Joint Statements of Demand
We are calling on organisations that buy professional clothing, office furniture, and electric vehicle chargers to show leadership and shape the future of these sectors by becoming signatories to our Joint Statements of Demand.In the final year of the ProCirc project we have worked with public and private procurers to create Joint Statements of Demand for three specific procurement categories. These set out commitments that a group of procurers from signatory organisations will adopt, as well as the ‘circular asks’ that the procurers would like to see their suppliers offering in future.
Becoming a signatory to a Joint Statement of Demand can help procurers to overcome several systemic challenges to buying more circular products.
To become a signatory to the Joint Statements of Demand please visit: https://www.bitc.org.uk/joint-statements-of-demand/
The three product areas that we have developed Joint Statements of Demand on are:
Professional Clothing
To buyers of professional clothing, waste is the most obvious and visible sustainability challenge. WRAP’s analysis estimates that in the UK 90% of used professional clothing is sent to landfill or incineration – a higher proportion than for clothing in general. However, the lack of a circular economy in the clothing value chain has substantial additional environmental impacts including high water consumption, microfibre pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions – the fashion industry as a whole is responsible for around 10% of global carbon emissions.
However, there is a limited amount of circular clothing and application of new business models available - the Joint Statement of Demand seeks to change this. This Joint Statement of Demand has been coordinated by Business in the Community and co-developed by procurers and partners on behalf of the ProCirc project.
Note: Professional clothing refers to all garments which are issued by employers to their employees, the Joint Statement of Demand focusses specifically on corporate wear and PPE.
Office Furniture
Furnishing workspaces well is a significant consideration for the majority of businesses and public organisations. Getting it right is vital for cost-effectiveness and staff wellbeing, but it is often overlooked as also being important in terms of carbon and nature impacts.
80-90% of the furniture in Europe ends its first life either in a landfill or being incinerated for energy. This represents a huge waste of materials, as well as cost, and leads to additional carbon emissions and environmental impacts from the production of new chairs to replace those that are thrown out.
Nevertheless there is great potential for improvements by introducing circularity. This can be stimulated and supported through a collective approach to procurement by a group of buyers. This Joint Statement of Demand has been coordinated by Business in the Community and co-developed by procurers and partners on behalf of the ProCirc project.
Electric Vehicle Chargers
The growing market of electric vehicle chargers (EVCs) has led to increasing environmental impacts that are at the risk of being overlooked. Europe is the second-largest EV charger market and the forecast estimates that the numbers of electric vehicles will increase exponentially in the next few years. Similarly, the demand for EV chargers will follow, and by 2030, over 3 million EVCs will be needed in Europe. This Joint Statement of Demand has been coordinated by City of Malmö.
- The Joint Statement of Demand on Circular Electric Vehicle Chargers will not be finalized within the project period but the draft JSD is available to serve as inspiration in tenders.
You can find more information about this JSD here, including summaries and recordings of the meetings and workshops during 2023.
Become a signatory to a Joint Statement of Demand
It’s hard to shift the market on your own! A group of buyers collectively sending a clear signal to suppliers about future sustainability asks sends a strong signal to the market, encouraging and inspiring them to invest and innovate to create more circular products. Becoming a signatory to any of these Joint Statements of Demand will support the development of a circular economy in these sectors.
To become a signatory to the Joint Statements of Demand please visit: https://www.bitc.org.uk/joint-statements-of-demand/