Dutch authorities take first steps towards circular procurement
Municipalities in the Netherlands were invited to learn more about engaging in circular procurement, a process in which buyers only purchase recycled products to prevent further exploitation of raw materials, at the first working group meeting of Circular Procurement in Utrecht earlier this month.
Procurement officers from the municipalities of Amersfoort and Woerden, as well as the province of Utrecht, attended the orientation, which offered a concrete framework for implementation of the concept. Earlier this year the province of Utrecht committed to applying circular procurement to at least 10 percent of the total procurement budget of one billion Euros by 2020. Currently, pilot projects are being implemented, providing valuable experience and enabling the process to be refined.
A framework for measuring the impact of circular procurement is currently under development by the Utrecht Sustainability Institute (USI). The next step for the Dutch authorities is an alignment with national initiatives, using circular procurement as part of a country-wide transformation to a circular economy.
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