Circular Procurement: From Linear to Circular

What is circular procurement?

Circular procurement is a strategy where government purchases products and services that contribute to a circular economy, keeping materials in use as long as possible through reuse, repair, and recycling.

From linear to circular

The traditional take-make-waste model is replaced by circular strategies: refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, refurbish, remanufacture, repurpose, recycle, and recover.

Circular procurement strategies

1. Product-as-a-Service (PaaS)

Buy the use of a product rather than the product itself. The supplier retains ownership and has incentives for durability.

2. Circular specifications

Requirements for recycled content, repairability, lifespan, take-back, modular design, and disassembly.

3. Lifecycle costing (LCC)

Evaluate total costs: purchase, energy, maintenance, repair, end-of-life, and residual value.

4. Circular award criteria

Reward recycled materials, lifecycle extension measures, carbon footprint, and take-back plans.

Application areas

Construction (demountable building, recycled concrete), ICT (refurbished equipment), office furniture (lease with return), textiles (take-back programs).

Tools

MVI criteria tool, Material Passports, Madaster platform, and circularity measurement methods.