The use of public procurement to incentivize longer lifetime and remanufacturing of computers

Abstract

Improving the product lifetime of consumer electronics can provide significant environmental benefits. However, there is a tendency among both professional users and consumers to change products, like computers and mobile phones regularly, and as a result their lifetimes become increasingly shorter. With the rise of the Circular Economy, new policies to promote longer product lifetimes have emerged in Europe. These include the regulation of minimum product lifetime through the Ecodesign Directive, the extension of consumer warranties, and the French criminalization of planned obsolescence. Public procurement is an instrument with a significant potential to incentivize longer lifetimes. This study examines the potential for extending the lifetime of computers through public procurement in a Swedish context. The methods employed are literature reviews and interviews with procurers in municipalities, computer remanufacturers, suppliers of computers, and national authorities. There is increasing interest in promoting longer lifetimes through procurement among procuring organizations. Some Swedish municipalities are already procuring remanufactured computers, mainly for economic reasons, and they generally have positive experiences. However, remanufactured computers may not work for all kinds of functions, which highlight the importance of identifying needs of different users. Some municipalities do not plan to purchase remanufactured computers, outlining several barriers. The public sector can also support Circular Economy objectives through supporting recycled materials in new computers. In addition to procurement practices, the public sector can support remanufacturing through selling used computers to remanufacturers.