SURPASS Project Wraps Up After 42 Months Advancing Sustainable Polymers

SURPASS Consoritum Meeting in Brussels, Belgium.

After 42 months of research, collaboration and innovation, the Horizon Europe SURPASS Project, supported by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA), has officially come to an end.

SURPASS has played an important role in shaping the future of plastics in Europe by advancing Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) approaches alongside improved circularity for polymeric materials.

Coordinated by CEA-Liten, the project brought together academic institutions, industrial actors and research and technology organisations (RTOs) to rethink plastics from the earliest stages of design — ensuring materials are not only functional, but also safer, recyclable and more sustainable.

Waste Free Oceans’ Contribution

As part of the SURPASS consortium, Waste Free Oceans (WFO) led Work Package 6, focusing on communication, dissemination, training and awareness-raising activities throughout the project.

WFO played a key role in ensuring SURPASS results reached a wide range of stakeholders — from industry and policymakers to the broader public — helping strengthen the project’s long-term impact beyond research.

In addition, WFO contributed to exploitation and outreach efforts supporting the uptake of Safe and Sustainable polymer solutions across Europe.

Key Innovations Delivered Through SURPASS

Throughout its duration, SURPASS achieved several major outcomes, including:

• Innovative recyclable-by-design polymer materials for applications in building, transport and food packaging

• Advanced recycling and reprocessing strategies adapted to next-generation polymers, supported by emerging standards

• An integrated Safe and Sustainable Recyclable-by-Design (SSRbD) evaluation framework, combining safety, environmental and techno-economic criteria

• The release of open-access experimental datasets to support further research and transparency

• An operational digital platform offering tools and guidance for industry, especially SMEs

👉 Learn more about the digital infrastructure here: https://lnkd.in/eaNbyzfx

Supporting the Transition Toward a Circular Plastics Economy

By linking material innovation, assessment methodologies and digital decision-support tools, SURPASS contributes to embedding SSbD principles into industrial practice — supporting Europe’s transition toward a safe, sustainable and circular plastics economy.

At Waste Free Oceans, we believe initiatives like SURPASS are essential to reducing plastic pollution at its source and accelerating solutions that protect marine ecosystems.

We congratulate all partners involved for their dedication and collaboration throughout this important journey. The project may have ended, but its impact will continue far beyond its timeline.