Video of the seminar by Laura Talens: "Towards a More Efficient Cycle of Materials"
Laura Talens gave this lecture on 3 October 2025, hosted by David Amabilino, director of ICMAB-CSIC.
Abstract
Materials are fundamental to the functionality and performance of products. Their selection significantly influences a product’s environmental impact—from the extraction of raw resources to end-of-life management. To encourage more sustainable and resilient material choices, recent approaches to material assessment now consider additional factors such as criticality and environmental performance.
This presentation introduces two important legislative developments that support more informed material selection in the EU: the 2024/1252 Critical Raw Materials Act, which defines the current list of critical raw materials essential to the EU economy, and the 2024/1781 EU Regulation on Ecodesign for Sustainable Products, which promotes sustainability across the product life cycle. Together, these legislative frameworks provide valuable guidance for choosing materials that contribute to more sustainable and circular product systems.
