Implementing Social Life Cycle Assessment for Safe and Sustainable by Design Advanced Materials: A Case Study of Multicomponent Anti-Stick Coatings

The Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework for chemicals and materials was established under the European Green Deal Chemical Strategy for Sustainability, aiming for a zero-pollution economy and a toxic-free environment. In line with the European Commission’s SSbD recommendation and framework, a pre-market sustainability assessment must take a life cycle perspective covering all pillars of sustainability: environmental, social, and economic. While environmental and economic assessments are well established, Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) has been less explored, especially when applied to advanced materials. To contribute to Step 5 of the SSbD Framework, this study presents a S-LCA applied during early stages of product development and optimisation. The case study concerns a novel PFAS-free anti-sticking coating, assessed in comparison with a conventional benchmark. The screening-level analysis identified potential social risk hotspots along the supply chain. Results indicate that differences between alternatives are predominantly driven by suppliers’ geographical locations rather than by process-specific characteristics. The results highlight the value of early-stage social assessments in supporting informed decision-making during research and development, increasing awareness of potential supply-chain risks, and guiding innovation toward more sustainable outcomes.