Circular economy: three ISO standards for action

ISO 59004 (principles and terminology), ISO 59010 (business model transition) and ISO 59020 (performance measurement in circularity): remember these three numbers, they’ll help you beef up your circular strategy, or initiate it, if you’re wondering where to start. Because it’s become obvious: we need to circularize our economic models and put an end to the predatory, climate-destroying linear economy. We explained this here in 2018. Today, three new international voluntary standards are available with the prefix NF in the AFNOR collection. They were devised at France’s instigation, by a technical committee chaired by Frenchwoman Catherine Chevauché (Veolia). And foreshadow other future reference systems on the subject, possibly certifiable. You can listen again here to the presentation webinar organized by the International Organization for Standardization on this subject on May 22, 2024. A new session organized by AFNOR is scheduled for September 13, 2024(register here).

Clarifying concepts, building business models

We talk about waste, end-of-life and recycling rates, but not everyone puts the same thing behind these formulas,” explains Roger Ebengou, Michelin’s Director of Environment and Circular Economy for Europe, who helped draft ISO 59004. And who did it ” precisely to build a common vocabulary”. “If we don’t speak the same language, we’ll never have any indicators to share. And yet, the circular economy by its very nature relies on our ability to work with other value chains, in the manner of an ecosystem, he says. Defining terms helps define business models. “

At EDF, research engineer Anne-Sophie Coince was co-leader for France (with Jorge Soto of Braskem, representing Brazil) of the working group that drew up the base standard on terminology. It underlines how much the new NF ISO 59004 standard has kept the spirit of the very first experimental standard on the circular economy, XP X30-901 , a text dating from October 2018 and which at the time was already a French initiative. ” We’ve managed to stay close toAdeme ‘s concept of the circular economy, which isvery practical, but we’ve taken it a step further by integrating the principle of ecosystem regeneration,” explains Anne-Sophie Coince.

Frédéric Poeydemenge, BIC

At BIC, Frédéric Poeydemenge, Director of Standardization for the lighter business, who has been involved in several standardization committees for almost twenty-five years, has experience of this in his own company.The first stage in the circular economy. This project was bornThis requiredextensivelogistics organization. Once collected, our lighters follow different routes in our factories: their components can be used to manufacture new lighters, the materials can be recycled, etc.s. EventuallyThose in better condition can be reconditioned for a new life,” he says. The engineer is now waiting for the hundred countries around the table to adopt the standard.

Sharing value creation

We have enshrined the principle of sharing in the creation of value,” says Anne-Sophie Coince, for EDF. We know that whenenergy-material flows are loopedOn a given territory, there can be winners and losers. We need to be vigilant on this point to ensure that implementation is attractive and sustainable. “Another focal point is energy recovery, which is not limited to incineration. ” Some experts wanted it to fall outside thescope ofthe circular economy, but it was importanttoinclude it, particularly for countries that storewaste in theopen air: for them, burning it andrecovering the heat generated is already a major step forward,” defends Anne-Sophie Coince. Because that’s what ISO standards are all about: the ability to move all countries forward. In fact, ISO has done a great deal to ensure that as many representatives as possible from African countries attend, by financing transport and accommodation, and offering training courses to help them express themselves more fully.

A tool for complying with the law and buying responsibly

In France, the regulatory context is buoyant, with, for example, the 2020 anti-waste law, the repair bonus or calls to introduce circular VAT. With red-white-and-blue glasses on, these three new ISO standards can be seen as an instruction manual to help implement a number of French and European regulatory requirements, and inspire future measures. ” Voluntary standards make it possible to harmonize all practices and, wehope, create the basis for virtuous practices and fair competition ,” says Frédéric Poeydemenge, for BIC.

Anne-Sophie Coince, EDF

EDF already uses a “circularity grid” for both internal and external projects, to assess the extent to which low-carbon worksites can also become more circular.

At Michelin, Roger Ebengou recalls that the Group’s ambitions have been clearly stated since the post-war years, with substantial efforts first on tire retreading, then on tread longevity. ” We go up to two or three lives and a million kilometers for a tire,” he says.

Voluntary standards also give consumers the keys to more responsible purchasing, by objectifying producers’ claims. Consumers are already involved in circularity, even if they don’t always realize it,” notes Roger Ebengou. We sort our waste, buy local, in bulk or reconditioned. Standards help to clarify our choices, compare distributors’ sales pitches, compare comparable items and avoid the greenwashing practiced by some.. “

Circular economy: training and recognition of practices

Pending management system certification, like ISO 14001 certification for the environment in general, anyone claiming to apply good circular economy practices already has access to signs of recognition, with the aim of lending credibility to their approach and reassuring their customers. With AFNOR Certification’s Second Life Verification range, for example, you’ll find everything you need to have your product recognized as robust, repairable, recyclable, or the result of reuse, recycling or reconditioning, after verification by an independent assessor. Brands displaying one of these signs include Allibert bathtubs, Living Packets connected parcels and Nouvelle Attitude bicycles (a subsidiary of the La Poste group).
And because the circular economy begins with eco-design, in order to reduce the impact on the rest of the life cycle from the outset, we won’t forget AFAQ Eco-conception . You’ll find it much easier to deploy circular economy projects based on best practices if you have a basic grasp of the subject, particularly the notion of life cycle analysis, the alpha and omega of any ecological approach! For this, consider AFNOR Compétences’ new certification course to become an eco-design and life-cycle analysis project manager (5 days).

Vous souhaitez échanger avec les spécialistes de l’économie circulaire ayant contribué à façonner les premières normes internationales sur le sujet ?