Towards a more efficient cycle of materials
Laura Talens, Associate Professor at the Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering (DEQBA), Edifici Z – ICTA-ICP, UAB, Spain
Friday 3 October 2025, 12.00 PM
ICMAB - Sala d'Actes Carles Miravitlles
ONLINE (Register here)
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.
Short bio
Dr. Laura Talens Peiró is a researcher and the responsible of the research line ‘Resource management for a circular economy’ of the Sostenipra group at ICTA-UAB. She has degrees in chemical engineering from the Universitat Politècnica de València, and the University of Teesside, and a PhD in environmental studies from the UAB. She is expert in the field of circular economy and environmental tools as ecodesign, material flow analysis (MFA), life cycle assessment (LCA), and exergy analysis. She is a founding partner of the spin-off Inèdit Innovació SL (2009) and Tectum Garden SL (2020).
Hosted by David Amabilino, ICMAB Director
>> If you want to meet the speaker, please contact the host at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
