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

L’Oréal partners with Dioxycle to turn captured carbon into packaging materials. The multi-year agreement will use carbon electrolysis to convert captured CO₂ emissions into ethylene, a key building block for polyethylene plastics used in packaging. Read more.

DEScycle and Mitsubishi Corporation partner to expand recovery of critical metals from e-waste. The companies will collaborate in Japan to process electronic scrap using DEScycle’s ionometallurgy technology, combining it with Mitsubishi’s global trading network to commercialise recovered metals. Read more.

Hyundai Motor Group and Huayou Recycling partner to build an EV battery circular economy in Indonesia. The companies will collect battery production scrap from Hyundai and LG Energy Solution’s HLI Green Power plant and process it into “black mass” for recovery of critical minerals such as lithium, nickel and cobalt. Read more.

FedEx and Returnity partner to launch reusable shipping boxes for B2B supply chains. The collapsible containers are designed for closed-loop logistics such as warehouse-to-store shipments and can be reused for up to 50 cycles, cutting packaging waste and emissions. Read more.

Indorama Ventures partners with Nigerian Breweries and Genesis Energy to build a major rPET recycling facility in Nigeria. The Lagos plant is designed to produce around 45,000 tonnes of food-grade recycled PET annually, converting post-consumer bottles into packaging materials with start-up targeted for 2027. Read more.

New Balance expands its resale strategy as demand for refurbished footwear grows. The company is scaling its Reconsidered programme, which refurbishes returned and lightly worn trainers for resale online and in stores as brands increasingly tap secondary markets to extend product lifecycles. Read more.

SUEZ secures a 10-year contract to operate and upgrade a French energy-from-waste facility. The agreement with intermunicipal authority SIVALOR will see SUEZ run the Valserhône plant from 2027 while improving energy efficiency, water reuse and metal recovery. Read more.

American Resources’ Electrified Materials expands rare earth recycling processing capacity. The company has added a new processing line to aggregate and condition magnet materials, copper, aluminium and ferrous metals recovered from end-of-life products. Read more.

Thursday Boot Company launches a branded resale marketplace powered by Trove. The Thursday ReBoots platform allows customers to buy and sell pre-owned boots through peer-to-peer listings and Trove-inspected inventory, giving products a second life within the brand’s own ecosystem. Read more.

Sims Lifecycle Services reports rising demand for recovered data centre chips as AI infrastructure expands. The company says higher prices for DDR4 chips are boosting recovery and resale opportunities as hyperscalers upgrade servers and transition towards newer DDR5 hardware. Read more.

Enfinium rolls out AI monitoring across its energy-from-waste facilities. The operator is expanding visual AI technology from Wasteer to detect non-conforming waste entering plants following successful pilots at Ferrybridge and Parc Adfer. Read more.

2Service expands its European distribution network with a new warehouse in Warsaw. The facility follows the acquisition of Polish distributor TechSupply and integrates into the company’s logistics network alongside hubs in Arnhem, Vienna and Malmö, strengthening spare parts supply across Eastern Europe. Read more.

Basatne launches ORBT to digitise payouts across trade-in and reverse commerce ecosystems. The platform converts refunds and buyback payments into digital credits, gift cards or wallet value that can be redeemed across partner brands, keeping value circulating rather than exiting as cash. Read more.

EU commits more than €103m to circular economy and climate resilience projects. The funding, delivered through the LIFE programme, will support seven initiatives across countries including the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain focused on circular materials use, ecosystem restoration and climate adaptation. Read more.

Oman and Germany launch a partnership to accelerate circular economy development. Oman’s Authority for Public Services Regulation has signed an agreement with Germany’s University of Rostock to collaborate on waste management, recycling systems and circular economy policy. Read more.

Türkiye prepares sweeping restrictions on single-use plastics as part of a new circular economy policy. The draft regulation would prohibit items including plastic cutlery, plates, straws and cotton buds as the country aligns with EU-style plastics rules and aims to significantly reduce plastic waste. Read more.

Romania’s refurbished smartphone market reaches new maturity as adoption rises. Research from Recommerce Group shows 64% of Romanians have already owned a second-hand smartphone, with refurbished devices now accounting for 19% of phones currently in use. Read more.

Hindustan Unilever, the UK government and EY back Indian startups advancing circular solutions. Through the TRANSFORM initiative, the partners will support early-stage ventures with funding and mentorship to help scale solutions in waste reduction, sustainable materials and regenerative agriculture. Read more.

£1m Electricals Recycling Fund opens for its third year to expand UK e-waste collection. The programme from Material Focus will support councils and organisations developing easier ways for households to recycle small electricals, including on-street collection banks and community drop-off points. Read more.

New York commits $2.36m to accelerate reuse and recycling of waste tyres. The funding from Empire State Development will support six technology projects focused on retreading, devulcanisation and recycled rubber products through the state’s Waste Tire Program. Read more.

Lux Aeterna raises $10m to develop reusable, returnable satellites. The funding will support development of the company’s Delphi spacecraft, designed to survive atmospheric re-entry and fly multiple missions rather than being discarded after a single use. Read more.

Hosel raises £500k in pre-seed funding to build a marketplace for second-hand golf equipment. The platform aggregates listings from trusted sellers to help golfers compare prices and buy authenticated pre-owned clubs, with plans to launch in the UK before expanding into the US market. Read more.

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

Cheers to circularity,

#TeamCircularConnect #ConnectingTheCircularEconomy