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

Harrods partners with Traid to redistribute surplus clothing through reuse channels. The initiative will see unsold stock collected, sorted and resold or reused, alongside employee donations and engagement programmes to support circular fashion outcomes. Read more.

Emirates Biotech joins CIRCLE consortium to convert food waste into bioplastics. The project will produce lactic acid and PLA from food waste streams at industrial scale, supporting development of circular, bio-based materials for packaging and other applications. Read more.

Solera launches global circularity consortium across automotive and insurance sectors. The initiative brings together insurers, OEMs and academic partners to align data and standards, aiming to increase repair rates and reduce unnecessary part replacement. Read more.

Fairmat expands partnerships to advance recycling of carbon fibre composites across multiple industries. Collaborations with companies including Airbus, Etex and Salomon will explore reuse of composite waste in aerospace, construction and sports, targeting industrial-scale circularity for high-performance materials. Read more.

Re Sustainability and Indian Oil partner to build India’s first integrated used oil circular economy ecosystem. The collaboration will establish nationwide recovery, reverse logistics and re-refining infrastructure to convert used lubricants into reusable resources at scale. Read more.

Aduro signs LOI with global trading partner to advance circular hydrocarbon production. The agreement includes an initial offtake commitment and establishes a pathway from pilot to commercial scale for converting waste plastics into petrochemical feedstocks. Read more.

CEVA launches maritime service to transport used lithium-ion batteries for recycling. The solution uses specialised containers to safely move batteries from island territories to mainland Europe, addressing growing volumes and limited local recycling capacity. Read more.

DHL opens Erskine Park hub to expand reverse logistics for tech and automotive sectors. The 21,000m² Western Sydney facility adds capacity for spare parts distribution, returns handling and refurbishment services across B2B and B2C supply chains. Read more.

InPost reports strong growth as UK operations grow following Yodel integration. The company delivered record parcel volumes and revenues in FY2025, with UK volumes more than tripling as it invests in network expansion and business transformation. Read more.

Extend launches AI platform to help retailers manage returns, fraud and post-purchase operations. The solution uses AI-driven segmentation to tailor policies across delivery, returns and protection, targeting a growing margin impact estimated at $377bn. Read more.

IKEA expands its second-hand marketplace to Belgium as resale strategy expands across Europe. The platform allows customers to buy and sell pre-owned IKEA furniture locally, building on earlier rollouts in markets including Spain and Norway. Read more.

Depop appoints trends spokesperson to analyse user data and identify emerging fashion trends. Gabriella Karefa-Johnson will use insights from the platform’s 40m+ users to track cultural shifts and reinforce Depop’s positioning within the circular fashion market. Read more.

New Balance expands resale programme to include apparel as circular offering grows. The Reconsidered platform now includes pre-owned clothing alongside footwear, with returned items cleaned, inspected and resold to extend product lifecycles. Read more.

Worn Again unveils Accelerator plant to scale textile-to-fibre recycling technology. The facility demonstrates its chemical process at industrial scale, recovering polyester and cellulose from blended textiles as it moves towards full commercial deployment. Read more.

Cox Automotive surpasses 10 million pounds of EV battery material recovered. The milestone reflects growing scale in battery recycling, with black mass containing critical minerals processed for reuse across new battery supply chains. Read more.

NIST launches circular economy standards registry to improve material and data alignment. The new tool helps organisations identify relevant standards, committees and resources, addressing a key barrier to scaling circular supply chains. Read more.

US commits $500m to strengthen domestic processing of critical materials. The funding will support commercial-scale projects across mineral processing, battery manufacturing and recycling, aiming to reduce reliance on foreign supply chains and expand domestic capacity. Read more.

New research reveals billions in returned toys are ending up as waste in the US. An estimated $6bn to $9bn worth of toys are returned each year, with a large proportion unable to be resold and ultimately sent to landfill or low-value recovery streams. Read more.

Unused electronics are being positioned as a domestic source of critical minerals in the US. Industry leaders highlight an estimated $67bn of value locked in idle devices, with collection and processing infrastructure remaining a key barrier to recovery at scale. Read more.

UK launches business-focused circularity initiative backed by King Charles. The programme aims to support organisations in adopting circular practices through guidance, collaboration and industry engagement across key sectors. Read more.

London launches cross-borough initiative to increase reuse of school uniforms and cut textile waste. The programme will support collection, sorting and redistribution of pre-owned uniforms through schools, helping reduce costs for families while embedding circular practices across the education system. Read more.

Ivy Technology acquires Tempest Telecom Solutions to expand capabilities and market reach. The deal adds wireless network expertise to Ivy’s portfolio, strengthening its ability to serve telecom, enterprise and government customers while scaling equipment sales and global service delivery. Read more.

RES acquires European PLA bioplastics plant to expand circular materials capability. The company has purchased a 5,000 tonne capacity facility in Italy for €2.7m, with plans to bring it online by 2027 and generate up to €25m in annual revenue. Read more.

WeSort.AI raises €10m to expand AI-driven recovery of critical materials from waste. The technology uses advanced sensors to identify and extract valuable materials such as batteries from mixed waste streams, improving recovery rates and reducing fire risk in recycling facilities. Read more.

Ence’s recycled fibre bioplant receives €24.7m EU funding to advance circular materials production. The project will produce bleached recycled fibre from recovered paper and cardboard without using wood, supporting industrial decarbonisation and resource circularity. Read more.

Rubi closes $7.5m to develop textiles made from captured carbon emissions. The funding will support development of its biocatalysis system, which converts CO₂ into cellulose fibres for use in materials such as viscose and lyocell. Read more.

Novira expands reusable packaging platform following $10m credit facility. The funding will support rollout of its container system and AI optimisation tools across foodservice and venue operators. Read more.

Loxa raises £2.7m to tackle costly furniture returns through embedded protection. The platform enables retailers to offer accidental damage cover at checkout, reducing refund-driven returns in categories where replacement and logistics costs are high. Read more.

SeaDyes secures £200k to scale seaweed-based textile dyes. SeaDyes will use the funding to commercialise its bio-based alternative to synthetic dyes, targeting lower-impact colour solutions for the fashion industry. Read more.

Want to generate new partnerships or inbound opportunities in 2026?

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

Cheers to circularity,

#TeamCircularConnect #ConnectingTheCircularEconomy