International Organization for Standardization is an independent, non-

governmental international organization

ISO 9001 - Quality management systems — In 170 countries,

From all stakeholder Requirements
representing ISO
ISO 14001 - Environmental management
groups develop systems — Requirements w ith guidance for - BIS Bureau of Indian Standards,
standards use
India
ISO 13485 - Medical devices — Quality - AFNOR Association française de
- Academics, management systems — Requirements for
- Institutions, regulatory purposes
normalisation, France
- Companies, ISO 26000 - Guidance on social - ABTN Associação Brasileira de
- NGOs responsibility Normas Técnicas, Brazil
- … ISO 16654 - Microbiology of food and animal - RSB Rwanda Standards Board,
feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the Rwanda
detection of Escherichia coli O157 - JISC Japanese Industrial
Standards Committee, Japan
Etc… - …

Coordinates system, Geneva based

 CIRCULAR ECONOMY, a worldwide challenge to tackle
resource depletion… but not only!

Created in 2019, TC323

produces some transversal
standards related to
Circular Economy. 100 countries
and numerous international organizations
2
 A PACKAGE to implement Circular Economy

Coming soon!
ISO 59 004 - Circular Economy – Vocabulary, principles and guidance for implementation

ISO 59 010 - Circular Economy – Guidance on the transition of business models and value networks

ISO 59 020 - Circular Economy – Measuring and assessing circularity performance

Still ISO 59 040 - Circular Economy – Product Circularity Data Sheet

on
works ISO 59 014 - Environmental management and circular economy – Sustainability and traceability of
secondary materials recovery – Principles and requirements

ISO TR 59 031 - Circular Economy – Performance based approaches

ISO TR 59 032 - Circular Economy – Review of business model implementation
3
 Focus: ISO 59004 - Terminology, principles and guidance for
implementation Final Draft International Standard

Circular economy definition

economic system that uses a systemic approach to

maintain a circular flow of resources, by recovering,
retaining or adding to their value, while contributing to
sustainable development.
Note 1 to entry: Resources can be considered concerning both stocks
and flows.

Note 2 to entry: The inflow of virgin resources is kept as low as possible,

and the circular flow of resources is kept as closed as possible to
minimize waste, losses and release from the economic system

4
 Focus: ISO 59004 - Terminology, principles and guidance for
implementation
Final Draft International Standard

● Systems thinking ● Resource stewardship

○ life cycle perspective ○ manage stocks and flows of resources to contribute to
○ long-term approach their availability for present and future generations
○ considering the impacts on environmental, social, ○ closing, slowing and narrowing resource flows
and economic systems ○ reduce risks associated with dependence on virgin
resources
● Value creation
○ recover, retain, or add value ● Resource traceability
○ provide effective solutions ○ collect and maintain data to enable resource tracking
○ use resources in an efficient way ○ accountable for sharing information with
interested parties
● Value sharing
○ collaborate along the value chain or value ● Ecosystem resilience
network in an inclusive and equitable way ○ contribute to the regeneration of ecosystems and
○ share value created with the provision of biodiversity
solutions ○ preventing harmful losses and releases
○ take into account planetary boundaries
 Focus: ISO 59004 - Terminology, principles and guidance for
implementation Final Draft International Standard

Guidance for resource

Actions that contribute to a circular economy management
Ap p lic a b le a c ro s s t he va lue c ha in. The g uid a nc e fo r re s o urc e m a na g e m e nt Refuse
c a n he lp p rio rit izing a c t io ns t o a c hie ve a b e t t e r c irc ula rit y p e rfo rm a nc e .
Rethink
○ Design for circularity ○ Reverse logistics
○ Circular sourcing ○ Cascading of materials Source
○ Circular procurement ○ Recycling
○ Process optimization ○ Waste management Reduce
○ Industrial, regional or urban symbiosis ○ Material recovery
○ Energy recovery Repair
○ Reduce, reuse, repurpose
○ Maintenance and repair Reuse
○ Regenerate ecosystems
○ Performance-based approaches
Refurbish
○ Sharing to intensify use
○ Refurbishing Remanufacture
○ Remanufacturing
Actions to support a circular economy transition Repurpose
● Education and research
● Innovation Cascade
● Collaboration and networks
● Helping users change their behaviour Recycle
● Policy and legal system
Recover energy
● Financial services
● Digitalization Re-mine
 A STRATEGY to ANSWER the challenge and WORK together
● 2019 - 2023
○ Elaborating a package of standards, develop at the same time 3 standards
to get a common understanding of what CE is, actions to implement and
indicators to measure the performance
○ Working together to align the 3 standards: Alignment sessions to reinforce
consensus
○ Involving all geographical regions, developing and developed countries:
twinning, meetings’ location (Africa, South America, Caribbean), …

7
 A STRATEGY to IMPROVE the WORK done

● 2024 - 2025
○ Promoting the published standards
(award, brochure, events, …):
communication Task Force creation

8
 A STRATEGY to IMPROVE the WORK done

● 2024 - 2025
○ Revising the published standards: decision to be taken during the ISO meeting in nov. 2025
○ Launching an international survey to gather:
■ How organizations digest the published texts
■ Examples of implemented actions
- Improve understanding
Objective: to feed the standards’ revision - Integrate some requirements?
- Integrate some examples?
- Better consider SMEs needs?

9
Standards and regulations
Standard (Technical) regulation

Document established by consensus and approved by a Regulation (document providing binding legislative rules,
recognized body that provides for common and repeated that is adopted by an authority) that provides technical
use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their requirements, either directly or by referring to or
results aimed at achieving the optimum degree of order in a incorporating the content of a standard, technical
given context. specification or code of practice.
ISO/IEC Guide 2:2004 ISO/IEC Guide 2:2004

Document approved by a recognized body, that provides, Document which lays down product characteristics (shape,
for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or labelling, design, performance etc.) or their related
characteristics for products or related processes and processes and production methods with which compliance
production methods, with which compliance is not is mandatory.
mandatory. It may also include or deal exclusively with
terminology, symbols, packaging, marking or labelling
requirements as they apply to a product, process or
production method WTO, TBT Agreement, Annex 1
WTO, TBT Agreement, Annex 1
The Principles for the Development of
International Standards
• Transparency Additional ISO emphasis
• Coherence • Due process
• Effectiveness and relevance
• National implementation / adoption of
• Openness
ISO standards
• Impartiality and consensus
• Development dimension • Stakeholder engagement
 What can you do??

Visibility: Ensure your constituency is aware of the international standards that

exists or are under development

Harmonization: Ensure that standards that already exists are referenced

Connect: Contact one of our members.
Identify: Identify gaps.
12
 THANK YOU!

Switch to alternative models to decouple the global economy from

the consumption of limited resources…

…Let’s implement Circular Economy within our organizations!

For additional information To join ISO TC323 Circular Economy

melissa.demedeiros@afnor.org Contact your national standardization body
korter@iso.org List on https://www.iso.org/committee/7203984.htm
catherine.chevauche@veolia.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/iso-tc-323-circular-economy/
13
Annex

14
 Process to elaborate
international standards

Standards development:
Consensus building through experts’ meetings

Standards access:
Online Browsing Platform (OBP)

Access the most up to date content in ISO standards,

graphical symbols, codes or terms and definitions.

Preview content before you buy, search within

documents and easily navigate between standards.

15
 Why Circular Economy?
Questioning our modes of production and modes of consumption

The circularity gap report Source: The circularity gap report 2023 16
 Focus: ISO 59010 - Guidance on the transition of business models
and value networks Final Draft International Standard
Analyze the current
business models and
value networks

through the circular

economy principles
and actions to
implement

to transition to
circular business
models.

17
 Focus: ISO 59020 - Measuring and assessing circularity
Final Draft International Standard
Scope: the standard specifies a framework for organizations to measure and assess circularity, enabling those
organizations to contribute to sustainable development.

=> Applicable to multiple levels of an economic system from regional to product level including organizations and inter-organizations levels.
=> Include some requirements regarding indicators to be measured.

Measure and assess your circularity

is key to transition
Based on a circularity measurement taxonomy
● Monitor circular actions
○ Reuse, Reduce, Repair, Recycle,
Remanufacture, etc…

● Measure flows
○ Retain, regenerate, create, etc…

● Assess sustainability impacts

○ Social, environmental and economic
impacts 18
 Focus: ISO 59040 - Product Circularity Data Sheet
Draft International Standard
ISO 59040 helps to:
- Provide basic product circularity data about products,
- Improve circularity data sharing efficiency,
- Encourage improved product circularity performance.

● General methodology and format for reporting and exchanging information

about the circular economy aspects of products when acquiring or supplying
products;
● 3 tier system based on picklist concept:
○ Minimum set of circular required statements needed to have a solid
base of statements;
○ Additional optional statements which can be made required;
○ Free form addition linked to a
statement or supplemental
information.

19
 Focus: ISO 59014 - Environmental management and circular economy –
Sustainability and traceability of secondary materials recovery –
Principles and requirements Draft International Standard
Scope

• Establishes principles, specifies requirements and provides guidance for facilitating the sustainability and
traceability of activities for the recovery of secondary materials.

• Specifies requirements and provides guidance for organizations that engage with individuals involved in
subsistence activities (SAs) within secondary materials recovery with the aim of ensuring their safe and healthy
working conditions and the continual improvement of the well-being, livelihoods and professional practices.

• Is intended for use by organizations seeking to recover secondary materials in a systematic and responsible
manner by using life cycle and circular economy thinking.

• Does not provide quality criteria for specific types of secondary materials recovered. Final treatment such as
energy recovery and disposal do not fall within the scope of this standard.

=> Applicable to any organization, regardless of their size, type and nature of the activities or the
location/region at which they occur.
20
 Focus: ISO 59014 - Environmental management and circular economy –
Sustainability and traceability of secondary materials recovery –
Principles and requirements Draft International Standard
Operational requirements
• Classification and determination of recovery pathways => to increase recovery based on documented
methodology
• Collection of recoverable resources => separate collection
• Sorting => traceability
• Material recovery processing => select the destructive or non destructive process to maximize the material recovery
with the best environmental and social outcome
• Logistics => prevent environmental and human health risks

Management and organizational requirements

• Social responsibility => consider the value chain, stakeholder engagement, labour practice and decent work conditions
• Risk => inform affected communities and authorities about environmental and health
• Resource use => minimize resource use
• Monitoring, evaluation and continual improvement
• Competences and training

Traceability requirements => upstream and downstream data requirement - value chain vision and interested parties vision

21
 Focus: ISO 59010 - Guidance on the transition of business models
and value networks Final Draft International Standard
Analyze the current
business models and
value networks

through the circular

economy principles
and actions to
implement

to transition to
circular business
models.

22
 Focus: ISO 59020 - Measuring and assessing circularity
Final Draft International Standard
Scope: the standard specifies a framework for organizations to measure and assess circularity, enabling those
organizations to contribute to sustainable development.

=> Applicable to multiple levels of an economic system from regional to product level including organizations and inter-organizations levels.
=> Include some requirements regarding indicators to be measured.

Measure and assess your circularity

is key to transition
Based on a circularity measurement taxonomy
● Monitor circular actions
○ Reuse, Reduce, Repair, Recycle,
Remanufacture, etc…

● Measure flows
○ Retain, regenerate, create, etc…

● Assess sustainability impacts

○ Social, environmental and economic
impacts 23
 Focus: ISO 59040 - Product Circularity Data Sheet
Draft International Standard
ISO 59040 helps to:
- Provide basic product circularity data about products,
- Improve circularity data sharing efficiency,
- Encourage improved product circularity performance.

● General methodology and format for reporting and exchanging information

about the circular economy aspects of products when acquiring or supplying
products;
● 3 tier system based on picklist concept:
○ Minimum set of circular required statements needed to have a solid
base of statements;
○ Additional optional statements which can be made required;
○ Free form addition linked to a
statement or supplemental
information.

24
 Focus: ISO 59014 - Environmental management and circular economy –
Sustainability and traceability of secondary materials recovery –
Principles and requirements Draft International Standard
Scope

• Establishes principles, specifies requirements and provides guidance for facilitating the sustainability and
traceability of activities for the recovery of secondary materials.

• Specifies requirements and provides guidance for organizations that engage with individuals involved in
subsistence activities (SAs) within secondary materials recovery with the aim of ensuring their safe and healthy
working conditions and the continual improvement of the well-being, livelihoods and professional practices.

• Is intended for use by organizations seeking to recover secondary materials in a systematic and responsible
manner by using life cycle and circular economy thinking.

• Does not provide quality criteria for specific types of secondary materials recovered. Final treatment such as
energy recovery and disposal do not fall within the scope of this standard.

=> Applicable to any organization, regardless of their size, type and nature of the activities or the
location/region at which they occur.
25
 Focus: ISO 59014 - Environmental management and circular economy –
Sustainability and traceability of secondary materials recovery –
Principles and requirements Draft International Standard
Operational requirements
• Classification and determination of recovery pathways => to increase recovery based on documented
methodology
• Collection of recoverable resources => separate collection
• Sorting => traceability
• Material recovery processing => select the destructive or non destructive process to maximize the material recovery
with the best environmental and social outcome
• Logistics => prevent environmental and human health risks

Management and organizational requirements

• Social responsibility => consider the value chain, stakeholder engagement, labour practice and decent work conditions
• Risk => inform affected communities and authorities about environmental and health
• Resource use => minimize resource use
• Monitoring, evaluation and continual improvement
• Competences and training

Traceability requirements => upstream and downstream data requirement - value chain vision and interested parties vision

26