Life cycle assessment is a methodology to assess environmental impacts associated with a product or system/process by accounting resource requirements and emissions over its life cycle. The life cycle consists of four stages: material production, manufacturing, use, and end-of-life. This study highlights the need to conduct life cycle assessment (LCA) early in the new product development process, as a means to assess and evaluate the environmental impacts of (nano)enhanced carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) prototypes over their entire life cycle. These prototypes, namely SleekFast sailing boat and handbrake lever, were manufactured by functionalized carbon fibre fabric and modified epoxy resin with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The environmental impacts of both have been assessed via LCA with a functional unit of ‘1 product piece’. Climate change has been selected as the key impact indicator for hotspot identification (kg CO₂ eq). Significant focus has been given to the end-of-life phase by assessing different recycling scenarios. In addition, the respective life cycle inventories (LCIs) are provided, enabling the identification of resource hot spots and quantifying the environmental benefits of end-of-life options.

Additive manufacturing (AM) of composite materials is promising to create customizable products with enhanced properties, utilizing materials like carbon fibers (CFs). To increase their circularity, composite recycling has been proposed to re-introduce the recovered components in AM. A careful evaluation of recycling is necessary, considering the sustainability and functionality (i.e., mechanical properties) of the recovered components. Thus, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is applied to estimate the environmental impacts of AM via Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), using virgin or recycled CFs via solvolysis at a laboratory scale. This study aims to provide a detailed Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) of FFF and evaluate the sustainability of using recycled CFs in AM. For both virgin CF manufacturing and CF recycling, electricity consumption was the main contributor to environmental impacts. CF recovery via solvolysis resulted in lower impacts across most impact categories compared to AM with virgin CFs. Different scenarios were examined to account for the mechanical properties of recycled CFs. AM with 75% recycled CFs, compared to 100% virgin CFs undergoing landfilling, resulted in over 22% reduction in climate change potential, even after a 50% loss of recycled CF functionality. Overall, this study offers insights into the LCI of FFF and shows that CF recycling from composites is worth pursuing.

The aim of this study is to provide a detailed strategy for Safe-by-Design (SbD) 3D-printed lab-on-a-chip (LOC) device manufacturing, using Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) technology. First, the applicability of FFF in lab-on-a-chip device development is briefly discussed. Subsequently, a methodology to categorize, identify and implement SbD measures for FFF is suggested. Furthermore, the most crucial health risks involved in FFF processes are examined, placing the focus on the examination of ultrafine particle (UFP) and Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emission hazards. Thus, a SbD scheme for lab-on-a-chip manufacturing is provided, while also taking into account process optimization for obtaining satisfactory printed LOC quality. This work can serve as a guideline for the effective application of FFF technology for lab-on-a-chip manufacturing through the safest applicable way, towards a continuous effort to support sustainable development of lab-on-a-chip devices through cost-effective means.

The building sector accounts for 40% of the total energy consumed in Europe at annual basis, together with the relevant Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. In order to mitigate these impacts, the concept and establishment of the Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs) is under continuous and intensive research. In fact, as the energy used for buildings’ operation becomes more efficient, impacts resulting from the buildings’ embodied energy become of more importance. Therefore, the selection of building materials and components is of high significance, as these affect the energy performance and potential environmental impacts of the building envelopes. The objective of this study is to perform a preliminary Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) on advanced multifunctional building components, aiming to achieve lower embodied emissions in NZEBs. The advanced components analyzed are composite panels for facade elements of building envelopes, providing thermal efficiency. The design of sustainable building envelope systems is expected to upgrade the overall environmental performance of buildings, including the NZEBs. The findings of this study constitute unambiguous evidence on the need for further research on this topic, as substantial lack of data concerning embodied impacts is presented in literature, adding to the growing discussion on NZEBs at a whole life cycle perspective across Europe. This research has shown that the electricity required from the manufacturing phase of the examined building components is the main contributor to climate change impact and the other environmental categories assessed. Sensitivity analysis that has been performed indicated that the climate change impact is highly depended on the electricity grid energy mix across Europe. Taking into account the current green energy transition by the increase of the renewable energy sources in electricity production, as well as the future upgrade of the manufacturing processes, it is expected that this climate change impact will be mitigated. Finally, the comparison between the CLC thermal insulator and other foam concretes in literature showed that the materials of the building components examined do not present any diversions in terms of environmental impact.

In the last few years, the materials research community has shown increased interest in Advanced Materials (AdMas) that are specifically designed to substitute the traditionally used materials, not only with a view to their sustainability, sourcing criticality, or scarcity, but also to maintaining or even enhancing their functionality and performance. The use of AdMas is particularly researched in sectors where the environmental impact of the traditional materials is substantial, in terms of waste production or resource consumption. Due to their novelty and potentially unpredictable impacts, and to add further value to their application, there is an increasing interest in the safety and sustainability of AdMas. In this context, a new 5-step Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) framework was developed by the European Union, to support the (re-)design and development of novel materials. A guideline is presented for enforcing the (re-)design phase of the framework with paradigms to guide stakeholders and practically add value to the materials’ industry. The present manuscript analyzes the advances and challenges of the SSbD framework, showcasing its applicability and limitations and the added value compared to traditionally used assessment methodologies, to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the methodology and add value to the materials’ industry concerning safety and sustainability.