‘ISRI Specifications Guide’ Goes Digital

The ISRI Specifications Guide, published by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), has provided buyers and sellers of recycled materials with a common framework to support trade around the world for more than 100 years. A grant from the US Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration has enabled ISRI to now launch a digital version of the guide, accessible online to anyone at any time. 

ISRI will host a webinar on June 27 to educate domestic and international market participants, policymakers, and others on the new online specifications resource. Contact the organization for more information.

“For over a century, recyclers from around the world have relied on ISRI specifications to provide the most comprehensive set of guidelines when buying or selling recycled materials,” said ISRI President Robin Wiener in a prepared statement. “As the international trade and regulatory landscape evolves, it was time to update the specifications — our universal language — to better allow all those entities along the manufacturing supply chain for recycled materials to better communicate with each other — regardless of their geographical location or language. Thanks to the support of the International Trade Administration, this website reflects the changing international landscape and the essential role of ISRI’s specifications in the global trade of recycled materials,” said Wiener.

Based in Washington, DC, ISRI represents more than 1,500 companies involved in recycling in the United States and 40 other countries. Specifications are reviewed on an ongoing basis, and any individual, organization, or company can file a request for additions, changes, or deletions. ISRI said it will continue to update the specifications as the flow of recycled materials evolves with the introduction of new products into the supply chain.