30 November 2023
The 8th ISCC Technical Stakeholder Meeting on Circular Economy and Bioeconomy, held on 28 November, was a virtual meeting with more than 230 participants from all over the world. The meeting covered several key topics, starting with updates and developments in ISCC PLUS and highlighting the latest progress in this area.
Since the last meeting in June 2023, significant progress has been made in various aspects. In particular, the “Fuel Use Excluded” pilots have been successfully completed, marking an important milestone in our ongoing efforts. Intensive discussions with regulators have taken place, accompanied by dedicated work on potential approvals. The focus is now on a comprehensive analysis of relevant regulations and initiatives. A key objective is to further enhance our commitment to credibility and transparency. We are working hard to establish a robust third-party certification scheme for the market. As part of this effort, ongoing activities include a detailed analysis of mass balance, with an additional focus on new training modules on “Credible Claims and Licensing” and a mass balance video to enhance understanding.
To strengthen our position, we will demonstrate the strength and rigour of our system. Drawing inspiration from successful examples in other sectors, we aim to increase recognition and credibility. Geographical expansion is also on the agenda. There will be an increased focus on activities in Southeast Asia and North America to capitalise on emerging opportunities in these regions. In addition, a smooth transition to the ISCC PLUS V3.4.1 system document has taken place, while a dedicated working group is actively engaged in integrating the PCF (Product Carbon Footprint) into our system. A key aspect of our agenda is to work towards the acceptance of the EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) mass balance, underlining our commitment to environmental responsibility.
In particular, a significant part of the discussion centred on Hiroyuki Ueda’s findings on bio-attributed plastics, which are in line with sustainability goals and contribute to biomass substitution. Ueda recommended their inclusion in the 2030 milestone and recognition as a transition mechanism.
The meeting also explored the impact of the UK’s plastic packaging tax, revealing a surge in the use of recycled plastics and increased investment in recycling technologies, raising £276 million in 2022-23. To encourage investment in new reprocessing and recycling facilities, CITEO has launched a call for tenders in France for 2022. Guillaume Gamon (Recycling Development Project Manager) explained that the focus is on selecting the most relevant and supply-secure recycling technologies to meet the recycling targets set by law. Launched in March 2022, the call for tenders specifically targets household packaging waste from development streams and aims to provide recyclers with long-term supply contracts to increase investment support. The overarching aim is to achieve a high level of closed loop sustainability while ensuring the ability to recycle food contact materials.
In terms of collaboration, the meeting highlighted ISCC’s partnerships with Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly programme and the BRITA Group, showcasing joint efforts in sustainable practices.
Overall, the meeting provided a comprehensive overview of ISCC’s progress, emphasising its commitment to circular economy and bioeconomy initiatives. Special thanks are extended to all speakers and participants for their valuable contributions!