About SURPASS

The European plastics industry is at a critical juncture, facing the dual challenge of innovating for performance while transitioning to a safer, more sustainable, and circular economy. To navigate this complex landscape, innovators—especially Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)—require clear, practical, and accessible tools. The SURPASS project was launched to meet this need, developing a comprehensive framework and a digital infrastructure to guide the creation of the next generation of plastics.

The Mission

SURPASS (Safe-, sustainable- and Recyclable-by-design Polymeric systems a Step towards next generation of plastics) is a 42-month project funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. Its primary objective is to develop and validate the first Safe-, Sustainable-, and Recyclable-by-Design Assessment (SSRbDA) and guidance specifically for polymeric materials. The project aims to overcome the lack of targeted, holistic guidance for SMEs, enabling them to implement SSRbD principles from the earliest stages of the innovation process.

The SURPASS SSRbD Approach

The project has translated the European Commission Joint Research Centre's (JRC) Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) framework into a practical, polymer-specific methodology. The SURPASS approach is iterative and agile, designed to balance functionality with safety and sustainability throughout a product's development.

Key features of this approach include:

  • A Tiered Assessment: The methodology adapts to the project's maturity, or Technology Readiness Level (TRL). Assessments are simpler at the early stage when design freedom is high and become progressively more data-intensive at the mid and late stages as the product design is finalised.

  • Parallel Assessments: Rather than a slow, sequential evaluation, the SURPASS framework assesses different pillars (e.g., Hazard, Environment, Cost) in parallel. This allows for the rapid identification of "hotspots" and enables designers to make corrective actions quickly.

Real-World Validation: The Case Studies

To ensure the SSRbD framework is robust and practical, it was tested and validated across three high-impact industrial sectors:

  1. Building Sector: This case study focused on developing a recyclable, bio-based polyurethane (PU) window frame to replace conventional PVC. The innovation used vitrimer chemistry to enable circularity in thermoset materials.

  2. Transport Sector: A lightweight, fire-resistant, and intrinsically recyclable epoxy-vitrimer composite was designed to replace heavy metal parts in trains. This innovation aimed to improve energy efficiency during the use phase while meeting strict railway safety standards.

  3. Packaging Sector: To tackle the challenge of non-recyclable food packaging, this case study developed a MultiNanoLayered (MNL) film. By eliminating problematic materials like polyamide and compatibilizers, the new film was designed to be fully compatible with existing recycling streams.

The data, methodologies, and lessons learned from these case studies form the core evidence base for the project's main output: the SURPASS digital infrastructure.

The SURPASS Digital Infrastructure

The central output of the project is a user-friendly, open-access digital tool designed to operationalise the SSRbD framework for SMEs.

The platform is structured around a "Guided Progression" principle, leading users through a clear four-stage workflow:

  1. Introduction & Context: Understanding the core concepts of SSRbD and the SURPASS approach.

  2. (Re)design & Guidance: Applying guiding principles and using an interactive wizard to define a project, identify hotspots, and map an SSRbD strategy.

  3. Assessments: Using the platform's tools to evaluate a material's performance.

  4. Results & Resources: Accessing project deliverables, an inventory of external tools, and downloadable assessment reports.

At the heart of the platform is a unique scoring system that integrates results from different assessments—Hazard, Release/Exposure, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and Life Cycle Costing (LCC)—into a final, comparable score. By translating complex scientific data into actionable guidance, the SURPASS digital infrastructure provides innovators with the support they need to design the safe, sustainable, and recyclable plastics of the future.