Enviro News Asia, Geneva — The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) has opened a global call for nominations to join its newly established Circular Materials Task Force, as part of efforts to ensure its certification system remains credible and aligned with evolving circular economy practices. The deadline for nominations is 18 March 2026.
The task force has been created in response to the growing role of circular materials—such as recycled, reused, reassembled, and repaired products—across forest- and tree-based value chains. As companies increasingly integrate circular economy approaches into sourcing and manufacturing, PEFC aims to strengthen and clarify how these materials are addressed within its certification framework.
The Circular Materials Task Force will operate as a temporary advisory body under the PEFC Chain of Custody Working Group. Its mandate includes supporting pilot testing and contributing to the further development of draft technical documentation related to circular material sourcing, with a focus on ensuring that proposed requirements are practical, consistent, and globally applicable.
PEFC noted that while the increased use of circular materials offers significant benefits—such as reducing pressure on virgin resources and improving resource efficiency—it also presents challenges for certification systems. These include defining circular materials in a clear and consistent manner, ensuring traceability across multiple material life cycles, and meeting rising expectations for transparency in both public and private procurement.
The Chain of Custody Working Group has already begun developing additional requirements for organisations sourcing circular materials, building on the existing PEFC framework. The task force will help expand and refine these requirements beyond the current definition of recycled material, while safeguarding the integrity of the certification system.
PEFC is seeking nominations from individuals and organisations with relevant experience in forest- and tree-based circular materials. This includes stakeholders involved in sourcing, processing, manufacturing, trading, certification, or standards development, as well as those working directly with recycled, reused, reconstituted, or repaired materials.
The organisation aims to establish a balanced task force representing diverse regions, value chain segments, and perspectives, with attention to gender balance. Members will be expected to actively contribute to technical discussions, review documentation, and support pilot activities through a series of meetings held primarily online throughout the year. (*)
