The certification processes and requirements for the Circular Living Standards were developed through a rigorous, multi-stakeholder approach, following established international standards and best practices. The standard development process is facilitated by experienced international standards developers with expertise in creating product sustainability standards. These experts lead the technical and administrative aspects of the process, ensuring adherence to recognized guidelines such as those set by ISO.

Each one of the Circular Living Standards has a Standard Development Committee (SDC) made up of NGOs, industry experts, and relevant brands and/or retailers that contribute to the development of the standard. The SDC plays a role in ensuring the quality, applicability, and relevance of each standard by providing valuable data, insights and feedback.

The draft standards undergo a public consultation phase, allowing for broader stakeholder input and ensuring transparency in the development process. This step helps to identify and address any potential concerns or areas for improvement before the standards are finalised.
Each standard also undergoes a pilot, during which a number of volunteer organisations undergo the full certification process to validate the standard’s effectiveness and identify any necessary adjustments or refinements. SDC members will be offered the opportunity to take part in the pilots first.

WRAP is a global environmental action NGO catalyzing policy makers, businesses and citizens to transform the systems that generate food, textiles and manufactured products to create Circular Living. The Circular Living Standards will help us to achieve these goals by enabling consumers to choose circular products and raise the bar on circularity for brands, manufacturers and retailers.

WRAP will be the owner of the standards and operator of the certification scheme, responsible for developing the standards, and monitoring and operation of the certification scheme.

Third-party Certification Bodies will certify products to the standards. WRAP will approve Certification Bodies to offer certification against the WRAP Circular Living Standards.

The standards have been developed in collaboration with key partners including Amazon, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and NSF, as a multi-stakeholder process.

Certification Bodies are third-party organisations that will independently assess an organisation’s products or processes for certification against the standard. There will be a separation of responsibilities between the standards owner (WRAP) and certification bodies, to ensure best practice delivery of certification, and to provide the highest level of assurance to all stakeholders.

The Circular Living Standards are intended to be global in scope, initially launching concurrently in the UK, US, and EU. The standards are being developed in alignment with relevant regulations and requirements across these regions. A product/business certification will cover products sold in the UK, US, and EU, eliminating the need for individual certifications per region.

Organisations outside these regions will still be able to apply for certification but, working with their Certification Body, they must first establish that the requirements of the standards do not contravene relevant local legislation.