Perspectives on Sustainable Materials
SHAPE towards 2030: What do we need to solve next?. With the extension of SHAPE towards 2030, we are entering a new phase of our journey. Building on what we have learned and achieved so far, the focus now shifts towards the next challenges, opportunities and questions we need to solve together.
In this blog series, SHAPE’s Work Pack Leaders share their perspectives on what comes next, what they see as the most important challenges to address, where new collaboration is needed and what they hope to achieve in the years ahead.
When SHAPE started, we were eager to explore a wide range of ideas. That curiosity was important. It helped us build new networks, launch projects and test concepts that would otherwise have remained only possibilities. Within the sustainable materials theme we explore how renewable, recycled and side-stream materials can become realistic alternatives in (abrasive) products—without losing sight of performance, safety, manufacturability or cost. That combination is what makes the work both challenging and fascinating. We have evaluated lignin-based resins, bio-based and radiation-curing binders, materials designed for easier separation at end of life, recycled and side-stream raw materials for ceramic grains, cellulose-based films, recycled papers, textile solutions, folded paper structures and bio-based foams.
One of my strongest learnings so far is that openness and active participation make a real difference. The most productive collaboration happens where researchers and industrial partners meet early, define the challenge together, share samples and results honestly, and remain engaged throughout the work. We have also learned that not every idea should become a large project. Sometimes a quick trial that rules out a material is just as useful as a successful prototype. Both outcomes are valuable: they help us understand where the real opportunities are and where further work is needed.
Looking towards 2030, the central question is no longer whether more sustainable material alternatives exist. Many do. The harder question is how to make them implementable. A viable solution must combine technical performance, economic viability and a demonstrable sustainability benefit. If one of these is missing, the concept is unlikely to survive the journey from laboratory to production.
This is why our next phase will focus on the later stages of innovation: scale-up considerations, process compatibility, consistency, raw-material availability and viable end-of-life pathways. We aim to find the concepts with the strongest overall potential and support their progress towards products or production technologies. At the same time, it is important to maintain a long-term perspective. Sustainable materials development often requires patience, several iterations and the willingness to learn from results that are not immediately successful.
Circularity also needs to become a design requirement rather than an afterthought. Bio-based content is important, but it is only one part of the picture. Materials therefore need to be developed as part of a wider system that supports long product life, efficient use, separation and valuable end-of-life routes.
Our work on sustainable materials has built knowledge, relationships and a pipeline of promising concepts. The SHAPE roadmap brings together complementary perspectives across scalable bio-based chemistry, circular raw materials, advanced fibers, ceramic technologies, recycling and sustainable production. Its long-term value will emerge where these competences, value chains and perspectives meet.
Markus Kass
Technology Manager & Workpack Leader for WP 2 Sustainable Materials and WP 6 Engineered Recycled & Biobased Material Solutions