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

Industry News

Collaborations and Partnerships 🤝:

Reconomy partners with PolyTag to reduce packaging waste. The collaboration will apply Polytag’s traceability technology to track packaging through the recycling chain and generate clearer data on material flows, enabling more recycling and reuse while reducing waste. Read more.

Goodwill, Reju and WM launch partnership to boost textile circularity. The three organisations have formed a collaboration to collect, sort and reuse donated clothing across North America. Items that cannot be resold will be sent to Reju for fibre-to-fibre recycling. Read more.

Graduate Fashion Foundation and Zalando launch new Circularity Masterclass. The programme will reach 11 European fashion schools and 30 UK universities, teaching circular design, material selection and end-of-life planning. Students will also take part in a design challenge with winners showcased at Graduate Fashion Week 2026. Read more.

Company Updates 🔎:

Lenovo launches B2B refurbishment service to cut e-waste. Lenovo has introduced Certified Refurbishment Services across 14 European markets, helping businesses restore and redeploy devices rather than replace them. The offer includes OEM-grade refurbishment, renewed warranties and data sanitisation. Read more.

AMP Robotics wins 20-year contract for major AI-enabled recycling project. The company will manage waste for 1.2 million Virginian residents using AI-driven sorting to boost recovery of recyclables and organics. The project aims to divert hundreds of thousands of tonnes from landfill and raise regional recycling rates. Read more.

BackMarket expects 30% revenue growth to $3.5 billion by year-end. The refurbished electronics marketplace is on track for strong growth this year, signalling rising demand for refurbished consumer devices. Broader marketplace trends point to widespread adoption of the secondary market. Read more.

eBay steps up investment in startups powering recommerce. eBay Ventures is backing companies that build resale, repair, rental and reverse logistics capabilities, strengthening the infrastructure behind its marketplace. The strategy aims to accelerate new models that make buying and selling used goods easier and more scalable. Read more.

Samsara Eco named among Australia’s top climate tech scaleups. The enzymatic recycling specialist was highlighted in Climate Salad’s 2025 report as one of the startups most likely to reach unicorn status. The recognition reflects its progress in scaling textile and plastic-to-plastic recycling. Read more.

Reconext brings ITAD capabilities into the ServiceNow ecosystem. The company has introduced an integration that lets enterprises manage data wipe, asset tracking and end-of-life device handling directly through ServiceNow. The move streamlines circular IT workflows and supports higher recovery rates. Read more.

Fixably rolls out Parts Harvesting, adding another circular enablement tool this year. The repair management platform now allows processors to reclaim usable components from end-of-life devices, track them in dedicated stock, and reuse them for future repairs or resale. Read more.

Cashify becomes Amazon’s trusted reseller for Amazon devices. Cashify has been appointed as a verified reseller for Amazon devices, strengthening its role in India’s fast-growing recommerce market. The partnership gives Cashify access to certified inventory and supports wider refurbishment and resale of Amazon products. Read more.

Refurbr officially launches with Black Friday introductory offer. Refurbr has gone live after months of development, with an exclusive introductory offer available to the next 10 customers on the mailing list. Readers can sign up to secure early access before the allocation is filled. Sign up here.

Regional Updates 🌎️:

UK unveils strategy to reduce reliance on critical mineral imports. The plan aims for 10% of national demand to come from domestic production and 20% from recycling by 2035. It includes a commitment to produce at least 50,000 tonnes of lithium domestically per year and a £50 million fund for mineral-supply projects. Read more.

US Senate passes REUSE Act to explore reuse and refill systems nationwide. The bill directs the EPA to study national opportunities for reuse and refill across packaging, retail and foodservice. The findings will examine job creation potential and inform future policy to scale reuse infrastructure. Read more.

Australia, Canada and India launch partnership to strengthen clean supply chains. The partnership will deepen collaboration on critical minerals, cleantech manufacturing and innovation. Plans include expanding recycling capacity and improving supply chain resilience for key materials. Read more.

Lisbon enables cup reuse with TOMRA return machines and Mastercard integration. The city has deployed reverse vending machines that accept used cups and support cashless returns, making it easier for consumers to participate. The rollout aims to drive higher reuse rates across Lisbon’s beverage sector. Read more.

India calls for stronger global action on critical mineral circularity. At the G20 climate discussions, India urged member countries to collaborate on scaling recycling and circular supply chains for key minerals. The proposals aim to reduce resource pressures and support clean energy manufacturing. Read more.

Saudi Arabia unveils new seaweed-based bio-textile. The Fashion Commission has launched the Red Sea Seaweed Project, creating a biotextile made from sustainably harvested marine algae. The fibre is blended with Lyocell and organic cotton before being woven into garments. Read more.

Romania’s deposit return scheme hits world-leading performance. The national system has reached return rates of around 94% for bottles and cans since launching in 2023. More than 7.5 billion containers have been collected and recycled, cutting waste and boosting material recovery. Read more.

UK could add 5,400 jobs by ending plastic waste exports. A new report finds that ending exports of unprocessed plastic waste by 2030 could create thousands of jobs and generate more than £800 million of private investment and nearly £900 million in annual economic value. Read more.

European industry groups raise alarm over mounting raw material risks. A coalition of 19 major unions and trade bodies warns that Europe’s heavy dependence on imported critical materials is becoming a serious vulnerability, urging greater focus on domestic extraction, circular practices and diversified sourcing. Read more.

Investment News

M&A 💰️:

Veolia moves to acquire US hazardous waste operator Clean Earth. The $3 billion deal would add 82 facilities to Veolia’s network and significantly expand its hazardous waste management capacity in the US. Completion is expected mid-2026 subject to regulatory approval. Read more.

Venture and Growth Capital 📈:

Touchstone Partners launches $10 million Green Transition Fund for Asia. The VC firm has created a new fund targeting early-stage startups working in sustainable agriculture, circular economy, waste management and clean energy across Vietnam and Southeast Asia. Read more.

Revibe raises $17 million to accelerate its refurbished electronics marketplace. The new funding will help the Dubai-based startup expand its platform, onboard more sellers, and scale quality-controlled refurbished tech across the region. The raise signals growing investor confidence in Middle Eastern recommerce. Read more.

Ponda raises over €2 million to scale its wetland-based textile innovation. The fashion tech startup has secured fresh funding to turn sustainably harvested wetland plants into fabric, offering a low-impact alternative to conventional textiles. The capital injection will scale production and bring its novel material to market. Read more.

Iondrive raises $4 million to scale e-waste recycling in the US. The Australian cleantech firm has secured new funding to commercialise its IONSolv process in North America. The capital will support deployment of a modular facility that recovers rare-earth oxides and critical metals from end-of-life electronics. Read more.

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

Cheers to circularity,

#TeamCircularConnect #ConnectingTheCircularEconomy