The project
GREENSPIRE — Developing science-based product sustainability standards for a circular European economy
- Context
The Science-Policy Gap in Product Sustainability
The European Union is accelerating its transition to a sustainable economy, and the policy landscape reflects this ambition. The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP), and the EU Green Deal together form a regulatory framework of unprecedented scope — one that demands robust, comparable, and science-based metrics for assessing product environmental performance.
The Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology, developed by the European Commission, offers exactly this: a harmonised, life-cycle-based framework for assessing a product’s environmental impact across 16 standardised impact categories. Yet despite its scientific rigour, significant gaps persist in its practical application. Data quality for many product categories remains insufficient. Sector-specific customisation — in the form of Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCRs) — is absent or incomplete for high-impact sectors. Stakeholder capacity to apply these methods, particularly among SMEs, is limited. And the integration of biodiversity, ecosystem services, toxicity, and socio-economic dimensions into standard PEF assessments remains underdeveloped.
GREENSPIRE was designed precisely to address these gaps, starting with two product groups where the regulatory need, environmental stakes, and circular economy opportunities are greatest: home textiles and polyurethane foam products.
A 48-Month Co-Development Process
GREENSPIRE is structured around a co-development and co-validation model — engaging industry stakeholders, scientific communities, policymakers, and consumers throughout the research process. This participatory approach ensures that all outputs, from PEFCRs to digital tools, are grounded in real-world needs, reflect the diversity of the European market, and are ready for immediate adoption.
The project achieves at least 51% EU market coverage through its Technical Secretariat processes, conducts four public consultation rounds across the two PEFCRs, and validates all tools with a minimum of 30 stakeholders per product category before release.
| Columna #3 de la cabecera | |
|---|---|
| Programme | Horizon Europe |
| Duration | 48 months |
| Coordinator | Contactica |
| Consortium | 10 organisations, 5+ countries |
| Product sectors | Home textiles · Polyurethane foam |
| Specific subcategories | 4 subcategories across 2 sectors |
| Key Exploitable Results | 7 |
- What We Do
- Result 1
Two New Sectoral PEFCRs
Validated Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules for home textiles and PU foam — scientifically sound, stakeholder-supported, and ready for submission to the European Commission.
- Result 2
Sector-Specific LCI Datasets
Life Cycle Inventory datasets tailored to the targeted product groups, filling critical data gaps across materials, production processes, and end-of-life scenarios.
- Result 3
GREENSPIRE Assessment Tool
A free, web-based platform enabling companies in the textile and chemical sectors to calculate their product’s environmental impacts in compliance with the developed PEFCRs — in under 5 minutes once data is provided.
- Result 4
GREENSPIRE Engagement & Information (E&I) Centre
A free web platform and mobile app for policymakers, professional buyers, NGOs, and consumers — translating complex LCA results into clear, actionable sustainability insights, with Digital Product Passport (DPP) compatibility.
- Result 5
Eco-Design Optimisation (EDO) Framework
A multi-objective optimisation framework enabling companies to identify the most beneficial eco-design scenarios for their products, balancing environmental, social, and economic criteria.
- Result 6
GREENSPIRE Toolbox Platform
An integrated web platform bringing together the Assessment Tool, E&I Centre, and EDO Framework — alongside capacity-building resources and a structured pathway for SME adoption of PEF methodologies.
- Result 7
Guidelines, Training & Dissemination
Sector-specific PEFCR guidelines, step-by-step training materials, and targeted dissemination strategies to build stakeholder capacity across industry, policy, and civil society.
- Methodology
From Data to Decision: A Fully Integrated Methodology
GREENSPIRE operates through an integrated methodological chain — from primary data collection and Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) development, through PEFCR co-construction and stakeholder validation, to digital tool development and dissemination.
Primary data on emissions, material use, and energy consumption is collected from industrial partners and processed using LCA tools including SimaPro and OpenLCA. This feeds into detailed, sector-specific LCI datasets validated through peer review and PEF-quality checks. These datasets form the backbone of the two PEFCRs, which are developed through a Technical Secretariat process ensuring broad EU market representation.
The digital tools — developed in WP6 — transform this scientific infrastructure into user-friendly applications. The GREENSPIRE Assessment Tool uses a Domain Specific Language (DSL) to translate PEFCRs directly into executable LCA calculations, complemented by an AI-based data ingestion pipeline and a structured reporting engine. The E&I Centre and EDO Framework extend access to the results for non-specialist users and enable data-driven eco-design decision-making.
Throughout the project, thematic workshops, public consultations, and co-creation sessions ensure that outputs remain aligned with industry reality, regulatory requirements, and stakeholder needs.
- Work Packages
WP1. Project Management – Planning & Initial Implementation
(M1–M24, Lead: CTA)
Establishes the governance and management procedures of the consortium, organises the kick-off meeting, monitors tasks, work packages and KPIs, coordinates six-monthly General Assembly meetings, produces the first Data Management Plan, and sets up the External Advisory Board (EAB).
WP2. Project Management – Implementation and Finalization
(M25–M48, Lead: CTA)
Continues the procedures established in WP1 through the second half of the project, consolidates the final technical and financial report, updates and finalises the Data Management Plan, keeps the EAB operational, and ensures project outcomes fulfil sustainability criteria, the EU Taxonomy, and the DNSH principle.
WP3. Preliminary Study: PEF Method Status & Current Sustainability Requirements Used for Selected Prodcuts
(M1–M18, Lead: BTG)
Reviews the state of the art of LCA/PEF methodology, maps existing legislative and labelling instruments, identifies gaps in knowledge, data and modelling, examines circularity needs (including the Circular Footprint Formula), and defines the relevant socio-economic indicators for the home textile and PU foam sectors, feeding directly into WP4 and WP5.
WP4. Development of PEFCR for Home Textile Product Category
(M1–M36, Lead: QUA)
Establishes the Technical Secretariat, defines the representative products for bed, bath, table and kitchen linen (HS-6302) and curtains, blinds and valances (HS-6303), develops the draft PEFCR through two public consultation rounds and an independent panel review, carries out supporting LCA studies, and publishes the final PEFCR together with sub-category datasets.
WP5. Development of PEFCR for PU Foam Product Category
(M1–M36, Lead: UAntwerpen)
Mirrors the WP4 process for flexible PU foam for mattresses, cushions and pillows (HS 9404) and rigid PU foam for PUR/PIR insulation (HS 3901): Technical Secretariat, representative product definition, drafting and consultations, supporting studies, European Commission approval, publication of the final PEFCR, and development of sub-category datasets.
WP6. Tools for PEF-Compliant Assessment & Communications
(M12–M45, Lead: LIST)
Designs the GREENSPIRE database and data infrastructure, develops the web-based Assessment Tool (built on the EasyOEF platform) with AI-based data-ingestion pipelines and a Domain Specific Language (DSL) to automate LCI modelling, and builds the Engagement & Information (E&I) Centre, including a web platform and mobile app with barcode-scanning functionality aligned with the Digital Product Passport.
WP7. Ecodesign in GREENSPIRE Product Categories
(M19–M48, Lead: CTA)
Builds simulation models of production processes, performs a preliminary Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (environmental, economic and social pillars) applying the PEFCRs from WP4/WP5, develops an Ecodesign Optimisation (EDO) framework based on the CALIMERO project’s Multi-Objective Optimisation methodology, validates it on real case studies, and formulates recommendations aligned with the EU Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework.
WP8. Co-creation, Evaluation, and Knowledge Transfer for PEFCRs Implementation
(M1–M48, Lead: BETA)
Conducts stakeholder analysis and engagement, organises at least 10 co-creation workshops to refine the WP6 tools, assesses the added value and cost-benefit ratio of the developed PEFCRs against existing methods, and produces user guidelines and training workshops for practical implementation of the tools, along with recommendations for the future PEF Guide.
WP9. Exploitation, Dissemination and Communication – Planning and Initial Implementation
(M1–M24, Lead: CTA)
Defines the Communication & Dissemination Plan and launches the project website, runs the first dissemination and social media activities, maps and initiates clustering with other EU-funded projects and the sister project from the CIRCBIO call, and starts IP management and the first Exploitation Plan and policy brief.
WP10. Exploitation, Dissemination and Communication – Implementation & Finalisation
(M25–M48, Lead: CTA)
Continues communication and dissemination activities (press releases, publications, events), consolidates clustering and joint activities with sister projects, finalises the Exploitation Plan and market/IP strategy, and develops the GREENSPIRE Toolbox — an interactive platform integrating the project’s tools, training resources, and the final GREENSPIRE Contest at M48.