Environmental Management and Traceability of Secondary Material Recycling in the Circular Economy
Keywords:
Circular Economy, Material Recycling, Environmental Management, Traceability, Life Cycle, SustainabilityAbstract
The growing pressure on natural resources and the unsustainability of production-consumption patterns necessitate a shift from a linear to a circular economy. As a key pillar of this paradigm, secondary material recycling reduces virgin resource consumption and environmental impacts. However, the absence of integrated management frameworks, weak traceability, and overlooked social dimensions undermine the efficiency and sustainability of recycling processes. This study develops and analyzes a comprehensive framework for the environmental management of secondary material recycling, emphasizing circular economy principles, the life-cycle perspective, and traceability. Employing a documentary and comparative analysis based on a systematic review of international standards, the findings reveal that an integrated management framework improves recycling quality and value-chain transparency while reducing environmental and social risks and enhancing market confidence in secondary materials. The study offers a scientific foundation for policymaking and the design of sustainable recycling systems toward a circular economy.
References
ISO ISO 14001:2015, Environmental management systems — Requirements with guidance for use
ISO 14008, Monetary valuation of environmental impacts and related environmental aspects
ISO 14046, Environmental management — Water footprint — Principles, requirements and guidelines
ISO 14051, Environmental management — Material flow cost accounting — General framework
ISO 14055-1, Environmental management — Guideline fsor establishing good practices for combatting land degradation and desertification — Part 1: Good practices framework
ISO 14067, Greenhouse gases — Carbon footprint of products — Requirements and guidelines quantification
ISO 20400, Sustainable procurement — Guidance
ISO 22095, Chain of custody — General terminology and models
ISO 37001, Anti-bribery management systems — Requirements with guidancfeor use
ISO 59010, Circular economy — Guidance on the transition of business models and value networks
ISO 59020, Circular economy — Measuring and assessing circularity performance
ISO/TR 59031"), Circular economy — Performance-based approach — Analysis of cases studies
ISO/TR 59032, Circular economy — Review of existing value networks
ISO 590405), Circular economy — Product circularity data sheet
ISO/IEC Guide 51:2014, Safety aspects — Guidelines for their inclusion in standards
International Labour Organization (ILO). What is child labour. Available at: https://www.ilo.org/ipec/facts/lang--en/index.htm
International Labour Organization (ILO). Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29). 1930. Available https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO::P12100ILOCODE:C029
United Nations. Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future. The Brundtland Report. UN, 1987
United Nations. Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, 2015.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Scientific Journal of Research Studies in Future Basic Sciences and Medical Sciences
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
