City of Forssa: responsible procurement – recycled equipment for lower secondary school students

Procurer

City of Forssa

Object of procurement

Laptop computers

Impact of procurement

Forssa has around 250 lower secondary school students (Years 7–9).

Background information

This was the first public-sector competitive bidding process for recycled equipment in Finland. A laptop computer was needed for each lower secondary school student, and the City of Forssa sought a more economical and environmentally friendly solution than acquiring new computers.

Goal of procurement

The procurement aimed for cost-efficiency and eco-friendliness. 

Parties involved in the procurement (client side)

City of Forssa, procurement department, ICT expert, system expert

PROCUREMENT METHODS USED

Market dialogue

Requirements for the object of procurement

The procurement was determined to be a procurement of recycled computers. The devices have a three-year warranty.

Benefits/outcomes

The cost of investment was EUR 65,000, which produces annual cost savings of EUR 50,000 in comparison with new computers. The imputed annual return is 56 per cent, and the repayment period is 1.3 years. Over the estimated useful life of three years, life-cycle carbon dioxide emissions will decrease by more than 21 tonnes annually, which is equivalent to the emissions produced by a private car over a distance of more than 114,000 kilometres. By using recycled equipment, waste can be avoided that would have been generated during the production of equivalent new equipment.

Possible further measures 

The procedure is easy to apply to the procurement of other equipment. The procurement increases awareness of alternative methods for procuring equipment among students and their families, as well as among school employees.

Customer’s comment / Lessons learned

“The devices were in excellent condition. Thank you so much for this.” – Jani Blomerus, ICT Expert, City of Forssa.

Resourceful procurement

This was the first time in Finland that the public sector had procured recycled equipment. This model could also be suitable for the procurement of equipment other than computers. This is a practical example of a public-sector buyer promoting the circular economy.

 

FACT BOX

  • Procurement of recycled equipment
  • Procurement of products of an excellent quality
  • Significant cost savings and reduced environmental effects
  • Supports the circular economy
  • The procurement model is reproducible and can also be applied to other types of equipment.

 

The original case was published in Finnish on the site of Energialoikka

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