The CEDEX headquarters hosted the second meeting of the two bodies created by the Spanish Association for Standardization, UNE, to facilitate the transition to the new circular economy model: the Advisory Commission and the Technical Committee for Standardization CTN 323.
The Circular Economy Advisory Commission has presented the draft of a document to raise industry awareness of how UNE standards are a tool that supports the circular economy strategy. This is aimed at providing experts from Standardization Committees with knowledge of the potential standards have in this field.
In a complementary exercise, the different standards on the circular economy were presented, and more than 300 specific standards were identified that are framed within one of the phases that encompasses the concept of the circular economy: recycling, reuse, repair, waste, by-products, durability, emissions, and labelling, among others.
This Advisory Commission is a forum, directed by the UNE Board of Directors, whose objective is to define common positions on technical, strategic and governing issues regarding standardization in this area. It is chaired by the Managing Director of UNE and comprises 45 companies, including relevant associations from the Spanish sector at the national level, the Ministries of Ecological Transition, Development, Industry, Trade and Tourism, and Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, as well as other key actors.
CTN 323
CTN 323 has analysed the progress of international standardization work within the ISO/TC 323 (International Standardization Organization Technical Committee). Four ad hoc groups have been set up to lay the foundations for the first international standards proposals. These groups are:
- Principles, framework, terminology, and management system.
- Implementation guidelines, business models, sustainable public procurement, behaviour change, and education.
- Circularity assessment.
- Case study analysis, economy of functionality, local approach.
CTN 323 Circular Economy is the first Spanish standardization committee to comprehensively address the circular economy using a multisector approach. It covers the standardization of transversal aspects of the circular economy, and is the direct channel through which Spanish interests influence international and European standardization. It comprises more than 80 organizations and more than 140 experts from relevant industry associations and federations, companies, administrations and other key players. It is chaired by María Jesús Rodriguez de Sancho, Director of the CEDEX Centre for Applied Techniques Studies.
