From circular partnerships to policy shifts and fresh capital flows, it’s been a busy week! Let’s get stuck in.

Industry News

Collaborations and Partnerships 🤝:

Pepsi partners with Cleantech Ltd. to strengthen circular systems in Sri Lanka. The partnership supports PET bottle collection and processing at Cleantech’s Wattala Circular Economy Services Division. The collaboration enables shared responsibility between brand and recycler while strengthening circular infrastructure. Read more.

Belkin partners with ScreenSkinz to scale custom device protection. The accessories brand now offers made-to-order screen protection alongside its expanded ScreenForce range. Combined with a new wear-and-tear replacement programme, Belkin is extending device lifespans and reducing premature replacements. Read more.

Major US retail chain rolls out Returnity’s reusable packaging at scale. The retailer has introduced over 100,000 reusable shipping containers from Returnity across thousands of stores, replacing single-use cardboard. The containers are designed to cycle through deliveries, transfers and fulfilment workflows. Read more.

Persimmon and Nexus Regen team up to scale materials reuse in housebuilding. The homebuilder has launched a materials exchange platform with Nexus Regen that matches surplus construction materials with projects that can reuse them, cutting waste and embedding circular flows into build environments. Read more.

Company Updates 🔎:

DHL outlines the sustainable packaging trends it expects in 2026. The logistics provider highlights next-generation biodegradable and bio-based materials entering the mainstream, the rise of smart packaging with QR codes and sensors, and lightweight design that cuts material use and emissions. Read more.

ASOS highlights return behaviour with a new transparency tool. UK shoppers can now see their personal return rate in the ASOS app. The feature is designed to help customers avoid surprise fees by flagging when they are nearing chargeable thresholds and offering tips to shop with confidence. Read more.

ecoATM delivers stronger-than-expected growth in device recovery volumes. The kiosk-based operator exceeded its 2025 expectations, driven by increased consumer participation and a wider partner network. Improved operational performance reflects rising demand for convenient device recovery and reuse pathways. Read more.

ReturnPro rolls out first-of-its-kind end-to-end returns app for Shopify. The new Shopify app offers integrated returns management, automated workflows and customer communications to simplify reverse logistics for merchants. The solution aims to unify returns processes and improve post-purchase experiences at scale. Read more.

The Royal Mint unveils its first commemorative coins made with recycled gold. Five new coin designs have been revealed for 2026, marking milestones from motorsport to conservation and charitable impact. For the first time, limited annual sets will include coins struck using gold recovered from old jewellery and coins. Read more.

LG sharpens its circular economy strategy across products and operations. The electronics group used CES 2026 to outline progress against its Better Life for All vision, with expanded use of recycled plastics, reduced packaging waste and scaled e-waste recovery. Read more.

Vestiaire Collective co-founder Fanny Moizant exits after 16 years. Moizant, who helped build the luxury resale marketplace into a global recommerce leader, has announced she is leaving the company amid broader organisational changes at the business. Read more.

Röhm advances plans for a chemical recycling plant for PMMA in Germany. The chemicals maker has commissioned a feasibility study with NextChem’s MyRemono to develop a 5,000-tonne-per-year PMMA depolymerisation facility at its Worms site. The initiative is part of broader efforts to industrialise advanced recycling. Read more.

Amcor supports Danish push to recycle food-grade plastic packaging. The packaging group has joined a three-year national project to build a circular system for household food packaging. The initiative focuses on turning post-consumer plastics into high-quality materials suitable for food applications. Read more.

Ming Yang claims world-first fully recyclable carbon fibre wind turbine blade. The Chinese manufacturer says its latest blade can be fully recycled at end of life using mild chemical separation. If proven at scale, the breakthrough could solve one of wind energy’s most persistent waste challenges. Read more.

Regional Developments 🌎️:

Global apparel and textile recycling market projected to top $20 billion by 2031. New market research forecasts the clothing and textile recycling sector to reach about $20.2 billion by 2031, with growth driven by circular economy initiatives, increased recycling infrastructure and rising brand commitments to material recovery. Read more.

Chemical recycling plastics market volume forecast to grow sharply by 2035. New analysis projects plastic chemical recycling capacity rising from around 1.4 million tonnes in 2026 to nearly 11.9 million tonnes by 2035, signalling rapid scale-up of advanced processing technologies and demand for secondary feedstocks. Read more.

Global food waste could cost businesses $540 billion in 2026. New research forecasts that food waste across global supply chains will impose significant economic costs this year, eroding margins from processing through to retail and pointing to major visibility gaps in perishables, transport and inventory management. Read more.

UK retailers face £1.5 billion returns challenge after the festive period. Analysis suggests more than £1.5 billion worth of goods purchased over Christmas are expected to be returned to UK retailers in early 2026. The figures highlight the scale of post-holiday returns volumes and the operational strain they impose. Read more.

UK Parliament flags £250 million opportunity in domestic tyre recycling. A Westminster debate highlighted the economic and environmental potential of scaling tyre collection and processing within the UK, including value capture from recovered rubber and steel. Read more.

EU unveils targeted measures to support its plastics recycling industry. The European Commission is proposing urgent actions to help recyclers compete with cheap virgin plastic imports, including union-wide end-of-waste criteria to ease movement of recycled material across the EU. Read more.

Japan targets 25% cut in clothing waste by 2030 under new circular fashion plan. The government will introduce a national action plan to expand clothing reuse, recycling and product lifespan extension, responding to rising textile waste and emissions. Measures will involve local authorities, apparel brands and households. Read more.

Chinese researchers unveil highly efficient e-waste gold recovery process. A team has developed a new method that significantly boosts the extraction rate of gold from discarded electronics using a refined hydrometallurgical approach. The advance could further cut dependence on traditional mining for precious metals. Read more.

Investment News

M&A 💰️:

Advent and insiders explore taking InPost private in multibillion-euro deal. Buyout firm Advent International is in talks with InPost’s founder Rafal Brzoska and investor PPF Group on a potential acquisition of the European parcel locker and logistics operator, forming a consortium to take the Amsterdam-listed business private. Read more.

Gemspring Capital acquires TRG to expand enterprise mobility services. The private equity firm has acquired the mobility lifecycle management provider, partnering with founder and CEO Sean Kennedy. TRG will continue to operate under its existing brand and leadership while scaling its technology and service offering. Read more.

Venture and Growth Capital 📈:

Swap raises $100 million Series C to scale commerce infrastructure. The platform has closed the round to deepen its suite of tools supporting returns, exchanges and recommerce experiences for retailers. The funding will accelerate product development and expand its market footprint. Read more.

Blue Whale Materials lands $55 million DOE backing to expand battery materials recovery. The US Department of Energy grant will support expansion of the company’s Oklahoma facility, scaling capacity for processing end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and strengthening domestic supply of critical materials. Read more.

German innovation funding backs a new approach to critical metals recovery. DEScycle has secured €1.5 million from SPRIND to develop technology that extracts high-value metals from e-waste. The project aims to strengthen onshore circular supply chains and reduce reliance on primary mining. Read more.

AI and data centre demand nudges climate tech funding higher. Global climate tech investment rose around eight per cent last year despite fewer deals overall. Analysts point to growing demand for AI and data centre infrastructure as a key factor reshaping where capital is flowing. Read more.

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Cheers to circularity,

#TeamCircularConnect #ConnectingTheCircularEconomy