Standards Development

Scope

This document specifies the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving a circular economy management system that an organization can use to enhance its circularity performance. The document is intended for use by an organization seeking to integrate circular economy as a strategic priority. The circular economy management system will support the organization to use a systemic approach to contribute to the maintenance of a circular flow of resources in society by recovering, retaining or adding to their value, while contributing to sustainable development.

The requirements set out in this document is generic and will provide value for the society, the environment, the organization itself and interested parties. The document will support an organisation to understand how its value network (e.g. suppliers and customers) will be affected by decisions taken by the organisation and give organizations within the value network a system of interconnected and interdependent decisions and activities.

Consistent with the organization's policy for a circular economy, the expected results of a circular economy management system include:

• enhancement of the circularity performance.

• a system for compliance obligations.

• a system for achievement of environmental, social, and economic objectives.

• increased long-term value creation.

This document is applicable to any organization seeking to understand and commit or contribute to a circular economy. These organizations can be either private or public, acting individually or collectively, regardless of type or size, and located in any jurisdiction, or position within a specific value chain or value network.

This document can be used in whole or in part to systematically improve management towards circularity. Claims of conformity to this International Standard, however, are not acceptable unless all its requirements are incorporated into an organization's management system and fulfilled without exclusion.

Purpose

The proposed new standard will be a Management System Standard (MSS) on circular economy. It will be a Type A MSS containing requirements against which an organization can measure conformity. To develop an organisation which emphasis on circular economy in all aspects, requires top management commitment. Circular design of products for instance, is not only a responsibility for designers but a management responsibility. The standard will support other existing ISO management system standards as well as setting requirements supplementing the guidance given in the ISO 59000 family of standards. The circular economy management system standard will be developed to be a stand-alone standard for organisations without an implemented management system based on an international standard, and compatible with and complementary to other management system standards which already may be implemented by the organisation.

The standard will include:

1) MSS specific terminology (as defined in ISO/IEC Directives part 1, annex SL) and other terms needed of the use of the document, with normative reference to ISO 59004: Circular economy – Vocabulary, principles and guidance for implementation.

2) Requirements for a circular economy management system.

Background

A circular economy management system standard is included in the business plan of ISO/TC 323, objective nr. 5 (page 25): To develop high quality standard for all types of stakeholders. The business plan mentions several strategies to achieve this, among them:

• Develop horizontal and structuring documents (Terminology, principles) and operational ones (Management System Standards, cases studies, measurement methods, …)

When ISO/TC 323 was established, the following work item was included in the work program:

«The proposed work programme if this new field of activity is accepted is the following:

1. Management System Standard for circular economy (Type A)

A Management System Standard will set a series of requirements that can be used by an organization to demonstrate the progress towards achieving the implementation of a circular economy project. This standard will specify the requirements for a management system for taking into account the different issues of circular economy that can be addressed by an organization to improve its environmental, economic and social performance. This standard is intended for use by organizations wishing to manage their circular economy projects in a systematic way that contributes to sustainable development. ……”

As a result of discussion among the members of ISO/TC 323, an understanding was reached to postpone a circular economy management system standard until the first set of the 59000 family standards were launched. The first standards were published in May 2024. A wish for a set of standards that could be basic requirements for certification is expressed by ISO/TC 323 committee members and other stakeholders.

ISO/TC 323 sent out a survey in February 2025 to (evaluate the work of the TC and) collect feedback on the reception and use of the first circular economy standards (ISO 59004, ISO 59010 and ISO 59020). The feedback from the survey is expected to provide valuable information and data also as input to the work on a circular economy management system standard.

The MSS on circular economy as part of ISO 59000 family of standards.

A circular economy management system standard will be part of the ISO 59000 family of standards. 

The standard will demonstrate how organisations should apply a systematic and strategic method to include circular economy as part of their management system in line with the guidance outlined in the other ISO 59000 standards.