ISO 22453:2021

Overview

ISO 22453:2021 defines standardized methods for the exchange of information on rare earth elements (REEs) contained in industrial waste and end-of-life (EOL) products. The standard aims to improve REE recycling and urban mining - reducing dependency on mining - by specifying how waste handlers and recyclers communicate important product and material data. ISO 22453 includes a generic life cycle for REE recycling and recommends data-carrier technologies such as QR codes and RFID for secure, machine-readable information exchange.

Key topics and requirements

• Scope and purpose
  • Methods for information exchange between waste handlers and recyclers for REEs in industrial waste and EOL products.
  • Facilitates efficient REE recycling and supports circular economy objectives.
• Generic life cycle
  • Describes stages where REE information is relevant (collection, dismantling, pre-treatment, recycling).
• Labelling methods
  • 2D barcodes (especially QR codes) and RFID are specified due to high data capacity and read reliability.
  • QR codes: low cost, high storage (thousands of ASCII characters), orientation- and damage-tolerant.
  • RFID: supports non-line-of-sight reading, real-time tracking, suitable for certain geometries.
• Label contents (minimum recommended fields)
  • Supplier/manufacturer name
  • Product name
  • Gross mass of shipment (and REE mass if available)
  • Physical form
  • Storage method
  • Date of production
  • Country and region
  • Production method
  • WRE code (waste rare earth classification per ISO 22450)
  • Batch number
• Data exchange
  • REE information (except composition declaration) should be recorded in QR codes in accordance with ISO 22450.
  • Composition declaration may be shared but is not mandatory.
• Annex
  • Provides a measurement/example QR code for an EOL sintered magnet.

Applications and who uses it

ISO 22453 is practical for:

• Waste handlers and recyclers seeking standardized REE data to assess recovery value
• Manufacturers and suppliers who need to label EOL or scrap shipments
• Logistics providers managing shipments of REE-containing waste
• Policymakers and regulators monitoring circularity and cross-border information flows
• Product designers and sustainability teams integrating material traceability into design-for-recycling

Benefits include faster material identification, reduced sorting costs, improved cross-border information reliability, and enhanced REE recovery rates.

Related standards

• ISO 22450 - Recycling of rare earth elements (requirements for information provision)
• ISO 22444-1 and ISO 22444-2 - REE vocabulary (minerals, oxides, metals)
• ISO 14040 and ISO 14009 - Life cycle and material-circulation guidance

Keywords: ISO 22453, rare earth elements, REE recycling, QR code, RFID, industrial waste, end-of-life products, information exchange, WRE code, life cycle.