Chemical Regulation – a promoter and a challenge for the innovation needed to achieve a circular economy

The EU aims to reduce hazardous chemicals, emissions, and resource use, which requires transforming the entire value chain – from design and production to use and end-of-life – to enable safe and circular material flows. At the same time, regulations such as CLP are evolving rapidly, increasing the pressure on companies to adapt. The project examines the gap between ambition and practice and identifies policy instruments that can align safer chemical use with sustainable circularity.

The project uses the revised CLP Regulation (including new hazard classes) as a concrete anchor and a, case study. This will generate actionable knowledge on barriers and opportunities stakeholders perceive, how circular materials can be promoted without compromising safety, legal compliance or market viability, and which policy tools could better align safer chemical use with sustainable material flows.
Our approach combines a literature review and document analysis (including policy and industry “grey literature”), semi-structured interviews with Swedish companies, and a broader online survey. Co-creative workshops will be used to validate implications, discuss trade-offs, and jointly shape future research priorities for safer circular innovation.
The consortium consists of IVL, Karolinska Institute and the University of Gothenburg, with an explicit intent to expand collaboration at the organisational level (e.g., authorities, civil society and industry) to strengthen the stakeholder perspective.
The goal is to support evidence‑based recommendations and policy insights that promote safer circular innovation and more effective, well‑targeted decision‑making.