Circularity Framework update: What it means for ASI Members

8 December 2025

The landscape of circular economy frameworks is evolving at speed. Over the past months, two developments have gained particular relevance for businesses seeking clearer expectations, more consistent terminology, and credible pathways to implementation: (1) the progress of the ISO 59000 series, following the ISO/TC 323 meeting in Montego Bay, Jamaica, in October, and (2) the launch of the Global Circularity Protocol for Business at COP30 on 11 November.

Both shifts will shape how circularity is understood, operationalised, and assessed across sectors, including aluminium, and provide reference points for upcoming ASI Standards revisions.

ISO moves toward a certifiable circular economy management system

Representatives from more than 30 countries met in October for the 7th meeting of ISO Technical Committee 323 (Circular Economy). ISO/TC 323 has been working for several years on a structured suite of standards, the ISO 59000 family, aimed at guiding the transition toward circular resource use (learn more about the ISO 59000 series in ASI’s educationAL).

Until now, however, organisations have not had the option to certify a dedicated “circular economy management system” comparable to ISO 9001 or ISO 14001. Many companies have instead embedded circularity within their environmental management systems or relied on specialised schemes such as Cradle to Cradle or zero waste certifications.

This gap is set to narrow. During the meeting, the committee formally initiated drafting for ISO 59001 – Circular Economy Management Systems – Requirements. Once finalised, ISO 59001 will set requirements to establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve a management system grounded in circular economy principles. Over time, this could give organisations a more consistent and recognised route to demonstrate performance and integrate circular practices with existing quality and environmental management systems.

The meeting also confirmed an expanded work programme that includes:

• A new standard on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), covering requirements and guidelines for implementation.
• The new ISO 59011 on organising a value network for circularity.
• Revisions of ISO 59004 (framework and principles) and ISO 59010 (guidance for business model innovation).

Together, these developments signal a move toward clearer expectations on circularity at system, organisational, and value-chain levels. For aluminium value chains, which rely on long-lived assets, diverse scrap streams, and cross-sectoral material flows, this direction provides useful structure for discussing roles, metrics, and responsibilities across primary, recycling, fabrication, and other downstream operations.

A Global Circularity Protocol for Business

Another milestone arrived on 11 November at COP30, when the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) launched the Global Circularity Protocol for business after several years of development. The protocol aims to offer a globally aligned way for companies to define, measure, and report circularity.

For many years, the circularity landscape has been fragmented. More than 200 definitions and numerous frameworks coexist, often with limited comparability. This fragmentation affects both internal decision-making and external communication, especially in sectors with complex supply chains such as aluminium.

The WBCSD protocol provides:

• A common structure for identifying circularity “hotspots” across value chains.
• Guidance for setting strategy, targets, and KPIs.
• A measurement approach supported by global benchmarks.
• A way to disclose circularity performance in a consistent manner.

For the aluminium value chain, the protocol can help organisations navigate circularity strategies and reporting in a more aligned way across primary production, recycling, fabrication, and downstream use phases. It may also strengthen cooperation between upstream and downstream actors by clarifying how circularity is defined and evaluated.

Implications for ASI and its members

These developments arrive as ASI is progressing with the Standards Revision, where circularity will continue to be one of the thematic areas. The revision seeks alignment with emerging frameworks where relevant, particularly on terminology, strategy, and measurement approaches, while remaining tailored to the realities of the aluminium sector.

The evolution of the ISO 59000 series offers reference points for system-level governance of circularity, including how organisations structure responsibilities and integrate circularity into management systems. Meanwhile, the WBCSD Global Circularity Protocol provides a global lens for measuring and communicating circularity in a consistent way. Both can support ASI members navigating policy expectations, customer requirements, and internal transition plans.

Overall, these developments indicate a constructive direction for organisations working to strengthen circularity performance and reporting across their value chains.

As these frameworks mature, ASI will continue to monitor their developments and explore areas where coordination can strengthen clarity and reduce duplication for certified entities. The shared direction across these initiatives indicates a growing convergence: toward clearer language, more comparable data, and stronger links between organisational strategy and material outcomes. This alignment represents an opportunity for the aluminium value chain, where circularity is already a defining characteristic, to demonstrate credible progress and contribute to broader system change.

The implications of these frameworks, and their relevance for the Standards Revision, will continue to be discussed through the Circularity Working Group in 2026. ASI members interested in these developments or in the circularity aspects of the revision are welcome to reach out.

For further questions or to discuss any of these topics, please contact Gabriel Carmona Aparicio, ASI’s Circularity Research Manager

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