Circular Economy Standardization

Circular Economy Standardization

 

The circular economy is now a generic concept and also a global need. Some countries are amending their rules and regulations to switch from waste management practices to circular economy practices. However, the circular economy practices need operational tools to be implemented. People and organizations need knowledge and information about the circular economy, hence the need for standardization is felt in this field. The international organization ‘International Organization for Standardization’ (ISO) also paid attention to this aspect and formed a technical committee ISO TC 323 in September 2018. The aim of ISO/TC 323 on circular economy is to develop frameworks, guidance-documents, supporting tools and requirements for the implementation of activities of all involved organizations to maximize the contribution to sustainable developments. The standards developed by ISO will contribute to the UN SDGs. Many aspects of the circular economy are covered by existing ISO committees, as such it has been clarified that aspects of the circular economy already covered by existing committees are excluded. It should be noted that ISO/TC 324 has also been formed on sharing economy. The sharing economy is a concept that supports the circular economy. Already several technical committees also cover aspects of the circular economy.

 

The technical committee ISO/TC 323 has following objectives:

 

-          To develop standards that support and encourage organizations to adopt the circular economy through a time-efficiency process

 

-          To promote an alternative and collaborative economic model that is more sustainable and facilitate the transition from the linear economy to the circular economy

 

-          To promote a broad and effective participation from countries all around the world

 

-          To maximize the contribution to sustainable development

 

-          To develop high quality standards for all types of stakeholders

 

The technical committee ISO/TC 323 carries out following activities:

 

-          Promote improved and shared understanding on the circular economy

 

-          Provide a framework to support organizations integrate the circular economy principles and strategies in their activities

 

-          Develop tools to access circularity performance

 

-          Facilitate dialogue, communication and collaboration amongst different actors at different levels (international / regional / national)

 

-          Show concrete benefits and actions that interest potential stakeholders and contributors

 

-          Provide guidelines for the creation of an enabling environment for collaboration within and among sectors and value chains

 

-          Making products accessible to more consumers through circular-based business models

 

-          Facilitates exchanges and feedback on experiences

 

-          Provide easy to use documents to implement the circular economy and avoid proliferation of standards

 

The ISO technical committee’s standardization deliverables target all types of organizations in private sector and public sector that implement the circular economy principles and strategies in their management, operations and business models. Presently following standards related to the circular economy are under development stage:

 

-          ISO/AWI 59040, Circular economy – Product Circularity Data Sheet

 

-          ISO/WD 59004, Circular economy – Framework and principles for implementation

 

-          ISO/WD 59010.2, Circular economy – Guidelines on business models and value chains

 

-          ISO/DTR 59032.2, Circular economy – Review of business model implementation

 

-          ISO/WD 59020.2, Circular economy – Measuring circularity framework

 

-          ISO/CD TR 59031, Circular economy – Performance-based approach – Analysis of case studies

 

As on the date of writing this note, all the above-mentioned standard documents are under development stage, so we have to wait for some time for the published standards. Hoping for the best to come.

 

- Keshav Ram Singhal

 

References:

-          ISO/TC 323 Strategic Business Plan

-          ISO Website

ISO Standard on Sharing Economy

 ISO Standard on Sharing Economy

 

The sharing economy creates a more sustainable world. In November 2021, International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published ISO 42500:2021, an international standard on Sharing economy – General principles. This standard is intended to be used by all types and size of the organizations including commercial enterprises, government agencies, not-for-profit organizations.

 

ISO Technical committee ISO/TC 324 on sharing economy developed the international standard ISO 42500:2021, Sharing economy – General principles and same has been published in November 2021. As the name suggests, the standard provides general principles of sharing economy.

 

Clare Naden states in her article published in the ISO website (iso.org) on 13 December 2021, “Today, people are increasingly turning to their peers to access goods and services, making better use of their skills and assets. The sharing economy is one of the world’s fastest-growing sectors with the potential to be a key contributor to economic growth. A new standard has just been published to support the momentum. ISO 42500, Sharing economy – General principles, provides guidance intended to ensure safe and trustworthy transactions by encouraging optimal resources use. When undertaken in accordance with laws and the sorts of principles set out in standards, this optimization can also help support environmental objectives.” Dr. Kernaghan Webb is the convenor of the group of experts that developed the standard. He opines, “Issues such as products and services not meeting environmental, social and other expectations are all barriers to the growth of the sharing economy. Other obstacles include the lack of user privacy safeguards, data protection breaches and the absence of clear procedures for filing complaints.” He further states, “The sharing economy has the potential to truly transform our world, reducing overconsumption and even creating communities. Its growth depends on there being a solid base of trust built through transparency and accountability. ISO 42500 was developed with this in mind.”

 

The contents of ISO 42500:2021 are as under:

 

Foreword

Introduction

 

1.       Scope

 

2.       Normative references

 

3.       Terms and definitions

 

4.       Guiding principles

4.1   General

4.2   Integrity

4.3   Transparency

4.4   Accountability and authorization

4.5   Accessibility and inclusion

4.6   Respect for other affected interests

4.7   Competence

 

Annexure A Figure representing the sharing economy

Bibliography

 

ISO 42500:2021 is the first standard in the sharing economy standards family that provides a robust foundation upon which other more detailed standards will be based. Together, these will form a suite of standards offering operational guidance for the safety and trustworthiness of the sharing economy. This standard was developed by ISO technical committee ISO/TC 324, Sharing economy.

ISO/TC 324, Sharing economy is responsible for development of standards on sharing economy. Presently one standard ISO 42500:2021 has been published and other standards will be published in future. ISO/TC 324, Sharing economy, was created in 2019 and Dr Masaaki Mochimaru is its Chairman. Presently following standards are under development:

 

-          ISO/CD TS 42501 - General trustworthiness and safety requirements for digital platform

 

-          ISO/CD TS 42502 – Guidelines for provider verification on digital platform

 

As on 04 February 2022 position, committee draft (CD) of both the above standards is registered. It is expected, in future the technical committee will take the work of development of other standards on Sharing economy.

(Courtesy Source: ISO Website)

Hope for the best,

Keshav Ram Singhal