Many people are waking up to the importance of adopting circular economy practices in sustaining our planet for generations to come, yet, understanding how to do this is another story. That’s where clear, consistent, and universal standards for the circular economy come in.
We spoke with Michael Leering, Director of Environment & Business Excellence at CSA Group, about how this organization has been a pioneer in developing standards that address circularity principles and is championing adoption through continued efforts in this space.
Why are standards important for advancing the circular economy?
Circularity principles can be applied across all economic sectors, engaging a wide range of participants — from governments and industry to the general public. For such a complex ecosystem to function effectively, it is important to establish clarity, transparency, and efficient integration of circularity principles. Standards underpin these objectives.
By providing clear definitions and guidelines, standards create a common language that enables consistency in processes, requirements, and measurements and supports clarity and comparability of outcomes. Ultimately, standards help build trust among all participants and mobilize them to action.
In this context, I am excited about publishing ground-breaking international and Canadian standards supporting the circular economy. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) recently released a cornerstone circularity standard, ISO 59004. It defines the circular economy, its principles, and how they can be implemented.
The new National Standard of Canada, CSA R117:24, is focused on a specific circular practice, providing definitions for plastics recycling. These two standards are important examples of how shared language and terminology can support innovation, scalability, and the adoption of sustainable circular practices.
In what area is CSA Group currently involved in developing standards for the circular economy in Canada?
CSA Group has been active in developing standards addressing circularity principles for a long time. Our standard CSA S478 for durability in buildings and CSA Z782 for design for disassembly and adaptability in buildings were first published in 1995 and 2006, encouraging the implementation of circular practices long before circularity became part of mainstream conversations.
Since then, we have broadened our activities to support the circular economy in areas including management of end-of-life materials, recycling of plastics, recycling of electric vehicle batteries, reuse of packaging, and most recently, circularity in agriculture, reduction of food loss and waste, and recovery of lithium and rare earth elements from waste.
We have engaged in significant research on these topics to understand the current landscape and where standards can help remove barriers to the broader adoption of circular practices and identify new opportunities.
Our research also helps inform the development of standards. The new standard CSA R117 for plastics recycling is a good example. Its development was preceded by two comprehensive research projects that explored the circularity and recycling of plastics in Canada and laid the groundwork for defining recycling in the context of plastics.
What do you consider to be CSA Group’s biggest success in circular standards development in Canada? Can you share any stories of the impact CSA Group’s work has had that have surprised you?
I think the most significant success for CSA Group is that through our standards, we helped to lay the foundations for circularity in many areas. Standards truly play a critical role and are an important tool for helping organizations transition to the circular economy. From standardized terminology to guidance and best practices that support consistent measurement and reporting, standards help translate the concept of the circular economy into practice in a very tangible way across diverse sectors.
Our organization has also been collaborating with organizations such as Canada Plastics Pact, Circular Economy Leadership Canada, Circular Innovation Council, and National Zero Waste Council. Working together with a diverse group of participants involved in driving sustainability and circularity in Canada gives us an opportunity to demonstrate how standards can support their respective areas.
Given Canada is a resource-rich, export-focused nation, how do you think a circular economy may look different here than in other places such as Europe and Asia? Will those differences play a role in how standards are developed here in Canada?
The circular economy model and its principles are the same around the world, and the new series of international standards ISO 59000 underscores that. All countries encounter similar challenges as they strive to use less virgin raw materials, reuse and recycle more products, and reduce waste. However, some differences may arise as countries examine their current status quo and set strategies and future targets.
For example, Canada currently recycles only 9% of plastics, compared to a 65% recycling rate in Germany and 59% in South Korea. Clearly, this identifies plastics recycling as a priority in our country. Further, a survey commissioned by CSA Group revealed that 92% of Canadian business leaders believe there should be a common definition of plastics recycling, demonstrating a real need for a standard such as CSA R117 that provides these definitions.
With Canada’s net-zero targets and goals for electrification of transportation and other aspects of our economy, lithium (Li) and rare earth elements (REE) needed for energy battery storage have also become critical for our economy.
At CSA Group, we have been looking at how Li and REE can be recovered and recycled from mining, manufacturing, and end-of-life product waste. Our latest research explores the ways standards can help remove barriers to adopting such practices and introduce circular principles without obstructing overall sustainability and supply chain security and resilience.
As the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on Canadian roads grows, we are also thinking about what will happen with EV batteries once they reach their vehicle end-of-life. Our research on the circularity of lithium-ion batteries outlines the role standards can play in supporting the safe reusing, repurposing, and recycling of these batteries.
So, to sum it up, I see the principles of the circular economy being applied in the same manner around the globe, but the focus and priorities may differ based on the specific situation of each country.
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Did you enjoy this blog? Keep an eye out for the full version being released soon in Circular Economy Magazine Vol. 1 by Sparx Publishing Group.