SaferWorldbyDesign: Integration of LCA in SSbD Framework

This webinar will provide a comprehensive overview of the integration of Life Cycle Assessment  (LCA) within the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework, emphasizing its critical role  in assessing environmental sustainability. Participants will gain insights into the latest  methodological advancements, best practices, and challenges associated with the practical  application of LCA in SSbD. 

A key focus will be on Steps 4 and 5 of the SSbD framework, which assess the environmental,  social, and economic sustainability of a product. Step 4, dedicated to Environmental  Sustainability, relies on LCA to quantify the environmental impacts of materials, processes, and  products throughout their life cycle. The webinar will provide a structured breakdown of LCA  phases, including: 

- Definition of Goal and Scope – Establishing system boundaries and functional units. - Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) – Data collection on energy, materials, emissions, and waste. - Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) – Evaluating environmental effects using impact  categories such as carbon footprint, resource depletion, and toxicity. 

- Interpretation of Results – Ensuring robustness and decision-making relevance. 

Additionally, different LCA system boundaries will be discussed, comparing cradle-to-gate (from  raw material extraction to the factory gate) with cradle-to-grave (including transportation, use  phase, and end-of-life). The session will also explore impact assessment methodologies and key  databases employed.  

Step 5 extends the sustainability assessment to include social and economic aspects, leveraging  methodologies parallel to LCA, such as Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) and Life Cycle  Costing (LCC). During the session it will be highlighted available tools and databases, and the  harmonization of environmental, social and economic assessments within the SSbD approach.  

Furthermore, the session will illustrate how SSbD scoring can be refined by integrating weighted  sustainability criteria, facilitating the identification of safer and more sustainable alternatives that  align with both regulatory requirements and market competitiveness.

Pau Camilleri works as Project Manager of Processes and Products Safety Unit at ITENE. Pau  participates in different international and national projects related to the implementation of the  SSbD Framework, where Pau performs the safety assessment of new products, analysing the  entire process, from early stages until the final product. She has studied Biotechnology, and  holds three master’s degrees: Food Biotechnology, Bioinformatician, and Packaging,  Technology, Logistics and Transport. She has participated in the 2nd Safe and Sustainable by  Design Bootcamp organised by PARC.

Speakers: Pau Camilleri, Fruela Perez , Cristina González (ITENE)

Pau Camilleri works as Project Manager of Processes and Products Safety Unit at ITENE. Pau participates in different international and national projects related to the implementation of the SSbD Framework, where Pau performs the safety assessment of new products, analysing the entire process, from early stages until the final product. She has studied Biotechnology, and holds three master’s degrees: Food Biotechnology, Bioinformatician, and Packaging, Technology, Logistics and Transport. She has participated in the 2nd Safe and Sustainable by Design Bootcamp organised by PARC.

Fruela Perez works as Project specialist in the Recycling technologies and Waste Management  Area at ITENE. Main areas of work are Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Carbon Footprint, but  also Life Cycle Costing and social LCA, both in European and National projects. Fruela´s  background is Industrial Chemistry Engineering with a master’s degree on Environmental  Engineering. He is a member of the Spanish LCA network and has participated in several congresses.

Mrs. Cristina González Buch (PhD in Engineering and Industrial Production, Polytechnic  University of Valencia –UPV, Spain) works as Project Manager in the Recycling technologies  and Waste Management Area at ITENE, with 8 years of experience participating in national and EU-level projects on packaging sustainability, as well as in new technologies for valorisation of  plastic and organic waste developing the life cycle assessment of product and processes, life cycle costing, carbon footprint, sustainability, and eco-efficiency