The depletion of natural resources and rising carbon emissions make the adoption of sustainable practices increasingly urgent. Circular Economy (CE) principles, which focus on resource efficiency and waste reduction, offer a clear opportunity to address these challenges. In the N
...
The depletion of natural resources and rising carbon emissions make the adoption of sustainable practices increasingly urgent. Circular Economy (CE) principles, which focus on resource efficiency and waste reduction, offer a clear opportunity to address these challenges. In the Netherlands, viaducts and bridges account for 25% of the CO₂ emissions and material demand in the infrastructure sector, making circular public procurement (CPP) a promising strategy for reducing environmental impact. Despite this potential, scaling CPP faces significant barriers, including risk-averse procurement practices, fragmented knowledge, and limited collaboration between public contracting authorities and the market. This research explores key stakeholder perspectives on interventions to upscale CPP for viaducts and bridges, using Q-methodology to analyze input from 14 participants across public authorities, market parties, and knowledge institutions. Participants ranked 25 interventions derived from literature and empirical research, revealing four perspectives: Practical Circularity, focusing on actionable, short-term solutions; Collaborative Circularity, emphasizing shared responsibility and partnerships; Tactical Circularity, highlighting the importance of standardized frameworks; and Financially-Driven Circularity, prioritizing financial incentives. The results show a clear preference for actionable interventions, with more knowledge-gathering less of a priority . Programmatic approaches and enhanced collaboration are viewed as critical for implementation, while standardized frameworks can support scaling, provided they balance flexibility to address diverse needs. These findings underline the importance of aligning stakeholder priorities to overcome barriers and accelerate circular procurement in infrastructure.