CarbonCare® Circularity Label was introduced in 2020 aims to provide a framework for public and private organisations keen to adopt Circular Economy initiatives in operation. Starting with paper products for the pilot phase, the Label will quantitatively measure the recycling performance of the applicants. The CarbonCare® Circularity Label is organisation-based, following the footsteps of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
This label encourages achievement of circularity through concrete actions including:
- Design out waste and pollution through increasing the recycling of recyclable used paper products;
- Keep products and materials in use through creating an end market for recycled paper products and supporting the improvement of the local infrastructure for recycling;
- Regenerate natural systems through reducing virgin paper use of unrecyclable paper products.
All organisations including listed companies, private companies, public bodies, social enterprises and NGOs are eligible to apply.
The applicant must have:
- conducted an independent waste audit at least once every three years, or a waste snapshot survey at least once within the past year.
- a record of all its purchased paper products within the past year
- achieved a minimum percentage of recycled paper and recycling rate considering all purchased paper products.
The level of the label achieved despends on the following:
| Level | Waste audit or Waste Snapshot Survey | Recycling rate of purchased paper products (%) | Recycled content in purchased paper products (%) | Recycled content in third-party supply of paper products (%)* | |
| 1 |  |
50 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 | |
60 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | |
60 | 30 | 20 | |
| 4 | |
70 | 40 | 30 | |
| 5 | |
80 | 50 | 40 |
* A maximum of half of the required percentage of recycled content in the third-party supply of paper products can be fulfilled by FSC-certified paper
Remarks:
Level 1 commitment requirement:
1. Recycled content in purchased paper products reaches 30% within 2 years
2. Recycled content in third-party supply of paper products reaches 20% within 2 years
A company can only be awarded Level 1 label for one year. Hence if a company cannot reach level 2 requirement in the next year, they will not be awarded any label.
Level 2 commitment requirement:
1. Recycled content in purchased paper products reaches 30% within 1 year
2. Recycled content in third-party supply of paper products reaches 20% within 1 years
A company can only be awarded Level 2 label for one year. Hence if a company cannot reach level 3 requirement in the next year, they will not be awarded any label.