It’s been a remarkably busy week in the circular economy. Let’s get stuck in!

Industry News

Global reverse logistics market to surpass $1,000,000,000,000 by 2033. The global reverse logistics market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.8% and is being driven by the surge in e-commerce returns, and the adoption of sustainable business practices aligned with circular economy principles. Read more.

Microsoft to buy 600,000+ tonnes of green cement to boost sustainable construction. Microsoft will purchase the low-carbon cement from clean cement manufacturer Sublime Systems over the next 6-9 years, supporting carbon reduction goals and boosting the sustainable materials market. Read more.

Vanguard Renewables opens anaerobic digestion facility in Wisconsin. The leader in organics recycling and renewable energy has launched a new anaerobic digestion and depackaging facility in Wisconsin. The plant converts food and beverage waste into renewable natural gas, liquid fertilizer, and animal bedding. Read more.

Ionic Rare Earths and EMR partner to create circular supply chains for rare earth magnets. The partnership will support Ionic’s Belfast facility, which uses proprietary technology to extract high-purity neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium from end-of-life magnets. Read more.

Cirba Solutions appoints Adam Turner as Senior VP of Manufacturing. Turner, who joined Cirba Solutions in 2023, has been appointed with immediate effect and will oversee manufacturing expansion and commercial-scale battery recycling operations to support the critical minerals supply chain. Read more.

Sungrow UK appoints SER Group as official service partner. Sungrow UK has designated SER Group as its official service partner, entrusting the company with comprehensive battery logistics, storage, and recycling services through its group divisions, SE Recycling, Cellcycle, and Cellstorage. Read more.

CARBIOS signs first biorecycled PET deals with global cosmetics leaders. L’OREAL and L’Occitane en Provence have signed multi-year offtake contracts with CARBIOS for biorecycled r-PET, confirming market demand for high-quality recycled PET from enzymatic recycling processes. Read more.

RE&UP achieves Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Circularity. RE&UP has become the first fibre manufacturer globally to earn the rigorous Cradle to Cradle Certified® for Product Circularity accolade. Their Next-Gen Recycled Cotton and Textile-to-Textile Recycled Polyester Chips received Platinum and Silver certifications. Read more.

HP commits to significant certified refurbished PC growth in the UK. HP Renew is targeting significant growth by collaborating with its refurbishment partner Flex and distribution partners like Computacenter, Advania, and SCC, who have invested in their own circular IT infrastructure. Read more.

A look into hyperscale hardware refurbishment at SK TES’ facility. Ars Technica recently visited SK TES' IT asset disposition (ITAD) facility, showcasing the process of refurbishing and reusing hyperscale hardware. The site sorts components like SSDs and CPUs and ensures secure data destruction before reuse. Read more.

ecoATM releases 2024 ESG report full of highlights. The circular company collected over 50,000,000 devices, equivalent to removing 2,000,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions. Additionally, in 2024 ecoATM paid out over $1,560,000,000 to customers, marking a 24% increase from the previous year. Read more.

Comet returns as online marketplace under OnBuy’s revival. Electronics retailer Comet is set to relaunch in late 2025 as a digital-only platform, following a £10,000,000 investment by leading marketplace OnBuy. The new Comet will offer a wide range of products from major brands. Read more.

TMT First wins King’s Award for innovation in device repair. Consumer electronics repair specialist TMT First has received the award for its mobile component repair, a sustainable process that cuts consumer repair costs by up to a third. Founder Adam Whitehouse described the moment as one of the proudest of his career. Read more.

RPM Automotive opens $4,000,000 tire recycling facility in Melbourne. The leading parts distributor and tire importer has opened a tire recycling plant in Victoria, processing over 180 tonnes of used tires weekly with plans to scale to 300 tonnes. The recycled rubber will be reused in road infrastructure and as fuel. Read more.

Nexen Tire signs long-term deal for recovered carbon black. The tire manufacturer has entered a long-term supply agreement with LD Carbon to source recovered carbon black produced by pyrolyzing end-of-life tires. This initiative aims to reduce carbon emissions and promote circular resource use. Read more.

Coca-Cola installs reverse vending machines in India to boost recycling. Coca-Cola India has introduced reverse vending machines, allowing users to deposit empty plastic bottles in exchange for reward points via a mobile app. Each machine can store up to 800 bottles, which are later recycled into items like bags and clothing. Read more.

All Things Circular Podcast releases episode 15. Our podcasting partner has released a new episode, featuring Claudia Freed, an award winning executive and the visionary CEO of EAL Green. Claudia shares how she’s transforming the circular economy through purpose-driven philanthropy. Listen here.

Deborah Dull releases her brand new circular supply chain book. Deborah, founder of our consultancy and networking partner the Circular Supply Chain Network, has released a new must-read book, “Full Circle: Supply Chains Reimagined”. Secure your copy here.

Investment News

ReVentas secures Series A funding to scale plastic recycling tech. Scottish start-up ReVentas has raised an undisclosed sum to commercialise its low-carbon plastic dissolution process. A 10,000-tonne plant is planned for 2027, scaling to 150,000 tonnes by 2031. Read more.

Closo raises $380,000 bridge round to further optimise reverse logistics. The platform reduces brands' reverse logistics costs by 90% and has achieved 200-300% annual growth across over 40 US states. The funds will enhance AI infrastructure, expand tech and sales teams, and support further expansion. Read more.

Australia invests $5,000,000 in circular economy innovation. The Circular Economy Investment Program is funding eight projects designed to reduce landfill use and boost local manufacturing by transforming waste into new products, including recycled glass, textiles, and organics. The projects are expected to create up to 72 jobs. Read more.

Altilium launches crowdfunding campaign to scale EV battery recycling. Altilium is raising funds via Republic Europe to continue turning old batteries into high-performance cathode materials, at scale. Apply for priority access to the funding round here.

That’s a wrap for the weekend. Have a great one and we’ll meet again on Monday!

Cheers to circularity,

#TeamCircularConnect #ConnectingTheCircularEconomy