The circular economy is key to solving Europe’s waste crisis. As well as the rising cost of new materials by reducing the use of raw materials, and closing loops in different productive sectors. By creating a circular system with less pressure on virgin resources, direct and indirect negative environmental impacts will be decreased while creating an efficient economy and opportunities for healthy growth and innovation.

Circular procurement is an effective pathway to achieve this. EU public authorities are already spending 14% of their GDP on public procurement, i.e. providing direct opportunities to invest in the circular economy.

Advantages of circular procurement

1. Circular procurement considers the whole life-cycle of goods and services. Thus it helps reduce the amount of materials and energy consumed.
2. Including circular principles in procurement enables procurers to take a more holistic approach to sustainability. Such a goal is urgently needed due to the current climate and economic crisis. There is no more time to waste, it is time to scale up.
   
   

How can the BUILD initiative help?

The BUILD project’s goal is to provide training and capacity building targeted at upskilling the public procurers and innovation procurement providers. They include also circular procurement and its benefits.