# On the Road to Circular Public Procurement: Case, Variations, and Potential Actions in Germany
## 4 Discussion  
### Summary of Findings  
As shown in Section 2, state-of-the-art research on circular procurement regarding countries and specific products or product groups is limited. Furthermore, the automotive sector is not considered in depth. This article provides an analysis of the state of circular tyre procurement in Germany. Section 1 presents two research questions regarding the current state of circular public tyre procurement in Germany and options to promote this type of procurement. Based on state of the art in GPP research, [25] mentions barriers and supports but provides only a few examples of the latter. Product-specific barriers and supports are not considered by [25]. Our research contributed to a reduction of this gap based on two initial questions. As a structured answer to question 1, a classification was developed. Based on the two dimensions of current tyre CPP intensity and current tyre CPP opportunities, four types of current tyre procurement situations were identified. The clusters' organisations face supply-side and demand-side barriers, which hinder the successful implementation of circular tyre procurement. Regarding successful GPP, [PERSON] et al., 2021 [26] emphasised the importance of external stakeholders. In the given context, their importance was also visible: the actions of tyre suppliers and an appropriate supply of suitable tyres is critical for successful CPP. The circular procurement of tyres is currently linked with various demand-side and supply-side barriers. Addressing these barriers and responding to question 2, nine recommendations for policymakers to support tyre CPP are provided. Figure 5 shows our findings in the context of the state-of-the-art research presented by [25]. The suggestion on the pilot projects addresses most of the other recommendations from this article. This includes, in particular: the facilitation of sustainable retreaded tyres' procurement, regulatory support, information campaigns, appropriate information tools, and stakeholder engagement. However, the implementation of this recommendation requires more specific guidance. Section 4.2 specifies this recommendation in detail as a way forward. The procurement classification for the market of sustainable CE tyres shows a specific example for the procurement situations of markets in transition to a sustainable and circular economy and can be further applied in this context. It can be used as a strategic instrument to specify future-oriented procurement strategies: not only product-specific but also organisation-wide, in the public sector and beyond. Type 3 situations with low current CPP intensity and many CPP opportunities provide appropriate framework conditions to become more circular. In type 1 and type 2 contexts, the number of CPP opportunities is limited, while type 4 procurement does not face a current need for action. Nevertheless, it is important to monitor new opportunities for improved CPP and to adjust purchasing strategies accordingly. In this context, the classification can also be used to show internal goals and internal progress. Figure 6 shows an example. Figure 5: Contribution to research: circular public type procurement, barriers and reaction strategies. Source: authors, combining the state the art in [25] with own results. Figure 6: Example for the application of the sustainability-oriented public procurement classification in new contexts. © authors. Specifically, the classification could also be used as a benchmark instrument for extended sustainability-oriented analyses. These analyses could include, e.g., inventories of a single organisation's whole procurement range and comparisons of cities, regions, and even nations. The procurement of circular and bio-based products could be considered explicitly under this umbrella of sustainable procurement analyses. Regarding potential application fields, CE solutions for electric vehicles, for example, are a topic of growing importance [48; 49].