Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) is a state-of-the-art framework for the innovation of chemicals and materials. Introduced by the European Commission in 2022, it embeds safety, sustainability, and functionality throughout a product’s life cycle – from design through disposal − to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for a more sustainable world.

Ahlstrom has adapted the framework to create its own methodology for product-level assessment. This method, which earned limited external assurance in 2025, is used to score products across a number of safe and sustainable criteria, including safe chemicals, resource efficiency, and end of life

In this white paper, we define SSbD and take a look at the benefits and potential challenges related to implementation. We’ll also share a few case studies to help bring the concept to life and illustrate its impact.