The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) encourages its stakeholders to submit feedback on a proposal for an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) International Workshop Agreement (IWA) on recycled gold. Submit comments to ANSI by February 14, 2023.
According to the IWA proposal submitted by the Swiss Association for Standardization (SNV), key stakeholders—including refiners, jewelry, and watch industries, as well as international associations—have inquired about the possibility to create a new and independent ISO deliverable on recycled gold. The proposal is a response to the market, which wishes to act more responsibly amid end-customer concern about the environmental and the social impacts of metals.
Such a deliverable would help provide clear definition to the market (i.e., “What is recycled gold?”); define which good practices will be applied by all refiners in terms of segregation and traceability; and define guidelines to calculate the carbon footprint of recycled gold.
Ultimately, the goal of this IWA is “to provide the market with an independent, widely acceptable standard defining which practices are acceptable when sourcing, refining and using recycled gold, as well as to define requirements for precious metals management systems and certification schemes, allowing gold users to get certified by third-party auditors.”
As the U.S. member body to ISO, ANSI encourages all interested U.S. parties to review the IWA proposal, which includes additional IWA document aims. Submit comments to Steven Cornish, ANSI senior director of international policy and strategy, at [email protected] by close of business on February 14, 2023.
Based on the input received, comments will be submitted as the ANSI member of the ISO Technical Management Board.
What is an IWA?
An IWA is a type of document that is developed with direct participation of stakeholders outside of the traditional ISO country representation to enable players to negotiate an open workshop environment. After the IWA workshop, text will be edited and published. A proposal to hold an ISO workshop for the purpose of developing one or more IWA on a particular subject may come from any source, including ISO member bodies, liaison organizations, corporate bodies, etc.