from each dimension, offering a simple way to benchmark your progress.
Why Use the SPF Tool?
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Ideal for Early-Stage Innovation: It is specifically designed for situations where you have high design freedom but limited quantitative data.
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Provides a Holistic View: By covering six different dimensions, it encourages a balanced approach and helps you avoid focusing on one aspect of sustainability at the expense of others.
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User-Friendly and Accessible: As a downloadable Excel file, it is a familiar and easy-to-use format that does not require specialised software or expert knowledge.
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Supports Strategic Planning: It helps you set clear, measurable targets for improvement and provides a framework for tracking your progress over time.
You can download the SPF tool below and begin your SSRbD journey today.