Declare 2.1 End-of-Life & Circularity Documentation Guidance: Circular Recovery Pathways (Reusable, Remanufacturable, Refurbishable, Compostable, Highly Recyclable, Specialized Recycling Pathway)

Last Updated Sept 24, 2026

Introduction

The Declare 2.1 program update expands the options for reporting end-of-life and circularity pathways for products. This page provides practical guidance to help manufacturers identify appropriate information and documentation to support their selected Circular Recovery pathways.

This is living guidance and will be updated as Living Future gains experience with implementation of Declare 2.1.

How to Use This Guidance

The Declare 2.1 Program Manual defines each End-of-Life & Circularity pathway and the information manufacturers must disclose. This page provides examples of documentation that may help demonstrate or support those pathways.

You do not need to create a new document specifically for Declare. Existing product, technical, program, certification, testing, or other documentation may be appropriate when it provides relevant information or evidence.

The examples on this page are illustrative, not exhaustive. Different products and industries may have different types of information or documentation that demonstrate or support the same pathway.

If you have information or documentation that is not listed here, you may submit it with a brief explanation of how it supports your selected pathway.

General Principles

When selecting a Circular Recovery Pathway:

Use existing documentation whenever possible.
Make sure the documentation relates to the declared product or applicable product component.
Information should reflect a realistic, currently available pathway, rather than a theoretical or a hypothetical future possibility.
Where a pathway is geographically limited, documentation should help establish the applicable geographic scope.
A single document may provide useful evidence for more than one pathway.
You may provide multiple sources when no single source provides all the relevant information.

When in doubt, provide the documentation you have and explain how you believe it supports the selected pathway. Living Future may request additional information or clarification when needed to understand the claim.

Intermediate Materials and Components

Some Declare products are intermediate materials, components, or assemblies intended to be incorporated into other products. In these cases, consider whether the selected pathway applies to the declared product itself or depends on the design, function, or end-of-life management of the finished product.

For example, a component may have its own established reuse or recycling pathway even though the repairability or disassembly of the finished product depends on how that component is incorporated. Manufacturers should select pathways based on characteristics and recovery options that can reasonably be attributed to the declared product or component.

Where a pathway depends primarily on the design or function of the finished product, the finished-product manufacturer may be better positioned to report that pathway.

Reusable

The Program Manual applies this pathway when a product or product component can be recovered and reused without significant remanufacturing or material reprocessing.

The Declare submission asks manufacturers to provide:

Applicable product scope: the entire product, an assembly, or specific component(s)
Approximate percentage by weight represented by the pathway
Pathway availability: widely available, available in some regions, limited availability, or pilot/emerging
Supporting documentation, website, guidance, certification, or other evidence demonstrating the reuse pathway

What could I use as evidence?

You might already have:

Manufacturer reuse or recovery instructions
Product removal or disassembly instructions combined with information about subsequent use
Manufacturer take-back or reuse program information
Secondary-market or resale program information
Salvage or reuse program documentation
Documentation from a reuse organization or other downstream recipient
Product specifications supporting continued use
Other documentation demonstrating how the product or component can enter a subsequent use

Evidence should help demonstrate an actual or established reuse pathway, rather than simply show that the product or material could theoretically be used again.

Helpful to know

The reuse pathway may apply to the entire product, an assembly, or specific components. Report the portion of the product that is covered by the pathway and provide the best available estimate of its percentage by weight.

Pathway availability may vary by geography, product, or recovery program. Select the availability that best reflects the current availability of the reported reuse pathway.

A reuse pathway does not require the product to be returned to the original manufacturer. Reuse may occur through a manufacturer program, secondary market, salvage organization, retailer, contractor, or other established downstream pathway.

Example: A manufacturer provides removal instructions for wood panels and documentation from a salvage organization that accepts the panels for reuse. Together, these materials may support a Reusable selection.

Remanufacturable / Refurbishable

The Program Manual applies this pathway when a product or component can be restored to a like-new or fully functional condition through controlled refurbishment or remanufacturing processes.

The Declare submission asks manufacturers to provide:

Applicable product scope: the entire product, an assembly, or specific component(s)
Approximate percentage by weight represented by the pathway
Pathway availability: widely available, available in some regions, limited availability, or pilot/emerging
Responsible party: manufacturer, third party, or both
Supporting documentation, website, guidance, certification, or other evidence demonstrating the remanufacturing or refurbishment pathway

What could I use as evidence?

You might already have:

Manufacturer remanufacturing or refurbishment program information
Remanufacturing or refurbishment procedures
Service or reconditioning documentation
Disassembly and reassembly instructions
Inspection or evaluation procedures
Information identifying components that can be replaced or reconditioned
Take-back programs that direct products to refurbishment or remanufacturing
Documentation from an authorized third party performing the process
Testing or performance documentation, where applicable
Other documentation describing the remanufacturing or refurbishment pathway

Helpful to know

The evidence should provide a reasonable basis for understanding how the product or component is restored to a like-new or fully functional condition through a defined refurbishment or remanufacturing process.

A product being repairable or reusable does not necessarily demonstrate that it is remanufacturable or refurbishable. This pathway is intended for products or components that undergo a controlled process to restore their condition or functionality.

Example: A manufacturer has a documented program in which returned products are inspected, worn components are replaced, the product is reconditioned, and its functionality is verified before being returned to service. Existing program and service documentation could support the Remanufacturable/Refurbishable pathway.

Compostable Materials

The Program Manual applies this pathway when all or a portion of a product is composed of organic materials that can be biologically decomposed under defined composting conditions without leaving harmful residues. Compostable claims must align with ISO 14021 definitions and be substantiated by relevant standards such as ASTM D6400, ASTM D6868, EN 13432, or ISO 17088, as applicable.

The Declare submission asks manufacturers to provide:

Applicable product scope: the entire product, an assembly, or specific component(s)
Approximate percentage by weight represented by the pathway
Certification type or applicable standard
Composting conditions: home compostable, industrial composting, or specific conditions required
Supporting documentation, such as a certification URL or document reference

What could I use as evidence?

You might already have:

Third-party compostability certification
A certification listing or certificate of conformity
Test reports demonstrating conformity with an applicable compostability standard
Manufacturer technical documentation identifying the product or component covered by the certification or testing
Documentation identifying the applicable compostability standard and conditions
Documentation specifying composting conditions or limitations
Information from an established composting program or facility, where relevant
Other documentation that reasonably supports the compostability claim

Helpful to know

A statement that a product is biodegradable, made from natural materials, or derived from renewable resources does not, by itself, demonstrate compostability.

Composting conditions matter. Where applicable, identify whether the product is suitable for home composting, requires industrial composting, or requires specific conditions such as temperature, residence time, preprocessing, or additives. Evidence supporting one type of composting should not automatically be interpreted as supporting another.

Where a composting facility accepts a product, that information may help demonstrate an available pathway, but facility acceptance alone does not necessarily demonstrate that the product meets applicable compostability criteria.

Example: A manufacturer has a third-party compostability certificate identifying the specific product and applicable standard, along with instructions stating that the product requires industrial composting. These existing documents could support the Compostable Materials pathway.

Highly Recyclable Materials

The Program Manual applies this pathway to highly recyclable materials that are widely accepted in established recycling systems and can be disassembled, collected, sorted, and processed into secondary raw materials in practice.

The Declare submission asks manufacturers to provide:

Applicable product scope: the entire product, an assembly, or specific component(s)
Recyclable material type
Approximate percentage by weight represented by the pathway
Whether material separation is required and, if so, how the material should be separated
Available collection pathway, such as curbside collection, a retail or drop-off program, manufacturer or industry take-back, or a specialized recycling facility

What information should I provide?

Use existing product and recycling information to describe how the recyclable material can be separated and enter an established recycling pathway.

You might already have:

Product disassembly or material-separation instructions
Product diagrams identifying recyclable components
Installation or removal instructions
Manufacturer recycling instructions
Collection program information
Recycler or processor acceptance information
Manufacturer or industry take-back information
Information identifying the applicable established recycling stream
Other information describing how the material can be separated, collected, and recovered

Helpful to know

The material itself and the way it is incorporated into the product both matter.

A material designation alone is not necessarily enough. For example, identifying a component as aluminum does not, by itself, demonstrate that the aluminum can be separated from the product, collected, sorted, and processed through an established recycling system.

When material separation is required, provide instructions or other information describing how the recyclable material can be separated from the product. Select the collection pathway that best reflects how the material can enter an established recycling system.

The Highly Recyclable Materials pathway has specific material and infrastructure criteria defined in the Program Manual. A product having a recycling program does not automatically mean that it qualifies for Highly Recyclable Materials.

Example: A product contains an aluminum component that can be separated using the manufacturer's removal instructions, and the manufacturer identifies an established collection pathway for the recovered aluminum. Existing product and recycling information can support the applicable pathway.

Specialized Recycling Pathway

The Program Manual applies this pathway when a product or component can be recovered from the waste stream and recycled into secondary raw materials under certain conditions, but is not covered by the Highly Recyclable Materials pathway.

The Declare submission asks manufacturers to provide:

Applicable product scope: the entire product, an assembly, or specific component(s)
Approximate percentage by weight represented by the pathway
Pathway availability: widely available, available in some regions, limited availability, or pilot/emerging
Primary material type
Collection pathway
Recovery programs, as applicable
Supporting documentation, such as a URL or document reference

What could I use as evidence?

You might already have:

Documentation from an identified recycler or processor
Recycler acceptance documentation
Manufacturer or industry take-back information
Specialized collection program information
Documentation identifying a specialized processing facility
Information describing the applicable recycling or recovery process
Manufacturer recycling or recovery instructions
Program documentation identifying the applicable product or material
Other information that reasonably supports the specialized recycling pathway

The evidence should provide a reasonable basis for understanding how the specific product or component can enter an actual recycling pathway and, where applicable, how it is processed into secondary raw materials.

Helpful to know

Specialized recycling pathways may depend on particular collection systems, processing facilities, technologies, geographic areas, or other conditions. Identify the pathway availability and collection method that best reflect the circumstances of the reported pathway.

Examples may include pathways for materials such as carpet, gypsum board, MDF, composite materials, multilayer materials, or engineering plastics. These materials are not automatically eligible for this pathway; the applicable product or component must have a recycling pathway that meets the Program Manual criteria.

Example: A carpet manufacturer has documentation identifying a specialized recycling facility that accepts its carpet, along with collection instructions and information describing how the recovered material is processed into secondary raw material. These existing documents may support a Specialized Recycling Pathway.

How Much Documentation Is Needed?

There is no single document type that is appropriate for every End-of-Life & Circularity pathway. The appropriate evidence will depend on:

The pathway selected
The declared product and applicable component
The nature of the recovery pathway
The availability of the pathway
Geographic considerations
The documentation normally maintained by the manufacturer or other responsible party

Use the documentation you already have whenever possible. You do not need to create a new document specifically for Declare unless the Program Manual specifically requires supporting documentation.

For example:

A salvage program or secondary-market resource might support Reusable.
A refurbishment program or service documentation might support Remanufacturable / Refurbishable.
A compostability certificate or applicable test report might support Compostable Materials.
Product separation instructions and collection information might support Highly Recyclable Materials.
Recycler acceptance documentation or specialized collection program information might support a Specialized Recycling Pathway.

Different types of information and documentation can be appropriate for the same pathway, depending on the product and the information available.

Supporting documentation submitted with a Declare submission is used for program review and is not currently published on the Declare label or product listing.

What If My Documentation Is Not Listed?

The examples on this page are not an exhaustive list of acceptable information or documentation.

If you have information or documentation that is not listed here but provides relevant support for the pathway, submit it with a brief explanation of how it supports your response.

Living Future will continue to expand this guidance as questions and examples emerge through implementation of Declare 2.1.

Related Guidance

Getting Help

If you encounter a situation that is not addressed here, please share the question with the Declare team at declare.support@living-future.org.