To achieve Canada’s climate targets, we must think beyond conventional solutions and embrace innovative approaches. Embodied carbon, the emissions associated with the products we make and use daily, account for a staggering 45% of our carbon emissions[1]. Circular economies tackle embodied carbon by promoting production and consumption practices that do more with less. Recycling, reuse, remanufacturing, and refurbishment are key concepts in a circular economy that can help lessen the need for raw virgin materials, reduce waste, and lessen our environmental impact.
To ensure industry and government work together towards the climate and circularity goals, they need to be on the same page – using the same language and following the same policies, processes, and procedures. That’s where CSA Group steps in.
CSA Group, a leader in standards development, research, education, and advocacy, is helping by providing guidance and disseminating best practices that support the adoption of circular economy principles. CSA Group has facilitated research and launched standards development activities addressing circularity across various sectors, including built environment, electric vehicle batteries, and plastics recycling.
In celebration of Circular Economy Month, Circular Innovation Council sat down with Michael Leering, Director, Environment and Business Excellence Standards, at CSA Group to learn about how standards solutions can help Canada transition to a circular economy. CSA Group is a Champion Partner of the second annual Circular Economy Month campaign. Learn more about the campaign and how to get involved at CircularEconomyMonth.ca.
1. Firstly, what is a standard?
A standard provides a set of agreed-upon rules, guidelines, or characteristics for activities or their results. It is developed through the consensus of experts in any given subject area. In short, standards help ensure that the products, systems, or services we use every day, whether at home, work, or play, operate safely, consistently, and as intended.
It is important to note that standards are voluntary unless they become referenced in regulations or enforced by laws. Our short video summarizes what standards are and why they are important.
2. How are standards developed, and what is CSA Group’s role?
Standards are developed by CSA Group expert members who volunteer their time and knowledge to help create a better, safer, and more sustainable world. These volunteer experts are members of CSA Group’s technical committees, which are organized in a way to represent various stakeholders’ perspectives and inputs in a balanced manner.
A technical committee develops a draft standard through a consensus-based process. This draft is then posted for public consultation. During public review, anyone, including the general public, can review the draft standard and provide their comments and input. This feedback can help enhance the final version of the standard, which is formally approved by a technical committee vote.
Once published, the standard continues to be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure it remains relevant.
The entire standards development process is facilitated by CSA Group and is based on the principles of inclusive participation, respect for diverse interests, transparency, and consensus.
If you are interested in sharing your expertise, I encourage you to visit our website for details on how you can get involved in standards development.
3. Why are standards important in a circular economy?
While the principles of the circular economy are common across economic sectors, the ‘language’ used by different industries, governments, and the public is not always consistent. This can lead to confusion and problems when measuring the effectiveness of policies that encourage a more circular economy. Standards can help provide clarity and align all stakeholders toward this common goal.
Plastics recycling is a great example. Current definitions refer to various activities that make up recycling – from collection, transportation, handling, and storing to dismantling, sorting, separating, shredding, processing, or remanufacturing. It is not clear, though, at which step a plastic product can be considered recycled and what the measurable – and comparable – outcomes of the process are. One of our newest technical committees is already working on a new standard that will define recycling of plastics. This standard will allow to consistently measure, track, and monitor the circularity of plastics, from plastic waste collection to reuse of plastics in manufacturing new products.
Standards also encourage the adoption of circular principles and provide guidance for material selection, design of products and systems that are more durable and include considerations for disassembly and reuse. The standards and guidelines CSA Group developed for the construction industry, for example, address disassembly, adaptability, and deconstruction of buildings and can help the construction industry reduce the amount of waste it generates.
4. What circular standards exist in Canada?
There are many standards and guidelines that support circularity already. I have mentioned the standards for the construction sectors, which we started developing back in the 1990s.
In 1995, we published CSA S478, Durability in buildings. Evolving from a guideline to a National Standard of Canada, CSA S478 supports the construction industry with material selection and requirements that can help prevent premature degradation throughout the intended life of a building.
In 2006, CSA Group published CSA Z782, Design for disassembly and adaptability in buildings. This guideline encourages the design of buildings that considers how the space can be converted and how materials and components can be designed to be recovered and repurposed at the end of their useful life.
Our standards also address the end of life of buildings. The standard CSA Z783 provides recommendations and best practices for the recovery of materials when buildings are being torn down so that these materials can be reused with minimal reprocessing.
Further still, in 2015, we published SPE-890, A Guideline for accountable management of end-of-life materials. This guideline was developed to aid primary and secondary service providers and to establish a set of common definitions, performance metrics, and reporting requirements in support of best practices in the management of end-of-life (EOL) materials. To learn more, visit the Circular Economy page on our website.
5. Why is it beneficial to have standards in place for circular construction practices?
Construction is one of the most important sectors of our economy, contributing more than $148 million to Canada’s GDP in June 2023 alone[2]. At the same time, the industry ranks third among greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters and generates one-third of total solid wastes[3]. Adopting circular approaches can help the industry lessen its impact on the environment and, at the same time, open new economic opportunities by extending the life and value of materials and resources.
6. What research related to circularity and waste reduction has CSA Group done?
Research is vital to our work. It helps us understand the current landscape and challenges in various areas and clarifies how standards can help address existing gaps.
Our past research on plastics recycling helped inform the national standard for setting a common definition of recycling of plastics.
More recently, a series of research studies explored the opportunities to apply circular strategies to existing office buildings and how a whole-life carbon emission assessment of building projects can help inform decisions about whether to demolish and rebuild, or retrofit commercial office buildings.
7. What’s next for CSA Group’s research and standards?
Supporting the circular economy is important for CSA Group, with efforts to encourage circular principles spanning across diverse standards development activities. As I have mentioned, we are working on a new standard for plastics recycling that is anticipated to be published in 2024. This standard, CSA R117, Plastics recycling: Definitions, reporting, and measuring, will help provide much-needed consistent terminology and clarity for organizations as they advance activities and reporting to help achieve Canada’s net zero plastic waste goals.
CSA Group has also undertaken the development of a roadmap covering the full value chain in construction, from the extraction of resources and use of critical materials and rare earth elements to construction and deconstruction methods and the diversion of waste from landfills. We are engaging experts in these areas to explore the current state and identify opportunities where standards can further support the ecosystem for circularity in construction. A circular ecosystem will help construction companies fully embrace the best practices and guidance and create an environment where they can trade or purchase deconstructed materials for reuse.
8. Any final thoughts in closing?
Yes, certainly. Let me close by mentioning that we are not alone in this work and have been fortunate to collaborate on the important issue of circularity with experts from across Canada. CSA Group is a proud member of the Circular Innovation Council, Circular Economy Leadership Canada, The National Zero Waste Council, and the Canadian Plastic Pact. As we work side-by-side with our collaborators to find and advance transformative solutions to enable a circular future, we are proud to be elevating national best practices within standards for the benefit and use by all interested and affected parties.
CSA Group always strives to provide up-to-date and accurate information. However, no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, is made that this information meets your specific needs, and any reliance on this information is at your own risk. Please contact CSA Group for more information about our services. © 2023 Canadian Standards Association. All Rights Reserved.
[1] Completing the picture: How the circular economy tackles climate change, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2019.
[2] Gross domestic product at basic prices, by industry, monthly, Statistics Canada, 2023
[3] Circular Economy & the Built Environment Sector in Canada, Delphi Group, 2021