Barreiras à implementação da economia circular nas compras públicas: estudo de caso em instituição pública de ensino superior

Abstract

Circular Economy aims to manage finite resources responsibly by promoting product regeneration to mitigate environmental impacts. Within this context, public procurement emerges as a highly relevant approach, exerting significant influence on prices and the availability of goods and services, thus being crucial for promoting circularity. The transition to a circular economy in public procurement is a strategic imperative for sustainability, with relevance for Public Higher Education Institutions, given their potential to align administrative practices with academic missions. This study analyses the obstacles to adopting circular criteria in the tendering processes of a federal university in Northeast Brazil, combining documentary analysis with insights from managers. The results indicate that institutional barriers—such as lack of inter-departmental coordination and the absence of clear government guidelines— overshadow operational limitations. It was further identified that insufficient technical training and a fragmented, risk-averse organisational culture hinder the systematic incorporation of circular principles into procurement processes. The analysis also revealed catalytic effects amongst barriers, whereby specific combinations (e.g., insufficient policies, excessive bureaucracy, and rigid tender criteria) mutually reinforce each other, leading to institutional paralysis and directly impacting the low achievement of strategic circularity targets. As its contribution, the study provides a comprehensive diagnosis of these challenges, demonstrating their interdependence and proposing pathways for their mitigation. The practical implications point to the need for ongoing training, revision of regulations, and the development of specific indicators. It is recommended that future research investigates governance models tailored to the reality of Brazilian public institutions, with emphasis on coordination between different levels of administration. It is concluded that the effective implementation of a circular economy in government procurement demands transformations that transcend procedural adjustments, requiring profound cultural changes and institutional commitment.