Stefanie Vehring
Expert on Accreditation and Conformity Assessment
TÜV SÜD

The world we live in is rapidly changing and we continue to influence this change.

One of the main challenges is the realization of sustainability, a state of the global system in which “the needs of the present are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (for definition, see ISO Guide 82 Guidelines for addressing sustainability in standards). This relates to environmental, social as well as economic aspects. An important focus, therefore, lies on the availability and consumption of resources.

A circular economy creates shorter and closed loops of material and energy cycles, minimizing pollution and waste. Circularity is strived for at all stages of the supply chain, from production to consumption, including repair and remanufacturing, waste management, and secondary raw materials that are fed back into the economy.

Where circularity characteristics, needs and expectations are specified, conformity assessment delivers part of the solution by giving confidence in the fulfilment of these requirements. Conformity assessment applies to aspects that contribute to the robustness of the circle, such as safety, efficiency, repairability, durability, upgradability, recyclability and reusability. Likewise, it applies to all kinds of circularity requirements, such as tangible technical specifications (e.g., material composition, process operation), general conditions (e.g., supply chain management) and distinct expectations (e.g., repairable, recycling feasible).

Depending on the specified object to be assessed (e.g., plastic material, lithium recovery process, life-cycle declaration), the intended attestation of conformity (e.g., analysis report, independent certification), and other elements of the applied rules and procedures (e.g., surveillance of continued conformity, accreditation of conformity assessment bodies), the suitable conformity assessment tool is selected (for conformity assessment tools, see ISO Committee on conformity assessment, CASCO).

In a recent publication, the CASCO Strategic Alliance and Regulatory Group (STAR) elaborated on examples for conformity assessment in support of the circular economy, some of which include:

Recyclability – Used materials can be tested for their suitability to be melted down and recast by a test laboratory according to ISO/IEC 17025 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.

Refurbishment – Assemblies of reused components can be examined for whether they are still fit for purpose by an inspection body according to ISO/IEC 17020 Conformity assessment — Requirements for the operation of various types of bodies performing inspection.

Repairability – Plausibility of claims can be confirmed by a validation body according to ISO/IEC 17029 Conformity assessment — General principles and requirements for validation and verification bodies.

Recycling – Truthfulness of information on recycled content can be confirmed by a verification body according to ISO/IEC 17029.

Efficiency – Transport services can be certified by a certification body according to ISO/IEC 17065 Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services.

Circularity – Effectiveness of a supply chain management system can be certified by a certification body according to ISO/IEC 17021-1 Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems — Part 1: Requirements.

Recovery – Persons competent for dismantling processes can be certified by a certification body according to ISO/IEC 17024 Conformity assessment — General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons.

For further reading, see CASCO/STAR Circular Economy. The deliverable offers two illustrations showing how conformity assessment tools apply throughout the technical and biological cycles, providing trust and confidence to the market.