UNI/TS 11820:2022: measuring and evaluating circularity

The circular economy is an economic model that plays a key role in implementing the ecological transition and the objectives of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Through a systemic and holistic approach, the circular model aims at keeping the flow of resources circular, conserving, regenerating or increasing their value, while contributing to sustainable development.

For several years, national and international technical standardization has been working to produce several standards on the circular economy. The first national standard to be published is UNI/TS 11820:2022, which provides a method for measuring the circularity of an organisation. 

The UNI/TS 11820:2022 technical specification, published on November 30th 2022, defines a set of indicators needed to assess, through a rating system, the level of circularity of an organisation or group of organisations. The rating system does not stipulate minimum levels of circularity, but provides an assessment of the level achieved.

Benefits of the service 

Organisations that decide to have their compliance with UNI/TS 11820:2022 assessed obtain numerous advantages, including:

• immediate receipt of the numerical and graphic representation of the level of circularity
• market dissemination of their circularity result in a credible and reliable manner;
• pursuit of concrete actions and achievement of measurable results;
• support for the development of the strategic circular economy model;
• improvement of the positioning of the organisation or group of organisations on the market;
• obtaining credibility guarantees on the activity carried out thanks to independent third-party audits;
• contributing effectively to the priorities defined by the Green Deal and the reform 1.1 of Mission 2 of the NRRP 'Circular Economy and Sustainable Agriculture, contributing to the achievement of sustainable development ('progress').

What do we offer? 

The service provided consists of a rating system aimed at measuring and verifying circularity processes to enable an organisation or, a group of organisations, to analyse their performance and verify the effectiveness of the circularity strategies they have initiated.

To whom is the service addressed? 

The measurement and evaluation of circularity is applicable to any organisation or group of organisations, regardless of size, type and nature, and the products/services provided. It therefore applies to all processes necessary for the realisation of products and/or services.

How is conformity assessment obtained?

The independent third party conformity assessment of the circularity assertion issued by an organisation or a group of organisations pursuant to the UNI/TS 11820:2022 technical specification is developed through the following process:

• completion of an informative questionnaire to collect the information necessary for the preparation of the technical-economic offer
• receipt of the technical-economic offer which, once accepted, constitutes the service provision contract;
• performance of the audit activity (on-site and/or off-site) and issuing of the final report;
• if the previous steps are successful, an independent audit is performed by the RINA technical committee;
• in the case of positive outcome of the previous stages, issue of the Final Verification Statement indicating the level of circularity of the organisation, or group of organisations, with respect to the reference period.

The verification statement issued will be valid for a maximum of one calendar year from the date of issue of the statement.

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