Sustainability Awareness: ISCC Plus Certification

In this edition of Intertek’s Sustainability Awareness Podcast Series, we discuss ISCC PLUS certification -  a voluntary scheme that is applicable for the bioeconomy and circular economy for food, feed, chemicals, plastics, packaging, textiles and renewable feedstock derived from a process using renewable energy sources.

Speakers:

• Catherine Beare - Intertek Regional Director for Business Assurance in the UK & Iberia
• Florencia Bahamonde, Intertek ISCC Senior Global Programme Manager

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Transcript

Podcast Transcript: ISSC Plus

Catherine
Hello and welcome to Intertek Sustainability Awareness Series, where we delve into the latest in sustainability practices, certifications and their impact on the world of business and beyond. I'm your host, Catherine Beare, and today I'm joined by Florencia Bahamonde, our ISCC Senior Global Programme Manager.  Welcome, Florencia.

Catherine
So today we're going to dive into the topic that's crucial for sustainability development, the ISCC Plus certification.  So Florencia, what exactly is ISCC Plus?

Florencia  00:57
So ISCC stands for the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification and ISCC Plus is one of their schemes.  So this is a voluntary scheme that is applicable for the bio economy and circular economy for food, feed, chemicals, plastics, packaging, textiles and renewable feedstock derived from a process using renewable energy sources.

Catherine  1:24
OK, let's break this into a few segments then let's first look at sustainable supply chains.  
So how does ISCC Plus contribute to creating sustainable supply chains? And can you express what thoughts you have on this?

Florencia  1:44
Yeah, well, an increase in number of companies are transitioning from fossil fish stock to recycle and renewable raw materials in their production processes, helping to reduce landfill waste by converting it into valuable products.  So ISCC is dedicated to supporting this shift towards circular economy and bio  economy.  By using the ISCC Plus certification system, companies can demonstrate their commitment to sustainability.  So products made for recycle or bio based materials that meet ISCC PLUS standards offer assurance to companies, brand owners and consumers that they are there to high sustainability criteria.

Catherine  2:26
OK, thanks for that background Florencia.  Now this seems to be a quite broad standard.  So now let's break down what the sustainability criteria involve. So ISCC certification is built on a set of comprehensive and strict sustainability criteria.  Would you mind walking us through these Florencia?

Florencia  2:50
First, there's Environmental Protection.  So ISCC ensures that the production of certified products does not harm high biodiversity areas or regions with high carbon stocks.  This means no deforestation or destruction of critical ecosystems.  Next is a social responsibility.  So ISCC certified operations must adhere to fair labour practises, ensuring safe working conditions and fair wages for all workers involved in the supply chain.  And lastly, economic viability.  So ISCC encourages sustainable economic practises that support long term growth without depleting natural resources.

Catherine  3:35

It's certainly makes the ISCC certification robust and of course therefore globally trusted.  But maybe it's just me, but it does also seem really broad.  So, let's look at Segment 3 of this discussion today on markets and feedstocks covered by ISCC Plus.  So it covers different feedstocks and markets.

Can you explain this to the audience please?

Florencia  4:07
So  the feedstocks eligible and the ISCC are divided into the following raw material categories. 
So first we have  bio which is virgin agricultural raw materials like corn, sugarcane canola or cotton.  We have biocircular waste materials of biological origin like palm oil, used cooking oil or forestry residues.  We have circular which includes waste materials of non biological origin like mixed plastic waste, textiles waste, end of life tyres and also post industrial CO2.  And last but not least renewables, which are materials divided for renewable energy like solar, wind, geothermal and other renewable energy sources.

Catherine  4:55
It certainly embraces a big spectrum.  But I'm curious if this certification is being seen at the consumer level.  So Florencia can you explain to us how does ISCC Plus empower consumers to make more sustainable choices?

Florencia   5:19
So ISCC Plus empowers consumers by providing transparency and assurance that the products they purchase are made from sustainable, recycled or renewable materials. So with ISCC certification, consumers can trust that high sustainability standards are met, allowing them to make informed choices that support the circular economy.  You know, there are more than 1800 ISCC certified products on the market.   

Catherine  5:47
Very interesting.  I mean for brands to avoid greenwashing accusations and talking about this, why don't we dive now in to the connection of ISCC and legislations.  So how can ISCC Plus help businesses navigate and comply with current sustainability legislations?

Florencia  6:14
Well, we can start naming the Green Claims Directive, for example.  So ISCC Plus helps to combat greenwashing and avoid misleading claims, ensuring that claims are precise and substantiated.  
ISCC approves 1 by 1 logos and claims that will be used on products, so that's very important. 
They have developed a practical approach to be complying with the proposed EU single use plastic directive.  Some pilot audits have been performed and still it's a work in process planning to have some updates by Q4.  And then ISCC already launched the EUDR add on that is compatible with ISCC Plus certification and can be added to existing certification in an easy and cost effective method to contribute to EUDR compliance.

Catherine  7:03
Yeah, that's great news.  It's really encouraging to see how ISCC Plus, I guess there's aligned with these global regulations.  I mean, this proactive approach ensures that companies can ultimately seamlessly adapt to new rules and requirements, whether it's related to recycle content or material traceability.  And of course, by staying ahead of regulatory changes, ISCC Plus helps businesses avoid disruptions and build more sustainable supply chains, while, of course, giving consumers confidence that certified products meet the highest sustainability and compliance standards.

Let's move to our last segment I'd like to cover today.  Where do we start? Could you give us a high level overview of how companies can get involved with this certification?

Florencia  7:59
So we know that sometimes organisations struggle to find the right information that if their process or materials are in the scope of the ISCC Plus certification.  I suggest that for those interested in learning more and connect directly with a technical expert, you can reach out to us.

Catherine  8:23
Fantastic.  And of course, you can always come through to our business assurance enquiries e-mail and we'll be happy to help.  So, that concludes today's episode of Intertex Sustainability Awareness series.  And thank you so much, Florencia for sharing your insights on ISCC Plus and complex and certainly a, a big scope, but you made that very practical and easy for our listeners.

So thank you very much everyone for listening today.  And of course, if you want to find out more, please do go to https://www.intertek.com/assurance to see more on ISCC and other sustainability services.

Until we speak next time, stay sustainable!