The “CISUTAC Public Procurement Guidelines for Textiles”, published in May 2026 by CISUTAC and authored by Núria Cases i Sampere, Anita Lombardo and Serena Lisai (ACR+), provide practical recommendations, tools and good practices for integrating circular economy principles into the public procurement of professional textiles. The guidelines focus on workwear, uniforms and personal protective equipment (PPE), covering the pre-tender, tender and post-tender stages of the procurement cycle.

Key insights  

• Public procurement can support a more circular textiles ecosystem. The guidelines position public purchasing as a lever for reducing environmental impacts, improving product durability and performance, and supporting resilience across the European textile value chain.
• The pre-tender phase should start with a review of actual needs. Contracting authorities are encouraged to assess existing stock and use patterns, involve end users and internal stakeholders, and engage suppliers and other value-chain actors before defining procurement requirements.
• Circular strategies should go beyond recycling. The guidelines recommend considering a combination of strategies, including reducing unnecessary purchases, intensifying product use, eco-design, standardisation, reuse, repair, maintenance, remanufacturing and repurposing, with recycling considered as a last resort.
• Early market engagement can help set realistic requirements. Preliminary consultations can provide information on available solutions, costs and suppliers, while helping buyers understand environmental impacts, technical feasibility and potential trade-offs. The guidelines recommend involving upstream actors such as fabric manufacturers, finishers and technical textile specialists.
• Tender criteria should reflect circularity across the product lifecycle. The guidelines recommend using technical specifications, selection and award criteria to address issues such as durability, repairability, fibre and fabric traceability, chemical compliance and replacement availability. EU Green Public Procurement (GPP) criteria and recognised ecolabels can support requirement-setting and verification.
• Life-cycle approaches can help buyers evaluate value beyond the initial purchase price. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) can be used to assess environmental and economic performance across the life of a textile product, including costs associated with laundering, maintenance and end-of-life. However, the guidelines note challenges in applying LCC and comparing LCA data across different textile categories.
• Contract management and end-of-life planning are important for retaining value. The guidelines recommend monitoring use, maintenance and replacement rates, establishing take-back and refurbishment arrangements, and defining clear pathways for reuse, redistribution and recycling. Digital tools such as product passports can also support traceability.

The guidelines highlight the need to embed circularity throughout the procurement cycle rather than treating it as a requirement at the point of purchase. They combine procurement recommendations with market-engagement approaches, tools and examples intended to help contracting authorities develop more circular approaches to professional textiles. 

For further detailed information, consult the full report on the CISUTAC website.