Local government plays a critical role in advancing circular economy outcomes through procurement, with significant annual spending across goods, services and infrastructure. Recognising this opportunity, Local Government Procurement (LGP), in collaboration with the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) and supported by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA), delivered a tailored Circular Economy in Procurement training program for councils across Western Sydney.
The initiative was designed to help councils turn sustainability and circular economy commitments into practical procurement action. By focusing on capability development, the program equipped participants with the skills, tools and confidence to integrate circular principles into everyday procurement processes.
Opportunity
Many councils have already embedded sustainability and circular economy objectives into their strategic frameworks, creating a strong foundation for action. The program focused on helping councils operationalise those commitments through procurement.
Key opportunities included:
Strengthening the integration of circular economy principles into procurement planning and sourcing.
Enhancing the use of practical tools, templates and evaluation approaches.
Building confidence in defining and measuring circular economy outcomes and KPIs.
Supporting greater collaboration across procurement, sustainability, waste and operational teams.
Leveraging real-world examples to bridge the gap between strategy and implementation.
Strong interest from councils highlighted a clear readiness to move from intention to action through targeted capability-building support.
Approach
LGP delivered a structured, two-day training program for approximately 20 participants from seven Western Sydney councils, including Parramatta, Blacktown, Liverpool, Fairfield, Cumberland, Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury. The program also included participation from the NSW EPA, strengthening alignment between policy and practice.
The participant group brought together a diverse mix of roles, including procurement professionals, sustainability officers, waste specialists, project managers and asset management staff. This cross-functional mix created space for rich discussion and practical insights into embedding circular economy principles across different parts of the organisation.
The program focused on applying circular economy principles across the procurement lifecycle, including:
Procurement planning and early market engagement.
RFX development and evaluation design.
Supplier engagement and innovation.
Contract management and performance monitoring.
Circular economy measurement and KPI development.
Participants took part in practical exercises, used templates and explored council-relevant case examples. The program was further strengthened by supplier presentations showcasing circular solutions across ICT, construction, furniture and infrastructure.
Value
The program delivered strong value by helping councils translate circular economy concepts into practical procurement actions. Key outcomes included:
Increased confidence in embedding circular economy requirements into procurement processes.
Identification of immediate opportunities to improve templates, specifications and evaluation approaches.
Stronger awareness of the importance of cross-department collaboration.
Development of practical action plans to trial circular procurement approaches in upcoming projects.
Enhanced understanding of supplier-led circular innovation opportunities.
Participants consistently highlighted the practical relevance of the program and its direct applicability to their roles. The initiative reinforced procurement as a key enabler of circular economy outcomes and positioned councils to progressively embed circular principles into everyday decision-making.
By combining practical tools, real-world examples and cross-functional engagement, the program established a strong foundation for ongoing capability development and supported councils in advancing circular procurement outcomes across the region.
Testimonials
“Hadi and the team at LGP were easy to work with to organise this training. Hadi is an excellent subject matter expert, and was able to curate and deliver training that met the needs of councils with a vast range of experience in circular procurement. Hadi and Tania coordinated all program materials and speakers, as well as training evaluation, reducing administrative workloads on our organisation. Feedback from participating staff has been excellent and I would recommend working with LGP to deliver this training unit, or other learning units from LGP.”
Amanda Bombaci | Regional Waste Team Leader Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils Ltd (WSROC)
“I found the training incredibly informative, and it helped clarify procurement concepts that I had previously struggled to fully understand. Dr Hadi presented the concept of circular procurement in an engaging, practical, and highly relevant way, directly addressing the challenges faced by our councils. The training also included useful case studies and practical tools that councils can immediately apply to their procurement activities. I would highly recommend this training to others looking to enhance their understanding and implementation of circular procurement.”
Wendy Xing | Regional Waste Coordinator Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils Ltd (WSROC)
