There is growing consensus that to meet current and future human needs, a transition towards a more circular economy (CE) can create and share more value with society and stakeholders, while natural resources are sustainably managed and regenerated, and ecosystems are protected. The ISO 59000 family of standards aims to harmonize the understanding of the CE and support its implementation and measurement. To keep materials within a CE, the responsible and efficient management of recoverable resources is a key action for organizations involved in the recovery of secondary materials. This is necessary to address risks and impacts and growing consumer concerns about the materials used and to prevent the shifting of environmental or social burdens between life cycle stages, organizations, communities, or countries. The management of waste containing recoverable resources represents an important economic activity while reducing virgin material extraction and waste disposal. However, the risks and impacts to human health and the environment stemming from inadequate waste management practices and poor working conditions, particularly those affecting individuals engaged in subsistence activities (SAs), are often unidentified or overlooked. Additionally, traceability plays an important role in resource circularity as it allows the flow of recoverable resources to be tracked and accounted for.

This paper aims to present ISO standard 59014, which establishes principles, specifies requirements, and provides guidance for facilitating the sustainability and traceability of activities and processes for the recovery of secondary materials.

Following a 3-year multi-stakeholder process acc. to ISO procedures, this standard is aimed to be published in 2024.

Main results. Operational, managerial, and traceability requirements and guidance are based on eight principles covering lifecycle thinking, a circular economy perspective, and social and environmental aspects. A recovery pathway methodology of secondary materials is also proposed.