It’s been a busy week! Let’s get stuck in.

Ralph Lauren and Levi Strauss partner on an elastane recycling project. The initiative will pilot technologies to recover and reuse elastane fibres from garments, tackling a key barrier in textile circularity. The collaboration aims to boost fibres’ recyclability and reduce waste from stretch-enhanced apparel. Read more.

ChopValue partners with Kokuyo and Takenaka in Japan to scale circular building materials. The collaboration will use post-consumer waste as feedstock for high-performance modular construction products, blending design innovation with material reuse. Read more.

Denim Deal leverages Green Story to strengthen data-driven circularity reporting in denim. Green Story’s AI and impact analytics will create credible, audit-ready measurement for post-consumer recycled cotton progress. A key focus is improving transparency and readiness for Digital Product Passports and tougher reporting requirements. Read more. 

Iron Mountain closes 2025 with strong double-digit growth. Following its recent M&A spree, the company reported full-year revenue of roughly $6.9bn, with earnings rising across storage, data centres and asset lifecycle services. Guidance for 2026 signals continued revenue and profit expansion. Read more.

Lenovo has been recognised as a SERI Champion for leadership in electronics sustainability. The designation reflects the company’s efforts to integrate circular design, repairability improvements and extended lifecycle strategies across its product portfolio. Read more.

Toyota invests in a new circular factory in Poland to scale vehicle reuse and recovery operations. The site will focus on remanufacturing, refurbishment and parts recycling from end-of-life vehicles, extending component lifecycles and reducing waste. Read more.

Circulose restarts commercial-scale production at its Örtviken plant following 2024 bankruptcy and restructuring. The facility produces regenerated cellulose pulp from textile waste and is back online under new ownership, signalling renewed confidence in textile-to-textile recycling infrastructure. Read more.

ExxonMobil has commissioned a third advanced plastics recycling unit. The facility uses proprietary technology to break down hard-to-recycle plastics into feedstocks for new products, aiming to scale circular material flows within its global operations. The unit forms part of ExxonMobil’s broader investment in chemical recycling. Read more.

Depop launches a campaign to reposition resale as a practical personal economy choice. The initiative encourages users to view second-hand buying and selling as financially sensible and environmentally positive, positioning resale as a smart lifestyle choice to drive engagement and transaction growth. Read more.

Paladin EnviroTech opens its first “Recycle Local” satellite facility. The Laurel, Maryland site brings secure electronics recycling and data destruction services closer to organisations that previously lacked nearby options. The hub-and-satellite model is designed to widen compliant ITAD coverage. Read more.

Reju targets Lacq, France for its textile regeneration hub. The industrial-scale facility will convert post-consumer textiles into regenerated polyester feedstock, strengthening European supply of circular raw materials. The site forms part of Reju’s wider strategy to scale textile-to-textile recycling infrastructure. Read more.

Vertiv has launched a UK UPS trade-in programme to reduce e-waste and lower upgrade costs for customers. The scheme allows businesses to return legacy uninterruptible power supplies in exchange for credit towards new systems, simplifying compliant disposal and recovery. Read more.

TVS Supply Chain is entering India’s aerospace and defence market with an eye on aftermarket services. TVS has signed a memorandum of understanding with Italy’s ALA Group to jointly pursue integrated supply chain work across production and aftermarket lifecycles in the sector. Read more.

Lucy & Yak adds Sheffield to its growing physical retail footprint. The opening of its fifteenth UK store reflects continued demand for the brand’s community-led, sustainability-focused fashion model. The expansion strengthens its high street presence as circular and values-driven apparel gains mainstream traction. Read more.

Circular Tech Expo confirms its 2026 conference dates and opens nominations for The Circular 100 Awards. The event will take place on 13–14 October at Farnborough International, bringing together leaders across circular technology, ITAD, e-waste and resource management. Award nominations are now live, spotlighting organisations and individuals driving measurable circular impact. Read more.

California and the UK establish a new climate and clean tech partnership. Governor Gavin Newsom and UK government officials signed a memorandum to deepen cooperation on decarbonisation, clean energy deployment and green technology innovation. The agreement is designed to accelerate joint investment, scale low-carbon solutions and strengthen transatlantic climate leadership. Read more.

UK ranks among global leaders in circular economy performance, new WRAP report finds. Commissioned for enfinium, the study highlights strong reuse, recycling and resource efficiency outcomes compared with international benchmarks. It also identifies areas requiring further infrastructure and policy focus. Read more.

Zero Waste Europe urges ring-fencing of EPR funding to boost recycling and circularity. The advocacy group says that ensuring extended producer responsibility fees are dedicated solely to waste prevention, reuse and recycling infrastructure will strengthen systems and deliver better environmental outcomes. Read more.

Refurbished PC sales are surging across Europe as memory shortages bite new device availability. Data shows refurbished desktops and laptops are outpacing new sales growth, driven by tighter component supply and rising enterprise demand for cost-efficient IT refresh cycles. Read more.

Germany announces landmark new packaging regulation to boost circularity. New rules will tighten recycling targets, extend producer responsibility requirements and mandate greater reuse and recyclability for packaging. Officials say the reform aims to reduce waste, increase material recovery rates and drive systemic change. Read more.

Taiwan is accelerating its circular economy agenda with new laws, AI integration and expanded green funding. The policy package tightens recycling mandates, promotes material reuse across key industries and injects capital into sustainable innovation. Officials say the move will drive domestic circular capability while positioning Taiwan as a regional leader in resource-efficient growth. Read more.

eBay agrees a $1.2bn cash deal to buy Depop from Etsy. The acquisition strengthens its access to younger resale audiences and high-growth fashion recommerce. The move is expected to accelerate Depop’s expansion while reinforcing eBay’s broader circular commerce strategy. Read more.

Vanguard Renewables acquires EZ Recycling to expand its organic waste and recycling footprint. The deal brings EZ Recycling’s collection and processing capabilities into Vanguard’s network, strengthening its ability to convert food and organic waste into renewable energy and soil amendments. Read more.

Nando raises €3.3m to scale its AI-powered waste intelligence platform. The company uses artificial intelligence to deliver real-time insights into waste streams, helping businesses improve measurement accuracy, optimise sorting and cut operational costs. The funding will support product development and wider commercial rollout. Read more.

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

Cheers to circularity,

#TeamCircularConnect #ConnectingTheCircularEconomy