"The world population consumes over 100 billion tonnes of material every year, with over 90% of these materials being extracted, used, and directly wasted" - Greenmatch 2024
Our current approach to production and consumption largely follows the principles of a ‘linear’ economy; a model that is fundamentally wasteful and harmful to the environment. Within a linear economy, resources are extracted, made into products, used, and discarded. This one-way flow of materials and resources puts immense pressure on the environment, contributing to resource depletion, environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. The consequences of this are increasingly being highlighted due to concerns over climate change, pollution, and waste issues.
In contrast, the ‘circular’ economy is a regenerative model designed to keep products, components and resources in use for longer. Rather than following the take-make-dispose flow, the circular model is designed to extend the lifecycle of these products; emphasizing principles such as reuse, repair, refurbishment, recycling, etc. – aiming to retain the highest possible value of products for as long as possible and avoiding landfill.
This approach not only reduces environmental impact but also supports the gradual regeneration of these damaged natural systems, and the responsible stewardship of resources (E.g. FSC). It encourages the creation and circulation of knowledge about the products being made and materials being used, enabling ‘better’ designs, informed consumer choices, and more efficient material recovery at a product’s End-of-Life.
The ISO 59000 family of standards provides a framework and guidance on implementing, measuring, and communicating circular economy principles across multiple industries, enabling organisations to report and exchange standardised product circularity information with all relevant stakeholders.
An Overview of the ISO59000 Family of Standards
Developed by ISO and most recently updated in February 2025, the ISO 59000 family of standards is designed to provide global guidance on circular economy practices. Rather than reinventing the wheel, these standards are designed to harmonise and standardise terminology, metrics, data and implementation of circularity reporting for products across a broad range of industries.
ISO59004 – Circular Economy: Vocabulary, principles and guidance for implementation.
ISO59010 – Circular Economy: Guidance on the transition of business models
and value networks
ISO59020 – Circular Economy: Measuring and assessing circularity performance
ISO59040 – Circular Economy: Requirements and guidance for Product Circularity Data Sheet (PCDS)
ISO59040: Product Circularity Data Sheet (PCDS)
What is ISO59040?
One of the biggest challenges in applying circular economy principles is the lack of consistent, standardised information—and how it is communicated. Claims can be made about a product’s lifespan, end-of-life, materials, etc., but these are often created using different platforms that are not comparable, may not clearly indicate data origins, or have varying levels of verification with no clear distinction. This makes it difficult for companies, consumers, and regulators to trust information or compare products accurately. ISO59040 was specifically developed to address this, providing a system called the Product Circularity Data Sheet (PCDS).
The recognition and implementation of Digital Product Passports are planned by several regulators (forecast to be mandatory), such as the European Commission and the Eco Design for Sustainable Products Regulation. Standards like ISO59040 and the production of PCDS offer a compliant-ready stepping-stone towards the introduction of these comprehensive circularity tracking requirements.
What is a PCDS?
The Product Circularity Data Sheet (PCDS) is a standardised data template consisting of 20 categories designed to clearly and credibly communicate a product, component, or material’s circularity attributes, up to the point of sale. Unlike an LCA, Carbon Efficiency Rating, or Product Carbon Footprint label, the PCDS does not assign a rating to the product; it merely presents structured information that provides an accurate overview of how circular a product is in various relevant areas.
The goal of a PCDS as outlined by PCDS Luxembourg (Luxembourg government and chamber of commerce), are as follows:
- Serve as a data template containing standardised and trustworthy statements on product circularity
- Build a possible third-party verification process to validate the content of the PCDS (audit system)
- Be built on a standardised data exchange protocol based on decentralised data storage (IT System)
Ultimately, the PCDS is a machine-readable document that allows data to be integrated into compliance reporting, procurement, and sustainability and circular reporting, enhancing a company’s visibility, consistency and transparency within their product sector.
Key Data Points within a PCDS
In accordance with ISO590040, a PCDS should include the following:
Overview Information of Company & Product
Company Name, Address, Product Name, ID, etc.
Material Input
Disclosed Substances, Hazardous Substances, Product/Material Reusability, Product/Material Recyclability, Product/Material Renewability, etc.
Production
Energy Use, Water Use, etc.
Production Lifecycle
Repairability, Demount-ability, Disassemble-ability, Reusability, Refurbish-ability, etc.
End-of-Life
Environmental Release, Dismantle-ability, Remanufactur-ability, Recyclability, Compost-ability, etc.
Benefits
Improve Air, Improve Water, Store Energy, etc.
These considerations outlined within these key data points should be made at the start of a products lifecycle, during the design process/briefing stage. Decisions made at this stage have arguably the largest influence on the outcome of a product far beyond its point of sale. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, “80% of a products environmental impact is influenced by decisions made at the design stage”. This could include, for example;
- Material selection and sourcing: Striking the right balance between environmental performance and cost. Focusing on the recyclability, sustainability, and ethical sourcing of materials.
- Design for disassembly: Principles to ensure that products can be easily broken down for reuse/recycling. Avoiding mixed materials, pigments, permanent bindings, etc.
- Product lifecycle considerations: Products should be designed for repair, reuse, recycling at their end of life – and it is up to the manufacturer to ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place to support the made claims of the existence of these systems.
Benefits of a PCDS
PCDS doesn’t just support in product compliance; it can also:
- Boost credibility of circular claims made regarding individual products.
- Put a foot-forward in tender/ procurement decision-making processes.
- Align with ESG reporting frameworks.
- Enable supply chain transparency.
Case 1 – ArcelorMittal: Pioneering PCDS in Steel Manufacturing
As the first company to release a PCDS, ArcelorMittal demonstrates how standardized data drives circular economy. Their Luxembourg facility produces steel with over 90% recycled content. Through PCDS, downstream customers gain:
- Clear visibility of material recyclability and reuse potential
- Environmental footprint data for sustainable construction
- Technical guidance for dismantling and recycling
This transparency enables builders to better plan building lifecycles, supporting the “buildings as material banks” concept.
Case 2 – Automotive Innovation – Design for Circularity
While ISO 59040 is newly released, the automotive industry already shows significant progress in circular design. BMW’s “Design for Circularity” approach achieves breakthrough results:
- Aluminum wheels: 70% secondary aluminum content
- Wheel carriers and swivel bearings: 80% secondary aluminum
- Energy efficiency: 20% reduction compared to previous models
This design philosophy aligns perfectly with ISO 59040’s core principles, demonstrating circular economy’s feasibility in complex manufacturing.
ISO 59040 provides the common language enabling collaboration—whether ArcelorMittal’s steel enters automotive manufacturing or recycled aluminum flows into building components, standardized circularity data accelerates efficient material flows across sectors.
Challenges of a PCDS
As with all new initiatives, there are always a few hurdles to work around, such as:
- The availability of data for existing, complex, or heritage products.
- Potential cross-platform challenges across IT systems.
- Validation mechanisms/verification (data integrity).
- Availability of resources to produce PCDS due to it being a new standard [Carbon Efficiency is the first in the UK]
SMEs may require additional time and resources for implementation
In Conclusion
The path from linear to circular isn’t just about compliance—it’s about competitive advantage. ISO59040 and PCDS offer the framework, but success requires expertise in implementation.
The circular economy isn’t coming—it’s here. With mandatory Digital Product Passports approaching and markets demanding transparency, the question isn’t whether to adopt ISO 59040, but how quickly you can implement it to capture competitive advantage. As Jérôme Petry, ISO 59040’s project leader, emphasizes: “This standard enables horizontal requirements valid for any product and facilitates interoperability—a key point in the ESPR.”
Design Conformity is ready to guide your circular transformation with our Design Guide, updated to include all the new relevant information on the ISO5900 family, ISO59040, and the PCDS.
