CEN/CLC/TC 10 - Energy-related products - Material Efficiency Aspects for Ecodesign

This document proposes a method to achieve circular designs of products. It details principles, requirements and guidance associated with the proposed method. This document: • specifies requirements and guidance for integrating circularity into the design and development process of products by an organization and, • supports organizations to develop product design rules to fulfil their chosen circular business targets (e.g. the circular business models chosen by the organization or the legislation requirements). Having life cycle thinking as a core principle, this document provides guidance on how to reduce environmental impacts, and how to deal with challenges such as trade-offs during circular product design, without compromising other product functions including safety. This document focusses on material efficiency. It is not a management system standard. This document can be applied when no product-specific or product group standard exist. Where such documents are developed, this document can be used as reference to ensure consistency and harmonization across the different product areas and supply chains or networks. NOTE For the purpose of this document, the following products are excluded: food, feed, medicinal products for human use, veterinary medicinal products, living plants, animals and microorganisms, products of human origin, products of plants and animals relating directly to their future reproduction.

This standard will fulfil requirements in Standardisation request M/543 by defining parameters and methods relevant for assessing the ability to repair and reuse products; the ability to upgrade products, excluding remanufacturing; the ability to access or remove certain components, consumables or assemblies from products to facilitate repair, reuse or upgrade and lastly by defining reusability indexes or criteria.

This document deals with the assessment of the proportion of re-used components in energy-related products on a generic level. All energy-related products are in the scope of this standard.

In accordance with standardisation request M/543 it is necessary to consider the "Use and recyclability of Critical Raw Materials to the EU, listed by the European Commission". This standard facilitates this requirement by describing appropriate information on critical materials.

In accordance with standardisation request M/543 it is necessary to consider the "Documentation and/or marking regarding information relating to material efficiency of the product taking into account the intended audience (consumers, professionals or market surveillance authorities)". This standard facilitates by describing requirement for providing appropriate information.

Standardisation Request M/543 requires the following: "Definition of parameters and methods relevant for assessing durability, upgradability and ability to repair, re-use and re-manufacture of products". Hence, this Technical Report "Definitions related to material efficiency" will constitute a collection of common terms used in deliverables prepared in accordance with M/543. The purpose of such a collection is to provide a single definition of key terms used in different deliverables from the CEN-CENELEC TC10. The source of the terms and definitions can be documents developed in the various working groups of the CEN-CENELEC TC10 or any text referenced by such documents. In case of discrepancies between multiple definitions for the same term, this Technical report will recommend a preferred definition.

This European Standard (EN) provides a general methodology for assessing the proportion of recycled material in energy related products.

This European Standard (EN) will provide a general methodology for the assessment of the ability to re-manufacture energy related products. This EN will elaborate the assessment and process of re-manufacturability in a horizontal, cross-product way. However, a correct assessment can only be done in a product-specific way, taking into account specific parameters of a specific energy related product.