In a recent publication, NOVA researchers propose a biocide-specific Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework to make SSbD more applicable and effective for biocides.

The framework introduces:

• A circular approach for iterative safety and sustainability improvements,

• The integration of societal needs and impacts — both positive and negative — into decision-making,

• A feedback loop to balance functionality and impact.

This approach aims to make SSbD more practicable and comprehensive for the biocide sector, supporting a responsible and future-oriented product design.

Read the full paper: Publication

This work was carried out as part of the NOVA-EU Project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe Framework Programme, the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SBFI, Switzerland), and UKRI.

Authors: Merve Tunali, Doris Voelker, Corinna Burkart, Kathrin Schwirn, Bernd Nowack