Social performance of bio-based products from microbiomes: a step forwards their broader adoption and market penetration

In recent decades, interest in bio-based products has grown significantly due to rising concerns about eco-friendly and sustainable alternatives to synthetic polymers and conventional energy sources. These bio-derived materials have the potential to substitute products obtained from fossil fuels, including plastics, additives, colourants and energy carriers like hydrogen (H₂). Additionally, within the framework of a circular bioeconomy, bio-based products can help decrease waste generation, lessen environmental harm, and enhance the efficient use of resources (Chrispim et al., 2024).

The EU Horizon 2020 PROMICON project has developed a Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) (ISO, 2024; UNEP, 2020) to evaluate the social implications along the life cycle of four bio-based products (additives, bioplastics, pigments, and hydrogen) generated by microbiomes.