Beyond buying: how can the circular economy principles feed sustainable public procurement policies and practices?

Sustainable Public Procurement

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Circular procurement is about meeting procurers’ needs in alternative ways; not just by buying new products, but also by reusing or recycling items that contracting authorities already own. It provides municipalities with the opportunity to synergise with their social, environmental, and innovative policy objectives, thereby contributing to policy changes.

11 March 2021

Circular procurement is a strategic tool that brings about cultural, organisational and systemic changes. It allows municipalities to foster cooperation among their departments (e.g. those dealing with social affairs, North–South environmental issues and innovation) and between internal staff and local stakeholders (e.g. businesses (including social enterprises), universities and civil society organisations (CSOs)).

This report highlights how municipalities can include circular economy considerations in their sustainable public procurement policies, plans and practices. Through desk research, interviews and e-meetings, the report gathers data on four pioneering contracting authorities: Aalborg in Denmark; Ghent in Belgium; Ludwigsburg in Germany; and Malmö in Sweden.

Beyond buying: how can the circular economy principles feed sustainable public procurement policies and practices?

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