European Bioplastics, within the framework of the BIO4COAT project, has recently organised an online workshop on Circular, Sustainable and Biobased Coatings: How to Apply the Safe and Sustainable by Design Framework, featuring contributions from four outstanding experts working on the SSbD framework. The workshop was held on 18 November 2025 and will be the first of 10 online events to collect input from the biobased, circular, and sustainable coating community. The event aimed to bring together experts in coatings to exchange practical insights and experiences on implementing SSbD principles in the design and development of circular, sustainable, and biobased coatings, and to showcase the outputs of their respective EU projects.
In recent years, several projects funded by the Horizon Programme for Research and Innovation and the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking have provided valuable insights into bio-based coatings and their potential adoption. High-level consortia were requested to work on the assessment based on the SSbD framework and on developing recommendations to further advance its application, indicating thresholds that can support the definition of criteria and improvements to the assessment of SSbD methodologies, including any specificities related to biobased surfactants.
This white paper presents how the SSbD can be applied to circular, sustainable and biobased coatings, offering input for further research, application in the industry and some key messages for policymakers.