Polymer composites releasing silver (Ag) are of interest because they can inhibit pathogenic bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains, in a secure way. I this presentation, we propose three solvent-free approaches to safely produce silver nanocomposites. In the first study, we aimed at the production of PET fibers loaded with silver-silica particles. Here, 5-20 nm Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) were supported in 0.1-1 µm silica (SiO2) particles, produced by flame spray pyrolysis from a precursor solution comprising SiO2 and Ag. The function of the SiO2 submicron particles was to drag the AgNPs into a polymer matrix, securing nanoparticle dispersion and activity. In the second study, plasma polymer coatings with embedded AgNPs were deposited in a low pressure plasma reactor. The plasma polymer was deposited from a reactive gas/monomer mixture of CO2/C2H4, yielding a functional hydrocarbon matrix. In addition, Argon was simultaneously used to sputter Ag atoms from an asymmetrical Ag electrode, forming nanoparticles within the growing polymer matrix. This approach enables customized coatings that initially release sufficient quantities of Ag ions to produce a strong antibacterial effect for short-term applications, or enable a continuous adjusted release for long-term applications, both providing surface cytocompatibility. In the third study, a simple one-step solvent-free in-situ reduction method was developed to prepare AgNP based polymer composites using different silver precursors and thermoplastic polymers. This method utilizes the mild reducing environment of polymer melts to convert silver precursors to AgNPs during the extrusion process. Complete reduction of Ag2O with AgNP size distribution of 26±9 nm in polyamide 6 (PA6) was obtained after 10 min processing. No significant impact of this in-situ AgNP synthesis on chemical and macromolecular characteristics of PA6 was detected. Though the AgNP-PA6 composites released 500 times less Ag compared to the European safety standard for plastic packaging, they exhibited an excellent antibacterial activity already at a level as low as 0.5 wt% of AgNP loading.