ASTM International, in collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), published a new report that examines the key outcomes from a survey and workshop: “Fostering a Circular Economy of Manufacturing Materials.”

In an effort to garner stakeholder input on the drivers and barriers facing circular manufacturing and to identify the need for standards to foster a circular economy for manufacturing materials, ASTM International’s E60 Committee on Sustainability drew from two sources:

• a survey of manufacturing organizations to understand the current state of the practice towards more sustainable and circular manufacturing approaches, and
• a two-day workshop including world-class panelists reporting on current activity supporting circular economy for manufacturing organizations and manufacturing experts who participated in the workshop’s roundtable discussions.

The survey and workshop brought to light several key drivers and barriers facing a circular economy and underscore the importance of standards to help guide stakeholders, particularly manufacturers, towards synchronized improvements.

The report may be of particular interest to material and product designers, manufacturing processors, and recovery processors (including those in the resale, repair, repurpose, refurbish, remanufacture, and recycling sectors), as well as system planners and policymakers.

Access the report, co-authored by experts at ASTM and NIST.