Circular procurement
Circular economy procurement
Circular procurement designs purchases and contracts to keep materials and products in use for longer through reuse, repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing, sharing or recovery.
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Simply put
What it means in ordinary work
It moves away from a buy-use-dispose model. The buyer considers how an item will be maintained, recovered and returned, not only how it is purchased.
Why it matters
Circular approaches can reduce material use, waste and lifetime cost. They work best when requirements, commercial models and end-of-life responsibilities are designed together.
A hypothetical in practice
A hypothetical office buys modular furniture through a service arrangement that includes repair, replacement parts and take-back at end of use. The contract sets reuse and recovery expectations.
Common pitfalls
Circularity is not automatically lower impact. Transport, energy and recycling processes need checking.
A take-back promise is weak without collection, data, resale or recycling arrangements and accountability.
Regional lens
How this lands where you work
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As-of date for date-sensitive regional content: 5 November 2026. Read the review policy.