EU Commissioner for Circular Economy and Minister of State, Alan Dillon TD, visit CIRCULÉIRE member Rebox
Dublin, 3 September 2026. Jessika Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, and Minister of State for the Circular Economy, Alan Dillon TD, participated in a site visit at Irish circular economy company Re-Box.
During the visit, IMR's Director of Circular Economy Innovation, Dr Geraldine Brennan, highlighted IMR’s national and EU flagship spanning digitalisation (FxC) space (ESA Phi Lab) to renewable energy (DigiWind) with a deep dive into IMR’s circular economy innovation portfolio, spotlighting CIRCULÉIRE.
The visit showcased how collaboration between industry and CIRCULÉIRE is helping to accelerate Ireland's transition from a linear to a circular economy. Dr Brennan outlined how CIRCULÉIRE's work with members such as Re-Box demonstrates the potential for circular innovation to deliver measurable environmental outcomes while strengthening business resilience and competitiveness.
A key focus of the visit was Re-Box's innovative reuse model, which exemplifies the principles of the circular economy. Rather than recycling cardboard packaging after a single use, the company extends the life of existing materials by collecting, grading and reselling used cardboard boxes to Irish SMEs. This "as-is reuse" approach extends the lifespan of cardboard, reducing demand for virgin materials while lowering both costs and environmental impacts for customers.
Michael Doherty, Founder and Managing Director of Re-Box, explained how reuse sits at the heart of the company's business model and how growing demand for sustainable packaging solutions is creating opportunities for circular business growth. His company keeps “a product as a product” and brings it back to the market for a fraction of the cost of virgin packaging for Irish SMEs. Re-Box collaborator and CIRCULÉIRE network member SPECO were also in attendance on this important milestone.
The delegation also heard how Re-Box has collaborated with CIRCULÉIRE to measure and strengthen its circular performance. IMR's Circularity Assessment & Metrics Technologist, Daniel Whelan, outlined how the company's circularity assessment identified opportunities for further environmental improvements, including the transition from diesel vehicles to HVO fuel after fleet operations were highlighted as an emissions hotspot.
Re-Box is also supporting a pioneering CIRCULÉIRE pilot project focused on developing circular metrics methodologies to quantify emissions avoided through reuse strategies. While reuse is widely recognised as one of the highest-value circular economy interventions, its full climate benefits are often not captured in conventional GHG assessments. This pilot will help advance new ways of measuring and validating the positive impacts of circular business models.
Speaking during the visit, Dr Geraldine Brennan, Director of Circular Economy Innovation at IMR, said:
"Today's visit demonstrates how collaboration between policymakers, research organisations and industry can accelerate the transition to a competitive circular economy. Re-Box is an outstanding example of how innovation and circular business models can unlock value while reducing resource consumption and emissions."
The visit was part of Commissioner Roswall's official agenda in Ireland, which included her participation in the Environment Ireland conference. Sponsored by CIRCULÉIRE, the conference brings together leading stakeholders from across Ireland's environmental sector alongside international experts to discuss solutions that support climate action, resource efficiency and circular economy development.
As Ireland and Europe continue to advance ambitious circular economy and climate goals, IMR's Circular Economy Innovation team is working with industry to develop the next generation of circular impact metrics. Through initiatives such as CIRCULÉIRE and collaborations with companies like Re-Box, IMR is helping to build the evidence base needed to demonstrate the true value of circular business models and support their adoption at scale.
This important showcase was made possible through Irish Manufacturing Research's continued engagement with EU and national government stakeholders. CIRCULÉIRE supports Irish businesses to identify, test and scale circular solutions through technical expertise, research & innovation programmes, skills development and cross sector collaboration which leverages advanced technologies. Interested in joining Ireland’s Circular Innovation Network? Please get in touch.
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