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

Mint Innovation and HP demonstrate a closed loop copper recycling collaboration. The partners recovered high purity copper from HP’s end of life printed circuit boards and reused the material in new laptops. The project demonstrates how traceable recycled metals can be integrated directly back into manufacturing. Read more.

Epson and DLL partner to expand leasing and improve product circularity. The agreement will scale leasing across Europe while keeping devices within Epson’s lifecycle management system. Returned equipment can then be refurbished, reused or recycled at end of lease. Read more.

Neo Performance Materials and Cyclic Materials partner on rare earth magnet recycling. The agreement will recover materials from magnet scrap and end of life magnets and convert them into mixed rare earth oxides. These recycled materials will then be fed back into Neo’s magnet production supply chain. Read more.

Global Fashion Agenda and Visa launch Recycle the Runway to support circular fashion. The programme backs emerging designers building businesses around models such as repair, resale, rental and redistribution. Selected creators receive funding, mentorship and the opportunity to showcase their work. Read more.

Material Index partners with Wates and Derwent London to scale construction reuse. The circular economy platform has been appointed by the Tier 1 contractor and FTSE 250 developer to enable reuse of surplus and reclaimed construction components. Read more.

Catack-H and Posco International partner to develop recycled carbon fibre materials. The companies will source scrap composites and process them into new carbon fibre products for industrial applications, expanding the supply of recycled composites across global markets. Read more.

Sustainable Molecules forms a €500m waste-to-molecules venture with Eren Groupe. The partnership will deploy advanced gasification plants converting non-recyclable waste into syngas. The output can then be upgraded into fuels including methanol, hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuel. Read more.

Samsung eliminates single use plastics from its mobile device packaging. The company says smartphone packaging now uses paper based and recycled materials as part of its Galaxy for the Planet initiative. The programme also includes zero waste to landfill certifications and greater use of recycled materials in devices. Read more.

BlackRock backs Vinted through a secondary share transaction. The asset manager is among investors buying stakes from existing shareholders in the second hand fashion marketplace. The deal is expected to value the Lithuania-based platform at around €8bn and involve more than £500m of shares. Read more.

Refurbed surpasses €3bn in cumulative gross merchandise value. The Austrian marketplace for refurbished electronics and appliances has sold more than 10m products since launching in 2017. The company is also expanding into 12 additional European markets as demand for recommerce continues to grow. Read more.

Australia Post launches new 2030 sustainability targets focused on emissions reduction and circularity. The postal operator aims to cut landfill waste by 30% and achieve 80% waste diversion across its operations. The framework also includes electrifying more of its delivery fleet and expanding solar capacity. Read more.

Nuuly attracts a new wave of consumers to fashion rental. The URBN owned platform says nearly 70% of subscribers have never rented clothing before, suggesting the model is expanding the market rather than competing for existing users. The business generated more than $500m in revenue last year. Read more.

2Service launches a Nordic distribution hub in Malmö, Sweden. The new warehouse will support faster delivery of mobile repair parts and tools to customers across Scandinavia and Northern Europe. The expansion strengthens the company’s distribution network for the mobile repair and refurbishment ecosystem. Read more.

IFC launches a regional initiative to accelerate investment in plastics circularity. The programme will support companies across Latin America and the Caribbean in developing investment ready projects that reduce reliance on virgin plastics. The initiative is being delivered with BlackForest Solutions and Brazil’s plastics association ABIPLAST. Read more.

US consumers are holding onto smartphones for longer, new research from Allstate Protection Plans finds. A survey of more than 1,000 consumers shows upgrade cycles are stretching as device prices rise and innovation slows. While over half say environmental impact matters, only around 20% recycle old phones and about 18% purchase refurbished devices. Read more.

The UK’s first Circular Construction Hub launches in London’s Royal Docks. The facility will capture construction and demolition materials and process them for reuse in new developments. The project aims to divert at least 950 tonnes of materials from landfill over the next five years. Read more.

Londoners spend £2.5bn each year replacing items that could be repaired. Research ahead of Repair Week 2026 found two thirds of people regularly replace products instead of fixing them. Textiles and electricals are the most commonly discarded items despite being repairable. Read more.

Reconomy expands European footprint with a new acquisition. The circular economy specialist has acquired Germany-based GfAW, a waste management company focused on complex industrial and construction waste streams. The deal strengthens Reconomy’s ability to manage materials such as mineral wool and gypsum. Read more.

Echo Technology acquires IT asset disposition specialist BMS. The deal expands its technology lifecycle services including data destruction, refurbishment and resale of used IT equipment. The combined businesses repurpose more than 150,000 devices annually and process over 4m kg of e-waste each year. Read more.

Soles4Souls acquires footwear and apparel reconditioning specialist Erren Recondition. The deal expands the nonprofit’s circular solutions platform for brands and retailers by adding capabilities in cleaning, repair, quality control and product reconditioning. Erren will continue operating in Europe while supporting Soles4Souls’ global efforts to extend product lifecycles and reduce waste. Read more.

Phoenix Tailings raises $40.2m to expand US rare earth metals capacity. The funding will scale production of critical rare earth materials recovered from mining waste and industrial byproducts. The move aims to strengthen domestic supply chains for strategic metals. Read more.

NPHarvest secures up to €1.2m to scale its nutrient recovery technology. The Finnish start-up captures nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater streams and converts them into fertiliser inputs. The funding will support international expansion and further development of the technology. Read more.

Recyclus launches a crowdfunding campaign to support expansion of its battery recycling operations. The UK-based company is raising investment via Crowdcube to increase lithium ion processing capacity and scale its recycling infrastructure. Read more.

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

Cheers to circularity,

#TeamCircularConnect #ConnectingTheCircularEconomy