Industry News

Member Updates:

eBay reports 15% growth in quarterly marketplace volume to $23.2 billion. Recommerce grew over 20% in Q3 2026, while its wider strategic priorities, including focus categories and consumer-to-consumer trading, accounted for 72% of marketplace volume, excluding Depop. Read more.

Collaborations and Partnerships:

Otto Group partners with Sereact to automate returns processing using AI robotics. Ten robotic systems will be deployed at its Polish logistics centre to identify, assess and sort returned products, with a further 15 planned subject to results and potential expansion across its wider network. Read more.

Business Developments:

Apple's advanced recycling system achieves over 95% aluminium purity from e-waste. Its Cora technology combines precision shredding and sensor-based sorting to recover valuable materials, compared with less than 70% purity using conventional methods. Apple plans to share its findings with the wider industry. Read more.

Audemars Piguet launches certified pre-owned watch marketplace. The Swiss luxury watchmaker's new platform, The Watch Keepers, enables customers across Europe and Switzerland to buy and sell authenticated, refurbished and certified timepieces, supported by manufacturer inspections and warranties. Read more.

Volkswagen launches vehicle dismantling operations at Zwickau plant amid restructuring. Targeting 4,100 vehicles annually from 2027, the facility will recover reusable components and raw materials. Volkswagen plans to invest up to €90 million, although the project's commercial viability remains unproven. Read more.

SUEZ's Greater Manchester Renew Hub surpasses £3 million in sales. Since launching in 2021, the reuse operation has recovered over 600,000 household items, including electronics, furniture and bicycles, for repair and resale. The initiative has also generated £1.9 million for local charities and community projects. Read more.

Refurbed prepares to enter UK market as European expansion continues. The established refurbished products marketplace will launch its UK operations in November, having generated over €3 billion in cumulative sales and served more than five million customers across Europe. Read more.

Market and Regional Developments:

Nearly half of US shoppers purchasing AI-recommended products have made returns. Blue Yonder found that 46% had returned an AI-recommended item in the past year, primarily due to inaccurate descriptions and incorrect sizing. Meanwhile, 82% would reduce spending or abandon retailers restricting returns. Read more.

Gen Z shoppers four times more likely than Baby Boomers to buy with plans to return. Locus Robotics research found that 61% of US Gen Z apparel shoppers have purchased multiple sizes or styles intending to return unwanted items, compared with just 15% of Baby Boomers, increasing pressure on retail returns operations. Read more.

UK circular economy could generate £93 billion in additional economic value by 2035. WRAP's Powering Good Growth report estimates that ambitious adoption of repair, reuse, recycling and remanufacturing could also create 550,000 jobs, highlighting significant untapped economic potential across the UK. Read more.

EU researchers propose harmonised rules to accelerate textile reuse and recycling. New proposals from the European Commission's Joint Research Centre aim to clarify when recovered textiles cease to be classified as waste, simplifying cross-border trade and improving market access for recyclers. Read more.

Indonesia expands textile industry with growing focus on circularity. The sector attracted $264 million in investment during H1 2026, while a national initiative has introduced digital traceability for over 4,300 tonnes of textile waste, supporting improved recycling and material recovery. Read more.

Investment News

M&A:

Clarios to acquire Ecobat's US battery recycling operations. The three facilities process over 40 million batteries annually, recovering critical materials including lead, tin and antimony. The acquisition forms part of Clarios' broader $1.9 billion commitment to domestic mineral recycling and processing. Read more.

Strive Capital acquires Jigsaw24 to create £350 million UK technology group. The acquisition brings Jigsaw24 together with Academia Group, combining expertise across IT solutions, managed services and device lifecycle management. Both businesses will initially operate independently as the group pursues further growth. Read more.

Maynards acquires Hilco Industrial Acquisitions' operations to expand global asset recovery capabilities. The transaction brings 16 industrial asset specialists into Maynards, strengthening its presence across Europe, Asia and South America. The combined business will operate from 21 offices across 13 countries. Read more.

Investment and Financing:

PCS Wireless acquires 10.36% interest in Japan's ReNet Group. The investment forms part of a ¥5.4 billion ($34.4 million) financing round, supporting a strategic partnership to expand used-device sourcing, refurbishment and recycling capabilities across Japan. Read more.

Closed Loop Partners backs Renegade Plastics to expand recyclable textile production. The loan supports its Denver pilot facility and plans for commercial-scale manufacturing, alongside a separate $5 million grant. Renegade's recyclable polypropylene fabrics are supported by a network of over 10 US partners. Read more.

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