GPP Issue no. 78 February 2018

News Alert

In order to transform our current approach to plastics use, the European Commission (EC) has released a new European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy. The Strategy identifies a range of processes in need of improvement, innovations which must be accelerated, and targets to be met if we are to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and achieve a circular plastics economy. In terms of key pledges, the EU has committed - by 2030 - to all plastics in the EU market being of a reusable or recyclable nature, and that more than half of plastics waste generated in Europe is recycled. Analytical work, including the launch of a public consultation to determine the scope of a legislative initiative on single-use plastics, is also underway.

Public procurement can play an important role in enabling this transition. For example, procurers can make purchases which avoid plastic packaging, require that it is collected and reused where necessary, or if

neither of these is possible, ensure that packaging uses materials that are easy to separate and recycle. EU GPP Criteria and the EU Ecolabel already make such requirements easy to implement, and many examples of such approaches in practice already exist.

Beyond packaging, plastics are also used extensively in other products, such as furniture and electronics, which can be required to be designed for easy disassembly or refurbishment in procurement processes. Setting requirements for plastics to include an amount of recycled content would help boost the uptake of recycled content - which in sectors such as construction, and automotive (e.g. insulation materials, pipes, outdoor furniture or dashboards) is important. A Webinar on the practicalities of this strategy for procurers will be held in May (more information coming soon).

Transforming the plastics economy through green procurement

Image: Pixabay

In January, the EC released new guidance for greener procurement of paints, varnishes and road markings, in the format of EU GPP Criteria. The criteria, which are intended to be used both for the purchase of products and works, are aimed at prolonging longevity and reducing environmental impacts. They also seek to promote circular economy approaches as a means of minimising the impact of production; reducing products’ hazardous properties; promoting durability; and incentivising the minimisation of product wastage, including reuse and recycling.

Zoom in on... Paints, varnishes and road-markings

Image: Pixabay

The European Commission is running a consultation to receive feedback on the scope and structure of a guide on socially responsible public procurement (SRPP). Feedback is being sought on what type of guidance should be published, and how to make the best use of good practice experiences. The consultation runs until 1 March 2018 and targets all stakeholders engaged in SRPP, such as public bodies, social economy enterprises, NGOs, academia and trade unions.

Zoom in on... Social responsible procurement

Image: Pixabay

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GPP Issue no. 78 I February 2018News Alert

Zoom in on... Awards in Cyprus

To read more GPP examples, visit the European Commission’s GPP website. Previous issues of the GPP News Alert are available here.

The GPP News Alert is an initiative of the European Commission, Directorate-General Environment, published on a monthly basis.Editor: EU GPP Helpdesk Email: gpp-helpdesk@iclei.org The articles published in the GPP News Alert represent the personal views of the contributors and do not necessary reflect those of the European Commission, nor any person acting on its behalf.

Prizes for the most outstanding green purchasing actions in Cyprus during the last year were awarded to a number of public and private sector organisations at a ceremony held on 15 December - opened by the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Mr. Nicos Kouyialis. The awards are an initiative that started in 2014 and is run by the Department for Environment. For more information, see the press release (in English).

GPP example

The City of Munich has a long tradition of carrying out sustainable procurement practices, particularly with regards to social responsibility. The latter dates back to actions undertaken as early as 2002. As of 2013, municipal decree requires that half of the food served in municipal childcare facilities stem from organic agriculture, and as much as 90% when it comes to meat.

A framework agreement was launched in March 2017 to service 300 facilities - catering for over 490,000 school children – using the ‘cook and freeze’ approach. In its tender, Munich required that 50% of all food (measured monetarily across all commodity groups) be certified organic, with 90-100% of all meat served organic, and fish come from organic aquaculture or be certified from a sustainable source (such as Marine Stewardship Council or Friends of the Sea). A range of non-economic criteria were used to award the contracts, including product variety, test samples (sampled by a group of taster judges) and for additional environmental and social aspects. Conditions on the service provider, such as giving priority to the use of reusable packaging, and using recyclable packaging (for disposable packaging needs), were also put in place by Munich.

Download the full case study here.

Serving organic and nutritionally-balanced food in Munich’s schools (Germany)

Zoom in on... Joint procurement in FinlandLocal authorities in Finland are being offered the possibility to take part in extensive joint procurement of electric and natural gas-powered cars and vans. The initiative aims to obtain as many orders as possible and bring about reductions in the cost of the purchase prices. Interest is being registered now with a technical dialogue scheduled for Spring and delivery of vehicles as of the end of 2018. More information

Image: Pixabay

Image: Ministry for Environment Cyprus

Image: Dreamstime / Ian Allenden

Professor Yorgos Stephanedes is an expert in Intelligent Energy and Transport, specialising in Smart Cities. Following 20 years working for the University of Minnesota (in the United States), Professor Stephanedes

is now the Director of the Environmental Engineering and Transportation Division, and of the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Programme at the University of Patras (Greece). One of his areas of focus is green public procurement (GPP).

Could you tell us about the GRASPINNO project and its achievements so far?The GRASPINNO project is co-funded by the European Union (EU) through the Interreg MED programme (2014-20). The consortium is a partnership

between 12 organisations from seven countries: Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Cyprus, Spain, Bosnia-Herzegovina and France. The project started in November 2016 and builds upon the results from earlier ‘MED’ projects (projects focussed on the Mediterranean area), namely GRASP (Green procurement and smart city support in the energy sector) and CO-EFFICIENT. GRASPINNO’s aim is to develop innovative solutions for green procurement in the energy refurbishment of public buildings. These solutions will result in the energy efficient refurbishment of buildings within the smart cities framework.

To read the interview in full, click here.

Green procurement in the smart cities framework