Boosting the Circular Economy through public procurement

Circular concepts promoted by Catalan Public Procurement
Type of organisation or company
Country
Spain
City
Barcelona
Language for original content
Key Area
Project elaborated in partnership
No
Submitted by
Directorate-General for Environmental Quality and Climate Change Ministry of Territory and Sustainability Govenrment of Catalonia (Spain)
Start/End date
Ongoing
Yes
Expected end date
03/2018
Type of funding
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 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.