Mastercard partners with New Loop to enable deposit return for reusable takeaway packaging. Consumers pay a deposit and receive instant refunds via card when returning packaging at reverse vending machines. The system is rolling out across Copenhagen and Frederiksberg to reduce single-use waste. Read more.

Cisco partners with DEScycle to trial metals recovery from e-waste. The pilot will process disassembled hardware at a UK facility, targeting recovery of critical and precious metals. It will also assess how the platform integrates into reverse supply chains and material tracking. Read more.

Jaguar Land Rover joins Global Impact Coalition to advance circular automotive plastics. The initiative brings together manufacturers, recyclers and chemical companies to develop a viable value chain for end-of-life vehicle plastics. Read more.

Novelis extends partnership with Infinitum to close the loop on aluminium cans in Norway. Used beverage cans collected through Norway’s deposit system will be recycled and remade into new cans via Novelis’ UK facility. The agreement secures a steady stream of post-consumer material and supports higher recycled content. Read more.

Bloom ESG and e-Stewards introduce metric to quantify recovered critical metals. The update to their Environmental Benefits Calculator enables ITAD providers to measure materials such as cobalt, lithium and rare earth elements at order level. Read more.

PSV partners with Paladin as official IT recycling partner. The three-year agreement covers secure reuse, recycling and data destruction of IT assets. The deal also expands Paladin’s presence within Eindhoven’s tech ecosystem. Read more.

Apple hits record 30% recycled material across its products. The company reported its highest-ever use of recycled content, driven by increased use of recycled metals across devices. Progress continues towards fully recycled cobalt in batteries and reduced plastic in packaging. Read more.

Primark updates circular design standards to improve durability and recyclability. The framework sets clearer requirements on materials, lifespan and end-of-life processing, with a new progressive tier. Around 5% of products now meet circular design criteria. Read more.

Stellantis expands reuse ecosystem to recover and resell parts from end-of-life vehicles. Its Sustainera division is increasing dismantling capacity to extract components for reuse, with inventory now exceeding 15 million used parts. Read more.

Tesco launches surplus food facility to convert waste into animal feed. The RenEco-operated site processes unsold bakery and produce into feed for farms supplying Tesco. It can handle up to 1,000 tonnes per week. Read more.

Henkel sets 2030 targets to cut emissions and increase circular packaging use. The company is targeting a 42% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions and 30% in Scope 3. It also aims for fully recyclable packaging with at least 35% recycled content. Read more.

Ascend Elements files for Chapter 11 amid funding pressure in the battery recycling market. The company has raised nearly $900m but struggled to secure sufficient capital to continue scaling operations. The move reflects wider challenges across the EV and battery materials sector. Read more.

Project FAE aims to deliver recycler-ready textile feedstock in Europe. The initiative focuses on building sorting and pre-processing infrastructure to convert non-rewearable textiles into viable input for recycling. Read more.

CP Group acquires majority stake in Recycleye to integrate AI into sorting operations. The deal strengthens use of AI vision systems in material recovery facilities, improving material purity and operational data. The companies have already deployed systems across Europe and the US. Read more.

TerraCycle launches $75m funding round to support acquisitions and growth. The raise follows a fully subscribed $5m crowdfunding round and will be used to scale operations and pursue strategic acquisitions. The company is targeting continued expansion of its recycling platform for hard-to-recycle waste. Read more.

Mkango secures UK funding for circular rare earth magnet supply chain. The £6.5m REACT-UK project, backed by ~£3.2m in government funding, will recover and remanufacture magnets from end-of-life EVs. The consortium includes Jaguar Land Rover and EMR. Read more.

CellMine secures UK funding to demonstrate sulphate-free battery recycling process. The APC-backed project will develop a sampling plant to validate its technology for processing end-of-life batteries. It aims to generate real-world performance data ahead of commercial deployment. Read more.

Kitar raises $10m+ for secondhand electronics platform in Southeast Asia. The funding will support AI-driven inspection, supply chain infrastructure and offline collection networks, with Indonesia as its primary market. Read more.

The Little Loop raises £750k for clothing take-back and resale platform. The B2B2C model enables brands to integrate trade-in and resale without in-house infrastructure. Funding will support product development, hiring and expansion into adult fashion. Read more.

Want to generate new partnerships or inbound opportunities in 2026?

Explore the Circular Connect Directory, now featuring 1,000+ companies across reverse logistics, circularity and sustainability.

www.circularconnect.net

Have a great weekend and we’ll see you again on Monday.

Cheers to circularity,

#TeamCircularConnect #ConnectingTheCircularEconomy