It’s been a busy week!

Before we get stuck in, don’t forget to RSVP for Circular Connect’s London networking drinks on December 4. We’ll be celebrating 2,000 newsletter subscribers and unveiling some major product updates for the Circular Connect Directory!

Industry News

Collaborations and Partnerships 🤝:

Global brands unite behind a new five-year plan to cut plastic waste. Nestlé, PepsiCo, Unilever and others have jointly endorsed the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s “2030 Plastics Agenda for Business,” committing to coordinated policy advocacy, shared infrastructure, and deeper innovation partnerships. Read more.

BMW launches national EV battery recycling programme in Australia with EcoBatt. The partnership will process end-of-life and damaged high voltage batteries from BMW and Mini EVs at EcoBatt’s new BIDS facility in Victoria. The plant enables safe discharge, shredding, and recovery of black mass. Read more.

Aldi ramps up bottle and can returns with reverse vending machines in Ireland. The retailer says over €62.5 million has been paid out since February 2024, with 363 million containers returned through its DRS-linked system. The rollout now spans all 164 stores nationwide, diverting high volumes of drink packaging from landfill. Read more.

Cisco reaches 100% circular design integration for new products and packaging. Every new Cisco product now embeds its 25 Circular Design Principles, reinforcing reuse, repairability and recyclability across its portfolio. The framework supports modular hardware, lower impact materials and packaging optimisation. Read more.

Wildoo increases donations through partnership with Re-Cycle. The UK cycling product maker is donating 500+ reusable bottles, shakers, and apparel to communities in Ghana, Zambia and Sierra Leone. The goods will accompany refurbished bikes to improve access to transport, education and employment. Read more.

DP World and Cars24 to build large-scale vehicle refurbishment hub in Dubai. The 220,000 square foot facility at National Industries Park will open in 2026, processing more than 100,000 vehicles a year. The site will be solar powered and create over 200 jobs by extending the lifespan of petrol, hybrid and electric vehicles. Read more.

Company Updates 🔎:

Assurant delivers stronger-than-expected Q3 and raises full-year guidance. The company posted ~13% adjusted EBITDA growth, supported by mobile device protection, connected-living services and solid carrier partnerships. Earnings were boosted by higher service volumes and improved operating efficiency. Read more.

Iron Mountain reports a strong Q3 and increases its quarterly dividend by 10%. The company delivered double-digit revenue and EBITDA growth, supported by continued momentum across data centres, digital services and asset-lifecycle businesses. Leadership reaffirmed full-year guidance and expects a solid finish to 2025. Read more.

ThredUp reports strong Q3 momentum following its rebrand and platform upgrades. The resale company saw growth in new shoppers and active buyers, supported by improved margins and higher customer engagement. Management also raised full-year revenue guidance on the back of stronger operating performance. Read more.

Fairphone enters the US market with repair friendly headphones. The Dutch sustainable electronics company is tapping into growing US demand and legislation around the right to repair. It brings a modular, traceable supply chain model and long support promise to the market. Read more.

Mars calls for a national circular economy law to bolster sustainable investment in Mexico. The confectionery and pet care giant argues that without a unified federal framework for reuse, recycling and producer responsibility, companies face fragmented local regulations that deter investment. Read more.

TerraCycle opens 100,000 square foot operations centre in Aurora, Illinois. The facility can handle hard-to-recycle items like snack wrappers, coffee pods, and beauty packaging from across North America. The site processes 500 - 1,000 parcels per day and supports brand partners in expanding recycling access and infrastructure. Read more.

B-Stock releases its Q3 Mobile Insider, analysing the secondary device market. The report tracks month-over-month pricing for leading smartphone models and compares behaviour across condition grades. It also includes an Apple-versus-Samsung pricing review and insights on market shifts following the latest iPhone launch. Read more.

BBVA channels €97 billion into sustainable business in the first nine months of 2025. The total marks a 48% year-on-year increase, with €34 billion deployed in Q3 alone. Around 76% supported climate and natural capital projects, including circular economy initiatives. Read more.

Regional Updates 🌎️:

Taiwan to publish its 2050 circular economy roadmap in 2026. President Lai confirmed the draft has been released, with the final plan set to guide green growth strategy and support the country’s net-zero transition. Proposed reforms include updating the Resource Recycling Act to the Resource Circulation Promotion Act. Read more.

Greece continues to landfill nearly 80% of its municipal waste. Despite significant investment in recycling infrastructure, national recycling rates remain stuck around 17%. Low landfill fees, weak enforcement, and limited public participation are cited as key barriers. Read more.

Investment News

M&A 💰️:

Iron Mountain continues M&A push with acquisition of ACT Group. The deal adds Australian ITAD and remarketing assets to its portfolio, marking another move in the asset lifecycle space. This acquisition strengthens Iron Mountain’s footprint in the APAC region while boosting its capabilities in secure, sustainable IT asset solutions. Read more.

Circular Services acquires Atlas Organics to deepen its organics recycling footprint. The deal brings eight composting sites across the US into Circular Services’ network, expanding its processing capability for food and green waste. It builds on its 2024 acquisitions of Quantum Organics and Blue Earth. Read more.

Black Gold Recycling acquires majority stake in Reteck Envirotech. The Hyderabad-based startup has bought the Indian subsidiary of Li Tong Group, combining Reteck’s e-waste and electronics lifecycle infrastructure with Black Gold’s technology led recovery models across batteries, solar panels, plastics and end-of-life electronics. Read more.

Venture and Growth Capital 📈:

EU Commission commits almost €3 billion to major clean-tech and decarbonisation projects. The funding will back initiatives across energy intensive industries, mobility, manufacturing and buildings. Support is distributed through the Innovation Fund and ETS revenues and aims to cut more than 220 million tonnes of CO₂e in its first decade. Read more.

Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and the Bezos Earth Fund launch a $6.25 million initiative to drive sustainable innovation in fashion. The three-year programme will provide grants to independent designers and scholarships to students focused on circular design, low-impact production and materials innovation. Read more.

Upway secures $60 million to scale refurbished e-bike production through 2030. The company plans to expand its network of “UpCenters” across Europe and North America and increase capacity to refurbish one million bikes this decade, having already refurbished more than 100,000. Read more.

Fit Collective raises £3 million to tackle fashion’s costly sizing and returns problem. The London-based fashion-tech startup uses AI to analyse sizing, returns, and fabric behaviour to help brands reduce waste and improve fit. The funding will expand the team and deepen integrations with global fashion labels. Read more.

Mint Innovation secures cornerstone backing ahead of its planned $299 million IPO. The New Zealand-founded circular metals specialist has lined up roughly $15 million in early commitments to support its upcoming listing. Funds are expected to accelerate development of a new metals recovery facility in Texas. Read more.

DREV secures €2.8 million to scale circular battery manufacturing. The Swedish cleantech startup has raised the seed round to accelerate its “Vault” contamination control system, enabling recovery of critical metals like nickel, cobalt and lithium from battery dust during production and recycling. Read more.

Superior Fine Grind secures capital to upgrade its Pennsylvania MRF. The facility has received multi-million-dollar financing from Closed Loop Partners to modernise operations and expand service to rural communities. The investment will install advanced sorting tech and increase throughput. Read more. 

Benmoyal raises €1 million to accelerate circular textile growth. The French luxury label has secured new funding to scale internationally and expand its collaboration with Nona Source, developing collections built from fabrics made with roughly 75% upcycled unused industry yarns. 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