Boosting the Circular Economy through public procurement
Government of Catalonia
Description
The Catalan Government considers that public procurement should be used as an instrument to support strategic policies in the transition towards CE. For a number of years a strategy of Green Public Procurement (GPP) has been in place, based on the following lines: direct support in the introduction of environmental criteria in tenders, elaboration of GPP guidelines, training and promotion of green products.
GPP measures contribute to implement the CE by defining procurement criteria geared at increasing:
- Durability: quality standards, minimum guarantee and availability of spare parts and fitness for use;
- Resource Efficiency: demand of renewable electricity, clean vehicles and implement energy services contracts;
- Reuse: reusable tableware and transport packaging;
- Refurbish/Retrofitting: improve environmental standards of existing equipment in building facility management;
- Recycling: demand low toxic materials, recyclability of products and ensure selective waste collection;
- Buy Recycled: textiles with recycled fibres and recycled paper.
Main activity field
Identified challenge (s)
Main results
- Inclusion of green public procurement in most framework agreements and centralized contracts of the Central Purchasing Body;
- Increase of the number of tenders and the total amount of the procurements with GPP clauses;
- GPP measures stimulated the offer of sustainable products and services, mainly ecodesigned and ecolabelled products, in some sectors of the Catalan market as cleaning, building maintenance, food, furniture or vehicles;
- Increase the knowledge about circular procurement by public procurers.