On the Road to Circular Public Procurement: Case, Variations, and Potential Actions in Germany

Simone Wurster, Rita Schulze and Ramona G. Simon
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Simone Wurster: Department of Innovation Economics, Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin), 10623 Berlin, Germany
Rita Schulze: DECHEMA e.V., 60486 Frankfurt, Germany
Ramona G. Simon: DECHEMA e.V., 60486 Frankfurt, Germany

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 24, 1-22

Abstract: According to the United Nations, the consumption of materials is expected to double between 2020 and 2050. At the same time, annual waste generation is forecast to increase by 70% by 2050. The circular economy (CE) addresses this problem. However, many barriers to the further development of the CE exist. This article analyses the situation of public procurement in supporting a sustainable CE for tyres in Germany based on 18 interviews with public procurement professionals directly responsible for the purchase of tyres and four additional expert interviews. Based on the dimensions ‘current circular public procurement (CPP) intensity’ and ‘current CPP opportunities’, a classification of tyre procurement situations and barriers to sustainable circular tyre procurement is presented. Strategies to overcome these supply-side and demand-side barriers are specified, resulting in nine recommendations for German policymakers. As a way forward, a detailed concept for a pilot project on tyre CPP is provided. The article also shows how the circular public procurement classification can be used to support sustainability measures in a broader context. Finally, the article’s outlook focuses on implications to promote sustainable circular tyre procurement in other countries. It explains different framework conditions and elaborates to what extent additional research is necessary to develop appropriate recommendations for those conditions.

Keywords: circular economy; public procurement; sustainability; tyres; regulatory framework; policy recommendations; automotive industry (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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