"Circular Standards - The importance of standards for the transition to a circular economy"

"Circular Standards" examines the crucial role of standards in accelerating the transition to a circular economy. Standards are necessary to make systemic solutions scalable and to connect complex value chains. To this end, four key areas are examined: the revision of inhibiting standards, the acceleration of standardisation, uniform standards for secondary raw materials and integration into existing management systems.

The paper also highlights international developments, such as the ISO 59000 series, and emphasises the need for "cutting red tape", i.e. the review of existing standards for circular economy "hostility"; and thus also the necessary elimination of such standards. 

The document also recommends a prioritised revision and the integration of circular design principles. International cooperation, national implementation and integration of standards into guidelines are proposed to accelerate standardisation. Special attention is given to the creation of harmonised quality standards for secondary raw materials and recycled products in order to build trust in markets for these materials. Finally, the implementation of the circular economy into existing management systems such as ISO 14001 and EMAS is discussed. The paper emphasises the need for cross-industry collaboration and a flexible approach in order to use standards effectively to promote the circular economy.

The paper is available for download: