Green and circular procurement in public organizations – from single use to reuse of furniture and prolonging lifetime of electronics

Authors
Brunklaus, Birgit; Börjesson, Emma; Pedersen, Lisa

Abstract
The project aims to increase the knowledge of public organizations’ potential to increase the efficiency and circularity of their material flows through procurement, purchase procedures and behavioral change which benefit saving and sharing. The project will be implemented by the City of Malmö’s Environmental Department and Central Procurement Unit in cooperation with the research institute RISE. Through the project, the purchase and waste flows within the City of Malmö’s organization will be mapped and analyzed to identify possibilities for increased reuse, prolonged life/optimization of life and circular use of resources, focusing on a number of product categories to be chosen within the project. The chosen product categories and scenarios: from single use plastics to multiple use products, from procurement to reuse of furniture, prolonging lifetime of electronics (computer, mobile phones). Based on previous research, a consumption based LCA methodology for public organizations will be developed and applied for climate and resource use. Within the project the positive effects of circular procurement on resource use and climate impacts will be analyzed. The role of budget procedures for stimulating circular resource use will also be analyzed, with regards to barriers and possibilities for change. In addition, the project will investigate possibilities for using the saved resources for well-being of the City’s employees, or ordinary citizen., The results will be presented in a draft roadmap for circular economy for the City of Malmö.