Phase I
Circular procurement encourages the community to consider circular economy principles in the sourcing of products and services. Buying recycled content is the first step. Circular procurement is the purchasing of products and services that design out waste and pollution, keeps products and materials in use and regenerates our natural systems. Procuring products and services in this way offers an opportunity to support local businesses and create local jobs as well as enabling councils to accelerate their sustainability and net zero goals.
Phase one of this project explored the current state of circular procurement in the region, how far the region has come and the journey that lies ahead. It also highlighted best practice in circular procurement. Some key learnings from phase one include:
- Local governments have an opportunity to embed circular economy principles into their procurement practices, supporting markets for circular products and services and accelerating their sustainability and net zero goals.
- Opportunity exists for cross-council collaboration to access economies of scale and share the cost of innovation.
- Councils want to support local businesses.
Phase II
We have received funding from the EPA to run the second phase of the Circular Procurement for Local Government Project. (August 2024 – March 2026)
Phase II aims to better understand and address the barriers to the uptake of circular products and solutions by councils.
Phase II has a focus on Low Carbon Concrete (LCC). Concrete is the most used resource in the world after water and identified as one of the highest impact materials used in council projects. Adopting LCC offers councils the opportunity to reduce their scope three emissions significantly and enable net zero ambitions.
This project will:
- Identify barriers and intervention points for circular economy procurement.
- Engage with local suppliers to understand their current pain points and inhibitors and map localised markets.
- Create opportunities for councils and suppliers to interact.
- Work with Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water of New South Wales (DCEEW) on their Low Carbon Concrete Initiatives to add value across the Hunter Region.
- Leverage industry and academic partnerships such as University of Newcastle (UoN), Materials and Embodied Carbon Leaders Alliance (MECLA) and the Circular Economy Living Lab (CELL) to identify product research, engage with industry groups, provide technical expertise, and validate findings.
- Create Circular Procurement Support Package for councils with model processes and procedures to support councils to embed circular alternatives in their decision-making processes.
