Turn your waste into strategic value

It is a technical and management tool that allows organisations to implement the 3 R and 9 R strategies (refuse, rethink, reduce, reuse, repair, restore, remanufacture, repurpose and recycle) within a continuous improvement process, taking life cycle analysis and risk management into account, in order to increase their efficiency in the performance of the flow of materials and solid waste, within the framework of the circular economy.

The Zero Waste Management System follows the harmonised (high-level) structure of the ISO standards, is aligned with the ISO 59000 circular economy standards, and can be audited and certified by authorised Conformity Assessment Bodies. It also applies project direction and management guidelines to make it easier to implement across different economic sectors and internationally.

The Zero Waste Management System certification programme is managed by Global Zero Waste, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) founded in 2012 and a leader in developing circular economy standards and in building synergies between the public sector, the private sector and the general public. The programme also relies on authorised conformity assessment bodies to ensure the independence and transparency of the standard, through the audit and certification of the International Standard.

Any public or private organisation, in any sector of the economy, that wishes to establish and make visible its commitment to the circular economy and to apply the Zero Waste model as a tool to improve the management of its solid waste, its materials and its organisational processes.

Implementing the System in an organised way delivers broad economic, environmental and social benefits. It also gives organisations valuable data and information about the flow of materials they use and how it is managed, encouraging the design of circular economy alternatives and sustainability through different approaches. The information generated by implementing the System can be mapped onto other sustainability standards, such as GRI reports, Sustainability GreenMetric, ISO 59000 and ISO 14001, among others.

Zero Waste Management System certification has three categories and one recognition:

• Platinum: recognition for organisations that have certified their System for three consecutive years and reached the gold category in the most recent period.
• Gold: certification for organisations with a total score between 80 and 100 points.
• Silver: certification for organisations with a total score between 60 and 79 points.
• Bronze: certification for organisations with a total score between 40 and 59 points.

Each category represents a different level of achievement against the Zero Waste Management Systems International Standard, which allows organisations to keep pursuing continuous improvement in their integrated management of materials and waste.

The Zero Waste Management System is certified by the authorised Conformity Assessment Bodies together with Global Zero Waste, which carry out an external and independent audit. This process ensures the credibility and integrity of the certification.

The Zero Waste Management System contributes significantly to meeting the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that, by 2030, all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

The International Standard contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals:

• Biosphere: Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), Goal 13 (Climate Action), Goal 14 (Life Below Water) and Goal 15 (Life on Land).
• Society: Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).
• Economy: Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

By implementing the Standard, organisations can play an important role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and in promoting sustainable development globally.

• 1. Entry to the certification programme: as an organisation, you need to take out the Zero Waste Affiliation. This amount varies according to the size of the organisation: small, medium or large. For more information, contact us at proyectos@basuraceroglobal.com or through this form.
• 2. Implementing the Zero Waste Management System: based on the needs analysis carried out by the organisation, the cost of implementation varies according to the resources (human, technological, etc.) and the scope (processes, areas, facilities, among others) that the organisation prioritises and defines for the roll-out.
• 3. Certification audit: this is the external audit process, carried out by a Conformity Assessment Body. The cost of the audit is set by the body chosen for that purpose.

Please note that these costs are an essential part of the process to guarantee the credibility and integrity of the certification.

No, the Zero Waste Management System is not a recycling-only standard. This International Standard seeks to continuously improve the efficiency of the organisation's flow of materials and waste, in order to ensure the traceability of the process and to reduce the waste sent to final disposal and to low-efficiency strategies such as energy recovery. It does so through more efficient 3 R and 9 R strategies, such as reduction and reuse. As an enabling requirement, the organisation must have a real recycling rate of at least 50%, although that is not the only requirement to obtain the certification. This System verifies other organisational components in an integrated way, since it is a circular economy tool for the flow of materials.

Only if the organisation is meeting the other requirements of the International Standard with a minimum of 40 points. While the enabling requirement is that the company has a real recycling rate of at least 50%, the goal is to achieve continuous improvement in the efficiency of the flow of materials and to ensure its traceability, so it must meet the other requirements of the International Standard. Depending on its level of compliance (the score awarded through the third-party audit), it is classified in the bronze, silver or gold category.

No. The category awarded depends on the organisation's level of compliance with the requirements of the Zero Waste Management Systems International Standard, which are covered by the headings «context of the organisation, leadership, planning, support, operation of integrated solid waste management, performance evaluation and continuous improvement».

One of the great strengths of the International Standard is that it is organised under the harmonised (or high-level) structure of the ISO international standards, which allows it to be aligned favourably, systemically and holistically with other organisational standards. The Zero Waste Management Systems International Standard has the following eleven (11) headings:

• 0. Introduction,
• 1. Scope,
• 2. Normative references,
• 3. Terms and definitions,
• 4. Context of the organisation,
• 5. Leadership,
• 6. Planning,
• 7. Support,
• 8. Operation of integrated solid waste management,
• 9. Performance evaluation,
• 10. Improvement (continuous).

The time needed to implement the International Standard varies according to the characteristics of each organisation, its scope, its team and how far it has progressed with circular economy strategies. On average this process can take between 6 and 12 months.

The time needed for certification of the International Standard varies according to the defined scope of the Zero Waste Management System. It can take approximately two months, once the conformity assessment has been carried out by the Conformity Assessment Body.