〈各國環保法規〉彙整頁面 - Page 4 of 17

France has successfully salvaged leftover food; next step is to address leftover clothing.

France's efforts to combat food waste in recent years have yielded initial results. Now, the government is turning its attention to the less-discussed issue of clothing waste, intending to prohibit clothing brands from arbitrarily discarding unsold new garments. In 2016, France mandated that large department stores donate unsold food to charities, prohibiting its disposal or destruction; at the time, it was the first country in the world to enact an anti-food waste law. The Ministry of Agriculture stated that in the two years since the law's enactment, it has achieved very positive results, with food donations to charities increasing by 22%. Italy, Peru, and Finland have followed suit. Last April, the French government reiterated its commitment to combating food waste, with parliament discussing measures to mandate that restaurants provide free takeaways of uneaten food, aiming to halve food waste by 2025. Having achieved some success in rescuing leftover food, the government plans to begin rescuing "leftover clothing," namely unsold new garments. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe unveiled a reform framework for the circular economy this week, mentioning the government's intention to introduce a ban on discarding unsold new clothes by 2019, potentially mandating that clothing brands link with charities to facilitate clothing donations. Some French organizations specialize in collecting used clothing, washing and reselling or donating items in good condition, while turning damaged items into rags or other fibers. Emmaus is one of the most well-known such organizations. Valerie Fayard, Deputy CEO of Emmaus, was interviewed by the environmental observation platform Novethic.

2018-06-15

The UK is considering imposing a tax on air pollution from cars.

According to a Financial Times report on the 13th, the British government is considering taxing car owners and urban builders who contribute to air pollution in order to improve air quality in British cities. Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond announced a consultation on a car tax to encourage the development of more environmentally friendly transport and to increase costs for users of urban construction equipment using low-tax "red diesel." Currently, the tax on commercial light vehicles in the UK is £140 regardless of pollution level. Although it will increase to £150 in April, there will be no significant difference between older models with high nitrogen oxide emissions and newer, low-emission models. The automotive industry is trying to promote the benefits of the latest diesel engines, which emit the same amount of nitrogen oxides as gasoline cars but reduce carbon dioxide emissions by one-fifth. However, British and EU car buyers are gradually avoiding this technology in anticipation of bans on older models and policies discouraging the use of gasoline. Data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows that diesel sales in the UK fell by 17% last year, and new car sales in February fell by 35%, down from 44.5% in the same period last year. Last year's UK budget announced a £500 million investment to promote electric vehicle development and increased taxes on new diesel vehicles and company cars. In a speech on Tuesday (13th), the Chancellor of the Exchequer also announced a public consultation on the use of red diesel. This diesel is mainly used in agricultural vehicles and heavy machinery, and its use on general roads is prohibited. Its tax rate is lower than that of regular diesel. Currently, red diesel costs 11.14 pence per liter, while regular diesel costs 1...

2018-04-19

Walmart’s hazardous materials disclosure policy will be consistent with California law

Walmart, the largest retail chain in the United States, recently updated its material disclosure policy. This update aligns its policy with California's hazardous substances regulations, requiring all suppliers to comply. In 2013, Walmart began informing its upstream suppliers that they must disclose information about hazardous substances in their products online starting in 2015, and that information must be displayed on product labels starting in 2018. Currently, Walmart's hazardous substances list includes regulations from 22 international countries. Starting this year, Walmart has further incorporated hazardous substances regulated by California's Cleaning Product Right to Know Act into its disclosure policy. All cleaning product suppliers whose products comply with California's Cleaning Product Right to Know Act will also meet Walmart's hazardous substances disclosure requirements. Walmart's disclosure requirements cover all "chemical composition" for consumer products sold in the following categories: – Health and beauty products; – Household paper products; – Pet supplies; – Household chemical products; – Cosmetics and skincare products; – Baby and toddler products. Source: Chemical Watch

2018-04-19

Sweden establishes a chemical substitution center for SMEs to promote sustainable textile initiatives.

The Swedish government has announced plans to establish a Substitution Center for SMEs in Boras, a city with a high concentration of textile and chemical industries. Through research and development, the center will assist SMEs in replacing hazardous substances in their products, contributing to the goals of the Sustainable Textile Initiative. Located within the Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE), the center will leverage the institute's resources to provide SMEs with industry innovation information and facilitate collaboration between SMEs and large corporations, industry associations, regulatory bodies, and academia. This will involve systematically and strategically identifying alternatives to hazardous substances in textile products. Database construction will be used to analyze chemical safety information and non-chemical methods and technologies to identify future research and development directions. The government estimates that approximately 32,000 companies in Sweden will be affected by the Sustainable Textile Initiative, including about 13,000 manufacturing companies and the remaining 19,000 wholesale and retail businesses. Karolina Skog, head of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, pointed out that purchasing safe and reliable products should be a fundamental right for all consumers. Therefore, while promoting sustainable textile initiatives, the aforementioned 13,000 manufacturing companies will be key implementers of chemical substitution solutions. Source: Chemical Watch (2017-11-10) (PID)

2017-12-06

2017 Green Electronics Brand Rankings: Fairphone and Apple Green; Taiwan's Top Two Brands Face a Shortage of Successors.

Greenpeace today (October 17th) released its "2017 Guide to Greener Electronics" globally, directly naming Samsung, Huawei, and Amazon as the least environmentally responsible companies. While Taiwanese electronics brands Acer and ASUS had previously pledged to gradually phase out polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFR) from their products, they have not yet completely eliminated them. In contrast, only Apple and Google have completely banned PVC and BFR across their entire product lines. Global electronics brands are increasingly environmentally conscious, adopting environmentally priority policies and practices in everything from energy to raw material sourcing. This necessitates industrial transformation for Taiwan, a country renowned for its electronics manufacturing, to adapt to global market trends. Greenpeace recommends that Taiwan's electronics industry leverage its R&D and production technologies, using ease of repair and durability as design foundations, while increasing the use of recycled materials and energy. This will not only achieve a circular economy but also create new opportunities in the face of climate change challenges. Lee Chih-An, Global IT Project Manager at Greenpeace, stated, "Consumer electronics have short lifecycles, rapidly consuming the Earth's limited resources and increasing greenhouse gas emissions. The electronics industry still needs to work hard to improve product recycling programs, encourage users to actively recycle used electronic products, and develop more efficient recycling technologies to truly move towards a circular economy." Greenpeace evaluated 17 globally renowned electronics brands, with evaluation criteria including (1) increasing recycling...

2017-11-16

California mandates more detailed labeling for cleaning products starting in 2021.

California recently passed a law requiring manufacturers of various cleaning products to comply with the strictest chemical disclosure regulations in the United States to date by January 1, 2021, while online disclosure must be implemented by January 1, 2020. Experts believe that if the new law is not rejected by a California referendum or successfully challenged in court, it will become the de facto national standard. This is because manufacturers may find it more practical and cost-effective to create labels that comply with California standards and then use them on cleaning products marketed nationwide. California's Right to Know Cleaning Products Act (SB 258), passed on October 15, requires manufacturers of designated cleaning products sold in the state to disclose information about the chemicals contained in their products on product labels and on their product websites. "Designated products" refer to cleaning products primarily used in commercial, household, or institutional settings, including air fresheners, automotive products, general cleaning products, and polishing or floor waxing products. Products not included in this definition are: (1) food, medicine, and cosmetics, including personal care products such as toothpaste, shampoo, and hand soap; (2) industrial products specifically manufactured and used in oil and gas production, steel production, heavy industrial manufacturing, industrial water treatment, industrial textile maintenance and processing (excluding industrial washing), food and beverage processing and packaging, and other industrial production processes; and (3) designated trial samples of products not packaged for individual sale, resale, or retail, with a written statement indicating that the product may not be sold or resold. From 20

2017-11-16

China's ban on "foreign waste" may prompt a shift in foreign product design.

Can upgrading raw material design and application standards help us eliminate the various wastes generated by the current economic model? Policymakers in China and Europe believe so. It is well known that the circular economy concept has also attracted the attention of large multinational corporations such as Coca-Cola, profoundly influencing their product business design. Every year, the global cost of landfill incineration, waste disposal, and pollution management reaches billions of dollars, and the circular economy model can help us save on this expense. To build a more resource-efficient and sustainable economy, the Chinese government and the European Union seem to have naturally found a point of cooperation. Since the Industrial Revolution, industrial development has adopted an exploitative model—a three-step process of extracting resources, manufacturing products, and then discarding them. While this model has met development needs and lifted billions out of poverty, it has also caused massive waste and pollution. From the perspective of exacerbating resource scarcity, the negative impacts of this model are already becoming apparent. Industry and governments have realized that a different system must be established to bring more resilient long-term prosperity and free economic growth from negative impacts. This is our current task—promoting the circular economy model. Plastics are a hallmark material of the modern economy, ubiquitous and widely used, yet their growth rate is astonishing. Plastics can be described as having a typical linear life cycle: from finite resources to products, and finally discarded after use.

2017-11-16

Japan's METI warned companies that they must comply with the Chemicals Inspection Law.

Japan's METI Warns Companies to Comply with the Chemical Substances Control Law The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) recently issued a notice requiring companies to strictly comply with the Chemical Substances Control Law (CSCL). The notice also lists the most common corporate violations, exemplified as follows: – Mistaking new chemical substances for general chemical substances. The former requires a preliminary assessment before production/import; the latter only requires notification of the production or import volume to the government. – Manufacturing or importing small quantities of chemical substances exceeding the permitted weight. For small quantities of chemical substances and intermediates, companies must specifically declare the expected production/import volume and obtain permission before proceeding (to ensure that the annual production/import volume of small quantities of chemical substances does not exceed one ton, inter-ministerial coordination of permit/declaration quotas is necessary). – Failure to submit hazardous chemical test reports required by government departments. METI points out that most corporate violations stem from a lack of understanding of the CSCL or poor implementation of internal chemical substance management systems. To prevent similar violations from recurring, METI recommends that companies implement the following: – Provide internal training on chemical auditing procedures for management and production line personnel exposed to hazardous substances;

2017-10-12

Washington State's proposed children's product safety law adds 18 substances of very high concern.

Washington State's Children's Product Safety Act (CSPA) has proposed adding 18 substances of high concern to the list of "Chemicals of High Concern to Children" (CHCCs). Public consultation will follow, marking the final consultation period before the formal proposal in 2017. The last revision of the CHCC list was in 2013, and Washington State hopes to expedite this revision. The draft proposes adding the following substances to the CHCC list: – Phthalate esters DIBP and DCHP; – Flame retardants DBDPE, TCP, TPP, TCPP, TBPH, TBB, TBPP, TDBPP, TNBP, EHDPP, IPTPP, SCCP, and V6; – Bisphenol BPF and BPS (alternatives to phenolic methane currently listed in the CHCC); and – Perfluorinated compounds PFOA and related substances. The latest proposal requests the exclusion of phthalic anhydride, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4), and molybdenum from the CHCC list. Washington State's Child Product Safety Act requires child product manufacturers (manufacturers, importers, or domestic wholesalers) to annually report the following information to the relevant authorities if they: 1. The child product is intended to contain CHCC and the concentration of the ingredient in the product is higher than [specified value].

2017-10-12

The US CPSC recommends adding exclusion items for phthalate testing in children's products.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently proposed adding an exclusion item to the mandatory requirement for children's products to provide a third-party impartial testing report on phthalates before they are marketed. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) stipulates that the concentration of the following six phthalates in children's products must not exceed 0.1%: – DEHP (di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate); – DBP (dibutyl phthalate); – BBP (toluenebutyl phthalate); – DINP (diisononyl phthalate); – DIDP (didecyl phthalate); and – DnOP (di-n-octyl phthalate). Before a product is marketed, manufacturers must provide a compliance test report issued by a third-party impartial organization confirming the presence of these six phthalates. However, research commissioned by the CPSC found that not all types of plastics use the aforementioned six plasticizers in their manufacturing process, raw materials, or additives, or when these six plasticizers are added, the amount used is far less than the limit of 0.1%. These plastic types are as follows:

2017-10-12

Certain plastics in toys are exempt from third-party testing requirements for phthalates.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently determined that four types of plastics containing specific additives do not contain certain phthalates currently banned in children's toys and childcare products. Based on this determination, starting September 29, these plastics containing specific additives no longer need third-party testing to prove compliance with the mandatory ban on phthalates in children's toys and childcare products. Section 108 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 stipulates that accessible plastic parts of children's toys and childcare products, or other parts made from materials that may contain phthalates, must not contain more than 0.1% of six specific phthalates: DEHP, DBP, BBP, DINP, DIDP, and DnOP. Subsequently, the CPSC recommended making the temporary ban on DINP permanent and lifting the temporary bans on DIDP and DnOP, while adding four other phthalates—DIBP, DPENP, DHEXP, and DCHP—to the prohibited list; however, these actions were not implemented. Under section 14(a) of the Consumer Product Safety Act as amended by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, manufacturers of products subject to consumer product safety rules or similar rules, prohibitions, standards, or regulations enforced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) must demonstrate that the product complies with all applicable requirements enforced by the CPSC. For children's products, certification should be based on a third-party certification recognized by the CPSC.

2017-10-12

The US EPA publishes formaldehyde emission standards.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released formaldehyde emission regulations. The EPA has set a final implementation date for formaldehyde emission regulations for composite wood products. This regulation applies to hardwood plywood, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), particleboard, and end products containing these materials sold, supplied, manufactured, and imported into the United States. After the regulations officially take effect on February 10, 2017, composite wood products must meet not only their product-related safety requirements but also formaldehyde emission standards. The regulations also outline requirements and timelines for laminated products and importers. Although a draft of the regulations was published this summer (2016), the final implementation date was only published in the Federal Register this week. In addition to formaldehyde emission standards, the regulations add the following provisions: – Testing requirements; – Product labeling; – Chain of custody documentation and other record-keeping requirements; – Import certification; – Product inventory sales terms, including product inventory bans and third-party certification for hardwood plywood, MDF, and particleboard. The EPA will hold several webinars to assist with the implementation of these regulations. For information on formaldehyde emission limits for the above products, please refer to the Federal Register: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/12/12

2017-10-12

The number of Taiwan sustainability reports has surged since 2014.

The number of sustainability reports published in Taiwan has surged since 2014. According to research by the Taiwan Business Development Center (BCSD), the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE), and the Taiwan Exchange Center (TEC), the number of Taiwanese companies publishing sustainability reports increased by 64% from 2014 to 2015. This study also compared the differences between Taiwanese and international stakeholders' requirements for corporate sustainability disclosure and analyzed corporate social responsibility reports published by over 400 Taiwanese companies. Over 90% of the reports were published by listed companies, demonstrating the powerful influence of international regulations. In 2014, the TWSE required listed companies in specific industries, including food manufacturing, chemicals, financial services, and companies with capital exceeding NT$10 billion, to publish corporate social responsibility reports according to the GRI G4 guidelines. The study showed that multinational corporations accounted for 75%, while 23% were issued by large enterprises, and nine NPOs and SMEs voluntarily published reports. 83% of the reports were prepared in accordance with G4 standards, and 44% were externally certified. This study compares the number of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports published, cited guidelines, and external certifications both domestically and internationally. It also examines the quality of substantive content and the transparency of information disclosure in these reports. Furthermore, the study provides more substantial improvement suggestions for companies regarding GRI G4 content in CSR reports published in specific domestic industries. These suggestions include how companies should identify the substantive nature and scope of issues, how to include GRI G4 content guidelines in their reports, and even how to incorporate future improvement plans.

2017-10-12

US NGOs launch MADE SAFE product safety certification mechanism

A US NGO has launched the MADE SAFE product safety certification mechanism. The MADE SAFE Seal is the first national certification mark in the US specifically for non-toxic products targeting human health. It currently offers non-toxic certification standards for household cleaning products, personal care products, and baby products. The purpose of this non-toxic product certification mechanism is to promote products free of any chemicals harmful to humans or the environment. Through this mark, consumers can help identify safe products. MADE SAFE has established a database of thousands of known chemicals, addressing their behavioral toxicity, carcinogenicity, developmental toxicity, endocrine disruption, flame retardants, genetic modification, heavy metals, neurotoxicity, high-risk pesticides, reproductive toxicity, harmful solvents, and harmful volatile organic compounds. When applying for product certification, manufacturers must sign a MADE SAFE certification process agreement and agree to provide a list of raw materials, additives, and auxiliary agents used in the product manufacturing process. They must also provide Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for these raw materials and chemicals. The MADE SAFE review team provides companies with information, compares them against a database of hazardous chemicals, and assesses the potential pollution risks of products across the supply chain. Finally, it evaluates the bioaccumulation, environmental sustainability, general toxicity, aquatic toxicity, and ecotoxicity of key chemicals. Only products that pass these rigorous review processes can obtain MADE SAFE certification.

2017-10-12

The General Office of the State Council of China issued a document outlining ten key tasks for the comprehensive management of hazardous chemicals safety.

The General Office of the State Council of China recently issued the "Comprehensive Governance Plan for Hazardous Chemicals Safety," outlining a three-year nationwide campaign to comprehensively address the safety of hazardous chemicals. The plan outlines 40 specific tasks and sets forth clear requirements for promoting this comprehensive governance. The plan emphasizes the need to earnestly implement the important decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council regarding strengthening work safety, deeply learn from the lessons of the 2015 Tianjin Port "8.12" Ruihai Company hazardous materials warehouse fire and explosion accident, comprehensively strengthen the comprehensive governance of hazardous chemicals safety, effectively prevent and curb major and serious accidents involving hazardous chemicals, and ensure the safety of people's lives and property. The main tasks for promoting the comprehensive governance of hazardous chemicals safety are as follows: 1. Conduct a comprehensive assessment of hazardous chemical safety risks and establish a hazardous chemical safety risk distribution file. 2. Effectively prevent and curb major and serious accidents involving hazardous chemicals, strengthen the control of high-risk chemicals, major hazard sources, functional areas involving major risks related to hazardous chemicals, and the safety of hazardous chemical transportation, and comprehensively launch the relocation of hazardous chemical production and storage enterprises in densely populated areas. III. Improve the regulatory system and mechanisms for hazardous chemicals safety, further improve and perfect the government's regulatory responsibility system, establish a more effective overall coordination mechanism, and strengthen the responsibilities of industry authorities in hazardous chemicals safety management. IV. Further improve laws, regulations, and standards related to hazardous chemicals safety, and strengthen...

2017-10-12

The U.S. CPSC has warned manufacturers and consumers to pay closer attention to the flame retardant ban.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has warned manufacturers and consumers to be more aware of the ban on organohalogen flame retardants. The CPSC is urging manufacturers to stop using organohalogen flame retardants (OFRs) in certain products and encourages consumers to actively request relevant information from manufacturers to ensure their right to know about OFRs. In 2017, the CPSC issued a guidance document that is expected to ban the addition of OFRs to the following product categories: – Children's products; – Home textiles; – Mattresses; and – Electronic device casings. The CPSC guidance does not prohibit the addition of these substances to other household products or require preventative labeling, but strongly recommends that consumers request manufacturers to provide proof of OFR-free status and test reports when purchasing products that will have prolonged contact with their skin. This guidance states that the industry mistakenly believes OFR must be added to the plastic casings of children's products, home upholstered furniture, mattresses, and electronic devices. From a scientific perspective, the health risks of adding OFR to these products, especially for pregnant women and children, outweigh the preventative risks. Source: Chemical Watch (2017-)

2017-10-12

The new system raises the environmental protection threshold for China's manufacturing industry.

New regulations raise environmental standards for China's manufacturing industry. E-waste, containing various toxic and hazardous substances, has become a global environmental problem. According to the "2014 Global E-waste Monitor" released by the United Nations University, 41.8 million tons of e-waste were generated globally in 2014, of which China generated 6 million tons, accounting for 14.3%, a significant amount. Taking mobile phones as an example, data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology shows that 560 million mobile phones were shipped in the Chinese market in 2016. Industry experts predict that the number of mobile phones replaced annually in China may reach 400 to 500 million in the next few years, while the accumulated amount of discarded mobile phones has already reached about 1 billion. These abandoned products pose a huge threat to the environment. Soon, China's electronics industry will face new environmental regulatory pressures. According to the implementation plan of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system issued by the State Council of China, government departments such as the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Environmental Protection are required to submit work plans for the recycling and disposal of electrical and electronic products by the end of 2017. The State Council also proposed that by 2025, China will have basically perfected the EPR system for key product categories, made "significant progress" in product eco-design, and ensured that at least half of waste products are properly recycled and reused. The new EPR system defines four environmental responsibilities for producers: eco-design, use of recycled materials, proper recycling, and enhanced information disclosure. The first two aim to reduce the environmental footprint of products at the source, while the latter two aim to make producers assume responsibility for traceability and recycling throughout the entire product lifecycle. The first batch will be implemented...

2017-10-03

South Korea accelerates the control of substances of concern and expands the scope of domestic product safety responsibilities

South Korea is accelerating the control process of substances of concern and expanding the scope of domestic product safety responsibilities. The Ministry of Environment of South Korea is expected to implement accelerated management measures for the authorization, restriction and ban of substances of concern. In the latest K-REACH implementation measures, regarding the control of substances of concern, it is expected to open up relevant information on the use of this substance within the jurisdiction of other international regulations, and use this as a reference for inclusion in restrictions and bans, which is expected to reduce the risk assessment carried out by the Korean Ministry of Environment at least 3 years of evaluation time and accelerated control period. This accelerated measure to restrict and ban substances of concern will apply to and refer to the following substances: – substances authorized or restricted by EU regulations, or listed on the list of substances of high concern; or – the U.S. Significant New Use Rule (SNUR); or – listed under Japanese regulations Category 1 Specified Substances include carcinogenic, persistent and bioaccumulative substances. Substances that meet the above conditions must be determined to be of high concern and have sufficient risk assessment data. The Ministry of Environment of South Korea stated that the new assessment measures for this substance before it is designated as restricted and banned will greatly speed up the control speed. In order to assist the industry in responding, the Ministry of Environment of South Korea will also proceed in a phased manner. Another adjustment is to strengthen safeguards for problematic substances entering the domestic market in South Korea. According to current regulations, if a problem occurs with a product, the consignee of the product must bear product responsibility. In the future, when a problem occurs with a product and the OEM announces a product recall, the consignor of the product must also be responsible for recycling it.

2017-10-03

EU legislators push for new mandatory legislation for the clothing industry.

The European Union's legislative bodies are pushing for new mandatory legislation for the garment industry. On May 19, 2017, the Council of the European Union published "Conclusions on Sustainable Garment Value Chains," aiming to prevent human rights violations and encourage companies to take socially responsible actions to ensure the garment industry complies with international standards concerning labor rights and environmental protection. Furthermore, the Council encouraged the European Commission to temporarily suspend preferential trade treatment for trading partners who violate labor and human rights commitments. The Council further requested the Commission to improve traceability in the textile industry, emphasizing the need to track chemicals used in the garment manufacturing process and worker exposure to toxic substances. The Council reached these conclusions after the Commission published an approved working paper on April 24, 2017. In the working paper, the Commission proposed several EU measures on "establishing sustainable value chains in the garment industry through EU development actions." The working paper outlines various measures to achieve a fairer, safer, and more environmentally friendly garment manufacturing industry. The European Commission's recommendations focus on: 1. Economic empowerment for women; 2. Reasonable wages for work and living; and 3. Transparency and traceability in value chains. The third point is of particular concern because production chains are highly decentralized, often outsourcing different stages of the manufacturing process to companies in distant countries. Following the approval of the European Commission's working paper, Europe...

2017-10-03

BSI launches the world's first circular economy standard

BSI Launches World's First Circular Economy Standard. As Earth's finite resources dwindle and climate change intensifies, the European Union is actively promoting a circular economy, hoping to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals through sustainable production and consumption. Recognizing that despite the efforts of numerous international NGOs promoting the circular economy, businesses and consumers, while aware of its purpose, often lack understanding of its complex technical and theoretical definitions, the British Standards Institute (BSI), with assistance from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), invited experts from several organizations—including the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF), the Waste and Resource Action Programme (WRAP), and the Centre for Sustainable Design at the University for the Creative Arts—to form a standards committee to discuss how to establish a practical framework for...

2017-10-03