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

Industry News

Collaborations and Partnerships 🤝:

Korea Zinc and Alta Resource Technologies form US joint venture for rare earth recovery. The JV plans a facility to process end-of-life permanent magnets into high-purity rare earth oxides, with operations targeted for 2027 to support EV and high-tech supply chains. Read more.

BMW and Encory open battery recycling centre to recover critical materials. The partners have launched a facility focused on extracting valuable metals from end-of-life EV batteries to feed new production and reduce reliance on primary sources. Read more.

Goodwill Houston partners with CompuCycle to expand electronics recycling access. The programme introduces new drop-off points and processing services to divert e-waste from landfill and recover valuable materials across the Houston community. Read more.

Sony partners with bolttech to launch device protection programme in Hong Kong. The collaboration brings My Sony Care+ to market, combining hardware sales with embedded warranty and accidental damage cover. Read more.

Company Updates 🔎:

DHL says reverse logistics is shifting from cost centre to competitive edge. New data shows returns are now a strategic differentiator as global volumes rise and consumer expectations evolve. DHL highlights how efficient returns handling helps unlock value from secondary goods rather than treating them as waste. Read more.

Samsung pushes recommerce into the mainstream with European expansion. The Certified Re-Newed programme is launching in the UK, France and Germany, offering warranty-backed refurbished smartphones to consumers. The rollout signals a major step by a global OEM to normalise recommerce alongside primary device sales. Read more.

IKEA expands secondhand furniture offering across more US stores. The retailer has widened its Buy Back & Resell programme with an additional ~700 preloved product lines available for customers to trade in and purchase, extending furniture lifecycles and diverting items from waste streams. Read more.

Mitsubishi Materials launches US resource circulation division. The group will establish a new division in Chicago to lead secondary smelting and material circulation activities, strengthening its presence in North America and supporting domestic supply of critical materials. Read more.

Connected Energy advances plans for EV battery testing infrastructure in the UK. The company is developing a dedicated facility to validate used EV batteries for second-life energy storage applications. The capability is intended to support confidence, safety and scalability in battery reuse beyond vehicles. Read more.

TÜV Rheinland rolls out recycled material verification to boost circular supply chains. The new closed-loop verification process helps manufacturers and recyclers independently document and trace recycled inputs from collection through processing and reintegration into new products. Read more.

LiquiDonate report shows rise in return-related fraud in e-commerce. The 2026 Returns Fraud Report finds retailers estimate around 15% of all returns involve fraud, amplifying losses as online volumes grow. The findings underline the need for smarter detection and prevention strategies. Read more.

Polygreen launches Again Please, UAE’s first reusable foodware system. The circular platform has rolled out a nationwide reusable foodware programme aimed at cutting single-use packaging across restaurants and food outlets. Early partners are adopting returnable bowls, lids and containers to reduce waste and operational costs. Read more.

Designer Kids Club rolls out digital product passports for luxury children’s resale. The sustainable fashion platform has introduced product passports that give each garment a digital record of ownership, care history and environmental data to boost trust and extend garment lifecycles. Read more.

Refurbr highlights tools to simplify tech refurbishment operations. The platform says integrated inventory, entity and VAT management helps refurbishers overcome complexity as volumes grow and margins tighten. Better visibility across devices and workflows aims to reduce delays, errors and administrative burden. Read more.

Regional Developments 🌎️:

EU invests €6m to pilot deposit return scheme for textiles. Funding will support trials across member states to test refundable deposits on clothing and textiles at point of sale, aiming to boost reuse and material recovery rates. Read more.

Netherlands funds AI-driven project to crack complex plastic recycling. The Dutch Ministry of Climate and Green Growth has backed an AI-enhanced, solvent-based recycling initiative led by Eindhoven University of Technology and startup Exergy, targeting hard-to-recycle multilayer plastics. Read more.

Germany plans new levy on fast fashion to curb waste and overproduction. Draft legislation outlines a charge on low-cost garment sales to discourage disposable consumption and fund textile reuse, recycling and repair infrastructure. Read more.

England opens its first rare earth plant in 25 years. Mkango Resources has launched a facility producing permanent magnets from recycled feedstocks, restoring domestic capability lost for decades. Read more.

Thailand proposes new e-waste law to tackle 400,000 tonnes of discarded electronics. The Pollution Control Department says a draft WEEE Act based on extended producer responsibility would require manufacturers to take back and recycle end-of-life devices. Read more.

China advances packaging recycling plans with expanded collection targets. New guidelines from the central government aim to broaden packaging waste collection and sorting systems, increase recycled content in key materials and strengthen producer responsibility schemes. Read more.

Investment News

M&A 💰️:

Reconomy moves to enhance battery logistics with majority stake in Libcycle. The acquisition strengthens Reconomy’s capabilities across battery packaging, transportation, storage and handling as volumes and regulatory pressures rise. The deal positions the group to support battery circularity at scale. Read more.

Route acquires Frate to expand returns and reverse logistics capabilities. The acquisition brings Frate’s returns management technology into Route’s platform to improve post-purchase experiences for merchants and consumers. The deal strengthens Route’s position across returns orchestration and value recovery. Read more.

Paladin EnviroTech expands into Europe with acquisition of R&L Environmental. The deal adds European ITAD and sustainable materials recovery capabilities as Paladin expands its global reach in electronics and industrial circular services. Read more.

MySize advances acquisition strategy with eye on circular fashion tech. The AI retail platform says it is targeting complementary businesses, including those in circular fashion and recommerce technologies, as part of a broader roll-up to build out its data-driven offering for brands and retailers. Read more.

Venture and Growth Capital 📈:

eBay expands its Circular Fashion Fund across Europe and North America. The marketplace is broadening the scope of its fund to support startups and innovators scaling resale, repair, rental and reuse in apparel. Read more.

American Resources secures $200m to scale critical minerals refining. The funding will support expansion of its ReElement Technologies platform, increasing capacity to process rare earths and critical materials from recycled and primary sources. Read more.

L’Oreal backs 13 startups in €100m innovation programme. Its L’AcceleratOR initiative will invest in companies advancing next-gen materials and packaging, nature-sourced ingredients, circular solutions and data intelligence to support sustainability goals. Read more.

osapiens secures $100m financing and reaches unicorn status. The enterprise software provider raised $100 million with backing from BlackRock and Decarbonization Partners to accelerate global expansion. The funding will support growth of its platform focused on sustainability, regulatory compliance and value chain data. Read more.

Notpla wins €4m EU funding to develop plastic-free coffee cups. The seaweed-based packaging innovator and 14 partners have secured Horizon Europe support to advance fully natural, home-compostable disposable cups with no plastic coatings. Read more.

Materia AI secures grant to power EV battery circularity platform. The company has won government backing to launch a data-driven solution that optimises reuse, remanufacture and recycling through the electric vehicle battery lifecycle. Early partners are using the platform to track material flows and boost feedstock value. Read more.

🌲 Help us plant 2,000 trees in 2026 and share Circular Connect far and wide 🙏 

Cheers to circularity,

#TeamCircularConnect #ConnectingTheCircularEconomy