Design future-ready products with Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD)

Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) is a design approach that helps companies remove harmful substances from products starting at the concept stage of development. By considering safety, sustainability, and lifecycle thinking from the outset, SSbD supports the development of products that remain viable over time and reduces the risks to both human health and the environment.

This practical framework allows for better design decisions while supporting circular economy principles and corporate sustainability strategies.

SSbD is particularly relevant if your company aims to:

• Replace harmful chemicals with safer alternatives
• Advance circular product development
• Prioritise sustainable materials in design
• Future-proof new commercial opportunities

Integrating the SSbD framework into your innovation or redesign process can provide substantial benefits:

• Reduce dependence on harmful substances or substances of concern. This ensures long-term viability and avoids regulatory bans or reputational issues.
• Avoid replacing one harmful substance with another by carefully assessing alternatives that may have hidden risks.
• Lower development risks and costs by avoiding late-stage redesigns, recalls, or regulatory challenges.

SSbD works best when used in product development that happens in repeating cycles. In each cycle, there are two phases to consider as part  of the development. These are:

Design phase
Guided by green chemistry, green engineering, and circular design principles, this phase focuses on principles such as:

• Eliminating substances of concern or harmful substances
• Material and energy efficiency
• Prevention or avoidance of emissions, and exposures
• Early planning for end-of-life solutions
• Sustainable sourcing and production

Assessment phase
This phase involves a detailed evaluation of health, safety, and environmental impacts:

1. Identify intrinsic hazards
   Screen substances for toxicity, persistence, bioaccumulation, and hazard classifications using available data on toxicity and ecotoxicity or making use of predictive modelling techniques to predict hazards.
2. Assess health and safety during production and processing
   Evaluate exposure risks and mitigation strategies for workers exposed in industrial settings.
3. Evaluate use-phase risks for humans and the environmental
   Analyse the potential for health and environmental exposure during product use, including emissions and unintended releases.
4. Analyse life cycle environmental impacts
   Conduct a life cycle assessment (LCA) from raw material sourcing, to end-of-life, to measure sustainability performance.
5. (Optional) Evaluation of social impacts
   Evaluate risks associated with social impacts throughout the life cycle, apply life cycle costing to quantify environmental costs, and assess reliance on critical raw materials.

We draw on our experience with sustainability frameworks  and our practical understanding of product design to help you integrate SSbD smoothly into your product development. Whether it’s initial material screening or a carrying out a full lifecycle assessment, we work alongside you to make sure your products are designed to meet future regulatory and market demands.

Through our collaboration with ARCHE Consulting, we bring together scientific expertise and regulatory insight to create strategies to fit your situation. We can help you develop an innovative single product, improve an existing product line, or support with rethinking your entire innovation pipeline.

Fill out the form below or schedule a call with our experts to find out what is possible. You can:

• Contact our team for a tailored consultation
• Explore how SSbD can be applied to your current product pipeline
• Learn how to integrate lifecycle assessments and risk analysis into your innovation strategy
• Find ways to move away from using specific harmful substances or substances of concern

Looking for more information on SSbD or any of our other areas of expertise? Speak with one of our consultants today.