Municipalities would achieve significant cost savings and increase their material efficiency if new raw materials were to be replaced with recycled and reusable ones or if industrial co-products were used. This is a conclusion of the project funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers that studied through Nordic examples how circular economy is implemented in public procurement.
The cost-efficient implementation of circular economy requires regional co-ordination of material flows, viewing materials and expenses from a life cycle perspective and implementing circular economy goals more broadly than through one operator alone. The key is an understanding of the strategic significance of circular economy procurement for the municipality or procurement unit and business.
The research project was implemented in collaboration between Finnish Environment Institute, the Swedish IVL environmental research institute and Copenhagen’s CRI institute.