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

Industry News

Collaborations and Partnerships:

AMP and Waste Connections partner to launch AI-powered sorting facility. Waste Connections’ AMP ONE-equipped plant will autonomously sort single-stream recyclables using AI to improve recovery and reduce manual labour. Read more. 

IIT Delhi and VFlowTech collaborate to build India’s circular vanadium supply chain. The MoU aims to convert refinery waste, specifically petcoke cinder, into battery-grade vanadium pentoxide for redox flow batteries, supporting the 'Made in India' energy storage ecosystem. Read more.

Company Updates:

thredUP reports record‑breaking Q2 revenue of $77.7 million. Fuelled by surging buyer numbers and AI-powered features like Visual Search and generated model images, the resale platform posted $77.7 million in revenue, exceeding predictions by over $4 million. Read more.

Microsoft unveils its zero-waste commitment across operations, products, and packaging. The tech giant pledges to divert at least 90% of its solid waste from landfills, use 100% recyclable Surface devices and packaging, and achieve a minimum of 75% diversion for construction and demolition waste by 2030. Read more.

Supercycle unveils “Cycles” platform for Shopify brands. Built to integrate rental, resale, and subscription models directly into Shopify storefronts, Cycles unifies inventory, orders, and customer accounts, making circular business models smoother and more profitable. Join the waitlist here.

Loop Industries launches Twist, a 100% textile-waste polyester resin. Originally developed as a fibre-grade PET, Twist has been rebranded to reflect its role in helping the textile industry move away from linear production and virgin materials. Read more.

GXO Logistics beats Q2 expectations. The supply chain and reverse logistics leader posted $3.3 billion in revenue, exceeding predictions by $210 million, and raised its 2025 outlook for organic growth and EBITDA. Leadership specifically cited reverse logistics as a key driver of growth. Read more.

Techbros launches the Southwest’s first AI-driven ITAD & e‑waste facility. The new R2v3‑certified facility in Phoenix integrates AI across logistics, diagnostics, and secure data destruction to enhance transparency, compliance, and the lifespan of e‑waste. Read more.

Regional Highlights:

Australia’s Flinders University pioneers eco‑friendly gold extraction from e‑waste. Researchers at Flinders University have developed a new process using pool disinfectant, saltwater, and UV light to extract 99% pure gold from discarded electronics, without toxic chemicals. Read more.

Canadian researchers discover that waxworms can rapidly digest plastic. A team from Brandon University in Canada found that around 2,000 caterpillars can consume an entire polyethylene bag in just 24 hours, transforming the plastic into body fat, a discovery with promising implications for circular economy innovations. Read more.

Germany unveils €390 billion strategy to pivot clean-tech supply chains. The plan aims to cut reliance on Chinese wind turbine components by diversifying Europe’s offshore wind supply chain and securing more resilient regional manufacturing. Read more.

Lisbon introduces Europe’s first citywide reusable cup system. The city has launched a deposit‑return scheme powered by TOMRA’s “Rotake” tech, allowing venues to serve drinks in reusable cups with a refundable €0.60 deposit, returnable via tap‑in at dedicated machines. Read more.

Western Cape targets circular growth with new business guide. Wesgro and GreenCape have released a CEO-focused circular economy guide supporting more resilient and sustainable business models, and recommending cooperation between public and private sectors. Read more.

Morocco commits to circularity with its new waste management plan. The Moroccan government has launched a national strategy to accelerate the transition to a circular economy, focusing on improved waste governance, recycling systems, and inclusive stakeholder engagement. Read more.

46% of Brits hang onto old electronics out of sentimentality. A survey reveals nearly half of UK adults are storing unused gadgets for emotional reasons. Virgin Media O2 and Hubbub aim to change this through a reuse and donation campaign. Read more.

Policy and Regulation:

EU launches public consultation for upcoming Circular Economy Act. The European Commission is soliciting feedback until 6 November 2025 to shape its new Circular Economy Act, aiming to double the EU’s circularity rate, boost economic resilience, and establish a single market for secondary raw materials by 2030. Read more.

Ellen MacArthur Foundation responds to EU’s Circular Economy Act consultation. The Foundation has joined six other NGOs in a joint letter urging the EU to set a bold and ambitious policy direction, framing the upcoming Act as a critical opportunity to accelerate systemic change across Europe. Read more.

National Grid becomes first UK energy firm to sign ‘IT Reuse for Good’ Charter. The charter promotes IT reuse and redistribution to reduce e-waste and tackle digital exclusion. By joining the initiative, National Grid is committing to extend the life of used devices and support community digital access. Read more.

UK’s Environment Agency to introduce enhanced checks on the export of tyres. The checks are designed to reduce the number of waste tyres ending up in furnaces as opposed to being recycled. Read more.

Intimiti launches Sustainability Academy to drive circularity in synthetic textiles.
The Australian initiative convenes fibre innovators, brands, recyclers, researchers, and policymakers to scale solutions by providing early innovation access, pilot support, and alignment on technical standards and policy for synthetic circularity. Read more.

Investment News

M&A:

Glencore completes acquisition of Li‑Cycle, forming Glencore Battery Recycling (GBR). As of August 8, 2025, Glencore has officially acquired Canadian battery recycler Li‑Cycle and will now operate its services under the new Glencore Battery Recycling (GBR) brand. Read more.

Sabert Corp acquires sustainable packaging specialist Colpac. Sabert has completed the acquisition of Colpac Limited, significantly expanding its UK, Irish, and European footprint in sustainable paperboard packaging. Read more.

Lyten acquires Northvolt’s remaining EU assets to boost battery innovation. The battery company will take over Northvolt’s factories, labs, and IP across Sweden and Germany. The move revives critical infrastructure and positions Lyten to scale lithium-sulfur technology. Read more.

Venture and Growth Capital:

Princeton NuEnergy wins NSF SuperBoost Grant to expand recycling of lithium-ion batteries. The award supports the expansion of its low-temperature, plasma-assisted process that rejuvenates cathode and anode materials, offering a low-emission, acid-free recycling method. Read more.

WestView Capital backs PharmaLink to enhance pharmaceutical reverse logistics. The Boston-based growth equity firm has injected capital into PharmaLink, enabling capacity expansion, automation, and strengthening of its reverse logistics services for unsaleable, expired, and recalled pharmaceutical products. Read more.

Friendlier surpasses $10 million CAD in total funding to scale reusable packaging across Canada. The sustainable packaging startup raised $4.5 million CAD in additional funding to accelerate its mission of making reuse more accessible, scalable, and competitive. Read more.

ketteQ secures $20 million in Series B funding to scale AI-powered supply chain planning. The Atlanta-based company raised the capital, led by Vocap Partners, to accelerate global expansion, deepen its agentic AI capabilities, enhance delivery capacity, and grow its partner ecosystem. Read more.

Circular toy platform Snooplay secures $913K to drive recommerce growth. Fresh funding will power product development and expansion of Snooplay’s AI-based system for discovering, reselling, and reusing toys across the Indian market. Read more.

Market Trends:

Global clean energy investment projected to hit $2.2 trillion in 2025. According to the IEA’s World Energy Investment 2025 report, clean energy now commands about two-thirds of total energy investment (more than double the funding for fossil fuels) with solar, wind, energy storage, and low-emissions technologies driving the growth. Read more.

Before we wrap up for the weekend, why not take part in our referral scheme and share Circular Connect with someone who will benefit from it?

Have a great one and we’ll meet again on Monday!

Cheers to circularity,

#TeamCircularConnect #ConnectingTheCircularEconomy