We’re proud to have worked with the Better Buildings Partnership (BBP) to develop their new Circular Procurement Best Practice Guideline, a practical resource to help procurement teams take action on circular economy principles. The guideline launched in April with a webinar that brought together industry leaders to share examples, lessons, and the case for circular procurement in the built environment.
What is the BBP, and why does it matter?
The BBP is a collaboration of major property owners and managers in Sydney. Supported by the City of Sydney, BBP members represent over half of the city’s commercial office space. Since 2011, the group has worked to drive practical sustainability improvements across the sector, from waste management and fit-outs to leasing and emissions. Their tools are developed by industry, for industry – and this new guideline is no different.
Introducing the guideline
The Circular Procurement Best Practice Guideline is designed to help organisations embed circular economy thinking into their procurement practices – especially for fit-outs, operations, maintenance, and repairs. The guideline supports procurement and sustainability teams, but also recognises that circular procurement depends on collaboration across many parts of a business, from finance to facilities.
Developed by thinkstep-anz with strong input from BBP members and partners, the guide includes:
- A simple framework for getting started
- Circular strategies based on the 10R hierarchy (from refuse to recover)
- A checklist and flowcharts to help teams plan and evaluate
- Links to other resources
- Case studies and examples
It’s all designed to be practical and usable – not a report to sit on the shelf.
Driving circularity through procurement webinar: what industry leaders had to say
The launch webinar, hosted by our own Nicole Sullivan and moderated by BBP’s Simon Ng (Colliers), brought together speakers from across the industry to share their perspectives.
Watch the webinar replay or scroll down for key takeaways:
Here are some of the key takeaways:
On why now is the time for circular procurement
Simon Ng highlighted that “scope 3 emissions can’t sit in the ‘too hard’ basket anymore.” With increasing focus on embodied carbon and sustainability across supply chains, businesses need tools to take meaningful action. The BBP guideline responds to that call – giving teams a practical place to start.
On creating change within organisations
Jim Goddin, our Head of Circular Economy at thinkstep-anz, emphasised the importance of internal engagement:
“The biggest challenge isn’t the lack of frameworks or metrics – it’s creating a sense of ownership. We need to empower people across the business to deliver circularity.”
The guideline helps teams link circular strategies to business goals, risk management and procurement planning, making it easier to get buy-in and build momentum.
On learning from others
Harriet Smith from the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) introduced their new Practical Guide to Circular Procurement, which complements the BBP guideline. While the GBCA guide focuses on new buildings and major refurbishments, both resources are aligned in purpose and approach. Harriet summed it up well:
“We really wanted to focus on the how of circular procurement – not just the why.”
On applying circular thinking in practice
Melinda Mandla from JLL shared how they developed a sustainable procurement guide tailored to their Sydney office fit-out. It helped the team reach high sustainability targets – including a 6 Star Green Star Interiors rating – and continues to guide decisions in day-to-day operations.
“We simplified the language and created something our team could actually use. That made all the difference.”
The bottom line? Start small, keep going
All speakers agreed: circular procurement isn’t about perfection from day one. It’s about starting where you are, finding early wins, and building on them. Whether that’s rethinking office furniture procurement or asking suppliers better questions, every step helps.
As Jim put it: “You don’t need to boil the ocean. Adopt a continuous improvement mindset and get started.”
Explore the guide and start your journey
The Circular Procurement Best Practice Guideline is available now on the Better Buildings Partnership website. We encourage you to download it, use the tools, and let us know how it works in practice.
Circular procurement is a journey – and this guide is here to help you take the next step.