Search Results

Discover key insights into advancing a circular economy within Ireland’s MedTech sector. This page introduces CIRCULÉIRE’s “Unpacking the Circular Innovation Opportunities for Ireland’s MedTech Sector” guide, designed for industry leaders, policymakers, funders, and innovators seeking best‑practice strategies to drive sustainability and circularity in medical technology. Learn how circular design, resource efficiency, and innovation can shape the future of MedTech in Ireland. Button Button Button

The circular economy is an economic model that is restorative and regenerative by design. The circular economy stems from the realisation that Earth is a finite system constrained by planetary boundaries. Ultimately in nature the concept of waste does not exist – everything is transformed into a resource that can be utilised. In this page you can learn more about circular economy benefits, enablers, strategies, and sectoral opportunities. THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY WHAT IS IT? BENEFITS ENABLERS STRATEGIES SECTORAL OPPORTUNITIES Circularity is a new way to design, make and use goods and materials The circular economy is an economic model that is restorative and regenerative by design. The circular economy stems from the realisation that Earth is a finite system constrained by planetary boundaries. Ultimately in nature the concept of waste does not exist – everything is transformed into a resource that can be utilised. The circular economy aims to keep materials, components, and products in-use in the economy for as long as possible. In circularity, the key objective is to design consumption and production systems to create and retain value. Circularity seeks to optimise every aspect of a product’s lifecycle, from raw material extraction to manufacturing and first use, and multiple use-lives thereafter; through product re-design, new business models and novel technologies and processes. The global and European decarbonisation transition agenda has led to increased emphasis on promoting circular economy policies and initiatives at national and regional levels, and in many contexts, has been accompanied with an increased strengthening of statutory decarbonisation reuse/repair, recycling and waste reduction targets. Embedding circular economy practices into production and consumption systems is fundamental to realising Ireland and Europe's shared ambition for a net-zero carbon and circular future. The 2019 introduction of the European Green Deal made a transition to the circular economy a necessity to making Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. In 2021, the Government of Ireland followed suit by enacting its own Circular Economy Strategy and enshrining the Circular Economy Act in law in 2022. These significant policies solidify the circular economy as the foundation pillar of Ireland's climate and economic development agendas into the future. Benefits of the Circular Economy MACRO-ECONOMIC Circular business models enable the decoupling of GDP from resource use and can deliver significant: • Economic growth through value creation and cost savings • Decarbonisation and resilience to resource price volatility • Security of supply through the creation of secondary raw material markets ENVIRONMENTAL Circularity is a key to decarbonisation and contributes to UN SDGs and ESG. Key environmental benefits include: • Decarbonisation and carbon emission reductions from waste elimination • Reductions of virgin material extraction (across materials, water, and energy nexus) • Reduction in biodiversity loss associated with virgin material extraction SOCIAL Scaling circularity can contribute to addressing labour market skill gaps and regional unemployment. Key social benefits include: • Significant job creation, job retention, and upskilling potential • Quality work at all skill levels • Cost savings from products-as-a-service and remanufactured/refurbished goods BUSINESS The circular economy represents a significant innovation and differentiation opportunity for enterprise. Key industry benefits include: • Resilience to resource price-volatility and supply-chain shocks • New revenue models and value creation opportunities • Enhanced customer relationships and enhanced customer loyalty Enablers of the Circular Economy Widespread support of the circular economy is essential for a smooth and successful transition. Behind the scenes of this global movement are individuals, organisations, and systems acting as catalysts for change to mainstream circularity. Without enablers of the circular economy on a wide scale to smooth the way for change and foster practices and policy to encourage circularity, change wouldn’t be possible. Industry 4.0 Digitalisation Circularity is enabled by digital technologies and strategies referred to collectively as the Fourth Industrial Revolution or “Industry 4.0”. Digitalisation strategies include the Internet of Things, block-chain, advanced robotics and automation, artificial intelligence, remote-sensing, and 3-D printing amongst others. Digitalisation is a key enabler of the circular economy because of the importance that information plays in keeping materials, components, and products in-use in the economy. From data-driven circular processes in manufacturing sites, to real-time resource usage information across product life cycles and value chains, to material specifications contained in digital material passports to optimised reverse logistics. Mobilising Finance Faster mobilisation of capital is one of the key ingredients needed to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. Current funding & investment models largely ignore linear risks associated with linear business practices, e.g., scarcity of primary resources, volatility of resource prices and increasingly stringent environmental laws, but that is starting to change. Some key examples of circular financing developments include: •The Joint Initiative on Circular Economy (JICE), launched by the European Union’s largest public promotional banks and institutions •The Mulilateral Development Banks (MDBs) have established a joint working group to focus on continued support for circular economy approaches •Intesa Sanpaolo set up the Plafond, a dedicated €8 billion credit facility (extended in 2020 from an initial €5 billion) for innovative companies with business practices aligned to circular economy principles. •Investment giant BlackRock launched the BGF Circular Economy Fund which invests globally at least 80% of its total assets in the equity securities (i.e. shares) of companies globally that benefit from, or contribute to, the advancement of the “Circular Economy”. Cross-Sectoral Collaboration Policy & Regulatory Frameworks European policy has been a key driver in the transition towards a circular economy. The 2020 EU Green Deal placed circularity at the centre stage, promoting sustainable business practices for a future-proof economy. The recent introduction of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), closely links a company’s resource use with its sustainability performance. For the first time, the ESRS E5 standard within the CSRD mandates reporting on resource consumption, waste generation, circular design, and material recovery. This encourages companies to assess their circularity across their entire value chain. In Ireland, the upcoming third update of the Climate Action Plan (due in 2024) reinforces this commitment. The plan outlines a roadmap to achieve Ireland's climate goals and promotes circular innovation through policy measures like Green Public Procurement. These measures incentivize wider adoption of circular strategies across Irish businesses. Global circularity currently stands at just 7.2% (Circle Economy, 2023). To progress the circular economy, cross-sectoral synergies are vital to transforming linear business models to circular ones. This collaborative approach can be seen throughout the CIRCULÉIRE network. Our Innovation Pilot Projects and member projects such as The ZeroNet’s C2X Smart Waste Pilot perfectly exemplify how knowledge sharing and capacity building can unlock circular solutions. Novel forms of multi-stakeholder collaborations are pivotal because they demonstrate and exemplify the value of circularity and contribute to the transformation of industrial sectors through mainstreaming circularity thinking. Enabling Infrastructure The transition from a linear “take-make-waste" model to a circular economy in Ireland requires infrastructural change. For example: •Collaborative online platforms to facilitate sharing, renting, or leasing products to extend their lifespan. •Efficient reverse logistics networks that enable refurbishment or remanufacturing through take-back or collection schemes •Real-time digital marketplaces that can facilitate industrial symbiosis between industries and sectors by harvesting underutilised resources from one another. •Expanding investment in local and national recycling plants to capture valuable materials currently lost from industrial waste due to insufficient economies of scale. Mindset Change Social factors, particularly environmental values and beliefs are having a direct impact on consumer behaviour. This is driving consumers towards the more sustainable option, leading to a demand driven shift in how manufacturers are managing their supply chains. The rise of social enterprises that promote access over ownership such as clothing rental online stores and apps, are making it easier for consumers to choose a more circular option. Circular Economy Strategies Design for Circularity Product-Service-Systems (PSS) Re-Use & Shared Use Remanufacturing Repair & Refurbishment Take-Back Schemes & Reverse Logistics Industrial Symbiosis Recycling Design for Circularity Design for Circularity refers to the process in which companies seek to re-design their products and associated business models to enable the retention of embedded value. Design for Circularity is aligned with Eco-Design and seeks to anticipate and minimize negative environmental impacts associated with manufacture, use and disposal of products. Design for Circularity gives priority to design principles and strategies which enable materials, components, and products to have multiple use-lives in our economy. Product-Service-Systems (PSS) A product-service-system (PSS) describes the transformation of a traditional product offering into a product-service model where ownership of a product is retained by the manufacturer or distributer. In PSS, end-users are given access to products through pay-per-use, short-term rental, or long-term lease models. Central to successful PSS are products that are designed for; longevity, and backward and forward compatibility, utilise predictive maintenance and have an enabling service network which ensures high-quality performance. Re-Use & Shared Use Re-use refers to when a product or component is used again for the same purpose. Shared Use refers to collaborative consumption (e.g. Peer-to-Peer or B2C) or asset sharing (B2B). New B2B business models are emerging which facilitate the sharing of overcapacity of business equipment and even the underutilised skills and knowledge of personnel. Re-Use and Shared Use are cornerstones of the circular economy because they increase the utilisation of products across multiple use-lives. Remanufacturing Remanufacturing is when a used product is returned to the standard of an equivalent new product. Remanufacturing involves the disassembly, restoration, replacement and testing of the individual components and the product itself to ensure it complies with its original design specifications. Remanufactured products come with warranties assuring that products meet like-new performance standards. These warranties are at least equal to that of a newly manufactured equivalent. Repair & Refurbishment Repair refers to the process through which apparent faults and product malfunctions are rectified. Refurbishment goes a step further and entails activities to refinish and sanitize a product, so it is fit to serve its original function. Refurbishment results in a product that is in good condition but is not directly comparable with a new or remanufactured product. While important resource-life extension strategies, neither repair nor refurbishment guarantee the product will perform like new. Take-Back Schemes & Reverse Logistics Take-Back Schemes are programmes implemented by companies to recover products or packaging from end-users so they can be repaired, re-used, remanufactured, or recycled to recover the embedded value in raw materials. Take-Back Schemes are underpinned by what is referred to as Reverse Logistics. Reverse Logistics refers to when goods move from end-users back to the retailer/distributor, original manufacturer or a third-party repair, re-use, or recycling organisation. Industrial Symbiosis Industrial Symbiosis (IS) refers to a collaboration between two or more geographically close companies whereby residuals or by-products of one industry or industrial process become the raw materials for another process within a manufacturing site (Closed-Loop Production) or industry. Industrial Symbiosis includes: the capture, recovery, and re-use of waste (materials, water, or energy) and the development of secondary raw material markets and logistics networks to facilitate by-product exchange or co-product development. Recycling Recycling is the collection and processing of discarded materials and transformation into secondary raw materials. There are three types of recycling – mechanical, thermodynamic or energy recovery. Mechanical refers to when residuals are mechanically transformed without changing their chemical structure. Thermodynamic (chemical) involves breaking materials into their molecular components to create raw materials for new products. Energy recovery by combustion – a last resort – is when waste is transformed into usable heat, electricity, or fuel. Sectoral Opportunities Food & Drink BioPharmaChem Built Environment Packaging Electronics & Batteries Plastics Furniture Textiles Food & Drink Ireland's renowned food & drink sector, including over 700 manufacturers and employing over 160,000 people (Teagasc ), faces a critical challenge: reducing its environmental footprint. Currently, agriculture contributes nearly 39% of Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions (SEAI ). The agri-food sector holds immense potential for embracing circularity and reducing its environmental impact. This can be achieved through several key approaches. First, by optimising production processes, the sector can minimise waste generation and energy consumption. Second, closed-loop production systems can be designed, where food processing byproducts are reused as valuable inputs within the production chain, minimising the need for external resources. Finally, valorisation through cascading utilises food waste and byproducts to create high-value secondary raw materials for other industries, such as bioplastics or biofuels. BioPharmaChem Ireland is home to a thriving pharmaceutical sector, with over 90 biopharma manufacturing plants housing all the top 10 global players and 14 of the world's leading multinationals. However, stringent hygiene protocols often lead to high material use. Recognising this environmental challenge, the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EPFIA) sees the circular economy as a key solution for reducing the sector's carbon footprint within its highly regulated environment. The pharmaceutical industry has significant opportunities to embrace circularity. A key focus is shifting towards renewable biomaterials, a more sustainable alternative to traditional materials. Additionally, by leveraging new technologies like automation and 3D printing, pharmaceutical companies can significantly reduce waste generation throughout the manufacturing process. Construction & Building The construction sector is a significant contributor to the European economy, generating roughly 5.5% of GDP and employing apx 7.6 million people (CEDEFOP, 2023 ) However, it also faces a sustainability challenge. Globally, construction is responsible for an estimated 37% of carbon emissions, and in Europe alone, construction and demolition waste makes up a third of all waste, with only half currently recycled (UNEP, 2023 ). The circular economy offers a path to a more sustainable future for construction. One key opportunity involves designing buildings as "material banks." This means planning structures with the eventual disassembly and reuse of their materials in mind. Imagine buildings as repositories of valuable resources waiting for their next life cycle. Furthermore, improvements in waste logistics and the development of novel recycling techniques can significantly improve construction and demolition waste recovery and reuse rates. Packaging Packaging waste in Europe hit a record high in 2021, with an average of 188.7kg generated per person (EC, 2021 ). While packaging plays a vital role in protecting products, enabling efficient logistics, and communicating brand messages, its environmental impact demands a rethink. The Government of Ireland's Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy recognises this challenge and sets an ambitious goal: all packaging to be reusable or recyclable by 2030. The packaging sector has significant circular opportunities to meet this target. A key focus is reducing unnecessary packaging through "design for light-weighting." This means using less material while still ensuring product integrity. Furthermore, promoting reusable and recyclable packaging systems minimises waste generation. Another strategy is simplifying packaging complexity. This could involve reducing the variety of materials used in a single package or eliminating hard-to-recycle polymers. Additionally, developing effective refill systems and reusable packaging solutions can significantly reduce waste at the consumer level. Electronics & Batteries Electronic waste, or e-waste, is the fastest growing waste stream in Europe, surging by 2% annually, with a recycling rate of 42.8% (Statista, 2022 ). The European Commission, recognizing this challenge, has proposed a "Circular Electronics Initiative" to address this mounting issue. Similar concerns are echoed in Ireland, where over 66,000 tonnes of e-waste were collected for treatment in 2022 alone (EPA, 2022 ). The electronics and ICT sector has significant opportunities to embrace circularity and become a more sustainable industry. A key focus is on designing for longevity. This means creating electronics built to last longer, potentially through modular components or upgradeable features, encouraging multiple lifespans for these devices. Additionally, designing for disassembly is crucial. By simplifying the dismantling process, valuable rare earth materials can be easily recovered and reused in new products, minimizing reliance on virgin resources. Plastics Plastic's versatility and recyclability make it a cornerstone of modern life. However, with plastic consumption projected to double in the next two decades and pollution a growing concern, the European Union is taking action. The EU Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy and the Directive on Single-Use Plastic Products aim to minimise the environmental impact of plastic waste. This directive, embedded into Irish law in 2021, represents a significant step forward. Under these new plans, all plastic packaging on the EU market must be recyclable by 2030. The EU has set Ireland a target to separate and collect 70% of plastic beverage bottles by 2025, rising to 90% in 2029. In response, the Government of Ireland launched a Deposit Return Scheme to create a closed loop recycling system guaranteeing the material is returned and recycled. There are a variety of opportunities available for the Plastic sector to embrace circularity. A key focus is moving away from single-use plastics, a major contributor to waste. Exploring bio-based and biodegradable alternatives offers a promising path. Additionally, eliminating complex, hard-to-recycle polymers from plastic products will streamline the recycling process and increase resource recovery rates. Furniture The European Union is one of the largest furniture manufacturers globally, producing nearly a quarter of the world's furniture €110 billion market dominated by SMEs (Furniture Industry in Europe, 2024 ). However, a significant challenge looms – Europe discards an estimated 10.5 million tonnes of furniture annually (EEB, 2017 ). The Irish furniture sector, encompassing diverse areas like cabinetry, bedding, and office furniture, has massive potential to embrace circularity. One key strategy is to design furniture with disassembly and easy repair in mind. This allows furniture to have multiple lifespans through remanufacturing or refurbishment, minimizing waste destined for landfills. An example of this can be found in the Do More with Less Innovation Pilot Project led by CIRCULÉIRE member Farrell Furniture that moved Irish Government's Office of Public Works from linear to circular procurement. Additionally, the industry can explore using recycled materials in furniture production, creating a closed-loop system that reduces reliance on virgin resources. Other sustainable and recyclable materials can also be explored as alternatives to traditional furniture components, reducing environmental impact. Textiles & Clothing The fashion industry grapples with a significant environmental challenge. In Ireland the generation of post-consumer textile waste is estimated at 35KG per person per year, this is higher than the reported EU average of 26Kg per person per year (O’Leary et al, 2021). While domestic textile production is limited, resulting in the import of much of the associated environmental impact, this waste stream presents a unique opportunity for the Irish sector. A key strategy is to scale up existing efforts in redesign and repurposing used textiles. This can involve transforming old clothes into new garments, utilising second-hand fashion through “thrifting”, or embracing digital transitions to online fashion rental. By extending the lifespan of these materials, the industry can divert waste from landfills and create unique, sustainable products. Furthermore, Ireland can explore the exciting potential of "reshoring" textile manufacturing, which involves developing innovative methods to transform textile waste into high-quality secondary raw materials. This approach not only reduces reliance on virgin resources and associated emissions, but also fosters a more localised and sustainable textile industry in Ireland.

c2335540-de0d-4945-9aa7-0eca21459228 CIRCULÉIRE NON-MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: OCEANЯ WEBSITE: OCEANR.CO SECTOR : TEXTILES PUBLISHED: 02 OCTOBER 2025 TAGS: SUSTAINABLEFASHION, MARINEPLASTIC, OCEANPOLLUTION, CIRCULARTEXTILES, RECYCLEDPOLYESTER, ETHICALFASHION, CLOSEDLOOP, ENDPLASTICWASTE, IRISHINNOVATION The Challenge Plastic waste accounts for approximately 85% of all marine pollution ( UNEP, 2023 ), with over one million tonnes of plastic ending up in the ocean every year ( OECD, 2025 ). If current trends continue, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation projects that plastics could outweigh fish by 2050 ( Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2025 ). Globally, plastic recycling rates remain stubbornly below 10% ( Houssini et al, 2025 ) with most plastic waste landfilled or incinerated. In 2019, plastics generated roughly 1.8 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions—about 3.4% of the global total, comparable to emissions from over 460 coal-fired power plants ( OECD, 2025 ). A Circular Solution OceanЯ is a Cork-based, Certified B Corporation apparel company pioneering circular textile manufacturing using marine plastic waste. The company designs garments for organisations working around marine environments, with manufacturing facilities in Latvia, Portugal, and Italy, operating under European labour and safety standards. Their process begins with collection of plastic waste—primarily bottles and marine debris—which is cleaned and sorted. Plastics are shredded into pellets, melted into fibre, processed into fabric, and spun into high-quality yarn. Garments typically contain 80–90% recycled polyester from reclaimed fishing nets, bottles, or post-consumer waste, with elastane added for stretch as needed. OceanЯ also incorporates GOTS-certified organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, and vegan leather. Buttons and zippers carry OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certification for safety. OceanЯ’s Take it Back Programme encourages partners to return garments for repair or recycling. Repairs are offered free when possible; irreparable items are shredded and upcycled into new products, supporting a closed-loop supply chain. Climate Impact OceanЯ reports diverting over 1.5 million plastic bottles from oceans and landfills—a best estimate based on company data. By prioritising recycled feedstock, OceanЯ reduces demand for virgin polyester and avoids environmental impacts of new fibre production. The company uses eco-friendly sublimation printing that limits harmful dye emissions and actively trials innovative materials such as Piñatex® (pineapple fibre), pending further life-cycle validation. Replicability A circular economy could cut ocean plastic leakage by up to 80% annually and save up to USD $200 billion by 2040 ( Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2025 ). Regulations like Extended Producer Responsibility and eco-design accelerate demand for recycled feedstock and end-of-life returns ( Gov.ie , 2025 ). OceanЯ exemplifies a front-runner in Ireland, closing the loop from resource input to reuse. Other Irish circular textile innovators include: Afore After is an Irish fashion brand which creates synthetic-free, mono-material and biodegradable garments designed for circularity from the outset. The Rediscovery Centre runs four reuse social enterprise demonstrators. One of which is Rediscover Fashion which breathes new life into old textiles by repairing, restoring, redesigning and upcycling. The Upcycle Movement is an Irish company transforming waste materials, such as neoprene wetsuits, into durable, high-quality everyday accessories like bags and laptop cases. Cirtex , a CIRCULÉIRE member, upcycles textiles into a range of products, including thermal and acoustic insulation for domestic and commercial use, floor underlay, arena fibre, and insulator pads for mattresses and furniture cushioning. ALL CASE STUDIES

a641fb38-9002-4d00-8a08-bac23ba47f86 CIRCULÉIRE MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: RE-BOX WEBSITE: RE-BOX.IE SECTOR : PACKAGING PUBLISHED: 04 FEBRUARY 2026 TAGS: PACKAGING, CARDBOARD REUSE, WASTE PREVENTION, RESOURCE EFFICIENCY, CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODELS, REUSE SYSTEMS, SME SOLUTIONS, GREEN SUPPLY CHAINS, REUSED PACKAGING The Problem Packaging plays a significant role in how materials are used and discarded, contributing to both waste management pressures and the depletion of natural resources. Cardboard is often considered a more sustainable option than plastic packaging because it is made from renewable, plant-based materials ( Merchant Boxes, 2024 ). It can break down naturally under the right conditions and is widely collected and recycled through established systems ( Merchant Boxes, 2024 ), reducing the need for new raw materials. However, its overall environmental footprint remains substantial. Globally, around 405 million tonnes of paper and paperboard are produced each year ( WWF, n.d. ). This level of production requires large amounts of raw materials, water, and energy. Paper and paperboard account for an estimated 13–15% of total global wood consumption ( WWF, n.d. ). Water use is also significant, with most paper mills using 20,000 litres of water to make one tonne of paper ( Esmaeeli et al. ). In Ireland, more than 1.2 million tonnes of packaging waste were generated in 2023 ( EPA, 2025 ). Paper and cardboard made up the largest share, at 483 thousand tonnes ( EPA, 2025 ). The national recycling rate for cardboard is relatively high at 75% ( EPA, 2025 ). However, much of this recycling occurs abroad. Across all packaging types, which include cardboard as well as plastic, glass, etc., only 18% is recycled within Ireland, mainly glass and wood ( EPA, 2023 ). This means that cardboard is exported to be recycled, adding transport-related emissions and increasing its overall carbon footprint. There are also limits on how many times cardboard can be recycled; the fibres break down and no longer cling together after 5-7 cycles ( SL Recycling, 2023 ). Together, these factors underscore the limitations of recycling alone and emphasise the importance of upstream measures, such as reuse, in mitigating environmental impacts. The Circular Solution Re-box is a Dublin-based company that provides a circular approach to cardboard packaging by prioritising reuse over recycling. Established in 2010, the company collects used but reusable cardboard boxes from businesses in sectors such as food, beverages, and pharmaceuticals. These include large manufacturers such as Diageo and Glenpatrick Spring. Once collected, the boxes are sorted, cleaned, and graded to check their condition and suitability for reuse. Larger pieces of cardboard are die-cut and reshaped to create boxes in standard sizes. The refurbished boxes are sold mainly to small and medium-sized enterprises, offering a lower-cost packaging option while reducing demand for new cardboard. By keeping cardboard in use for longer, Rebox avoids the energy and water consumption of the recycling processes. This approach reduces material loss and helps prevent waste at source, supporting circular economy principles focused on extending product lifetimes and improving resource efficiency. Climate Impact Re-box’s cardboard reuse model has several important environmental impacts. By keeping boxes in use for longer, it avoids many of the carbon-intensive steps required in recycling, such as transport emissions to export them, as well as pulping and manufacturing. These stages consume significant amounts of fuel, energy and water while producing greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, each reused box avoids the emissions and materials needed to produce a new one, making it a more sustainable option. Preventing boxes from becoming waste after a single use, the model reduces overall waste generation and supports circular economy goals focused on resource efficiency, waste prevention, and longer product lifetimes. Replicability Duffy Box buys used cardboard boxes from manufacturing facilities for reuse, sells them at discounted prices from multiple warehouses, and provides industrial recycling services to minimise waste. Rebox Corp buys and sells once-used cardboard boxes, along with new boxes, totes, pallets, and slip sheets, to optimise supply chains for suppliers and retailers across North America. Usedcardboardboxes buys used totes and shipping boxes from large companies at above recycling prices, then inspects, sorts, and resells them cheaper than new boxes to reduce waste. Reuseabox diverts used cardboard boxes from recycling by buying surplus from manufacturers and reselling them to businesses for storage and shipping to promote a circular economy. IFCO ’s reusable packaging pooling system enables the sharing of reusable packaging containers (RPCs) in a closed loop, delivering clean ones to producers, collecting used ones from retailers, and washing them for reuse up to 120 times. These companies facilitate cardboard and packaging reuse, extending product life cycles and reducing environmental impact through circular models. ALL CASE STUDIES

f3843591-0df6-4785-b40a-57236b472118 CIRCULÉIRE NON-MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: RECEOL WEBSITE: www.ucc.ie/en/receol/ SECTOR: WASTE ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT (WEEE) PUBLISHED: 15 MAY 2025 TAGS: ELECTRONICS, MATERIAL RECOVERY, RARE EARTH METALS About ReCEOL T he Recycling of End-of-Life Products (ReCEOL) project was a collaboration between the University College Cork (UCC) and Composite Recycling Limited , which began in 2018 and ended in 2021. The project was co-funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Ireland, the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) and the European Union ERA-MIN2 programme and was supported by Freiberg Technical University (Germany), Coolrec (Belgium), Alumisel (Spain) and Muldenhütten Recycling und Umwelttechnik (Germany). The Challenge The rise in business and consumer demand for electronics has created one of the fastest waste streams in the European Union (EU). Currently, roughly 38% of electronics that enter the market are collected; the rest are discarded ( EC, 2020 ). Electronics are a complex waste stream as they can be composed of a mix of materials from rare earths to precious metals to plastics. Every year it is estimated that around 400,000 tonnes of Printed Circuit Boards (PCB’s) are generated in the EU of which over 90% are sent to landfill or are incinerated ( Cordis, 2022 ). Many of the materials in the PCB’s are valuable, scarce and in demand, such as copper, gold, silver, solder and indium, but many are lost during the recycling and recovery process. The Circular Solution ReCEOL developed a patented recycling process to recover metals from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) from PCB, Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD), batteries and Automobile Shredder Residue (ASR). The waste materials from the components described above are added to molten salt at operating temperatures of 300-450°C ( Cordis, 2022 ). The molten salt separates the metals at the bottom of the reactor, while the solid copper floats on the solder making material recovery easier ( Cordis, 2022 ). This process also enables scaling by doubling the surface area of the molten material, which doubles the throughput ( Cordis, 2022 ). Climate Impact The research carried out by ReCEOL has proven yields of 95% can be achieved for copper, steel and solder which exceeds the current industry rates of 70% to 80% ( Cordis, 2022 ). Aluminium, solder, and steel can be separated and recovered. Critical raw materials such as Indium and Tantalum can be recycled. This recycling process developed by ReCEOL can recover metals from low value PCBs. The process has several benefits over existing alternatives, including eliminating the need for shredding plus a low capital cost, given its established nature. The project also contributes to environmental preservation by efficiently extracting raw materials from WEEE, preventing them from being lost in landfills or incinerated, and reducing dependency on virgin-metal mining. Replicability A printed circuit board recovery (PCBRec) plant’s Internal-Rate-of-Return (IRR) is projected to be more than 15% for low value Waste Printed Circuit Boards (WPCBs) and 80% for medium value WPCBs ( Cordis, 2022 ). These IRR amounts do not account for the recovery of precious metals such as gold or silver ( Cordis, 2022 ). Moreover, significant regulatory drivers, such as the WEEE Directive, exist in the EU to stimulate the future development of PCBRec technology and the circular economy in the electronics industry. Because the technology is modular, capacity may be increased in a systematic manner ( Cordis, 2022 ). ReCEOL’s process is reproducible and cost effective because it uses existing processes from established industries. A few Irish companies of note in the WEEE recovery industry include: Votechnik , a CIRCULÉIRE member, develops a series of deep technologies from lab to market in the space of circular economy for LCD and flat panel display (FPD) recycling. KMK Metals Recycling , a CIRCULÉIRE member, provides environmentally sound management of waste metal in all forms. They collect and process 75% of Ireland’s WEEE. ALL CASE STUDIES

317ac204-3b93-4fd3-bf12-e450a03785a2 CIRCULÉIRE MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: USEDFULLY WEBSIT E: TEXTILEREUSE.COM SECTOR: TEXTILE PUBLISHED: 24 APRIL 2024 TAGS: TEXTILE WASTE, CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODEL The Challenge Textiles are an essential aspect of daily life, encompassing a diverse range of products ranging from clothing, footwear, towels, bedlinen, and upholstery to healthcare items and industrial materials. The existing textile production, distribution, and use system is linear, with most textiles being used for a limited time before ending up as waste, which is often disposed of in landfills or incinerated. Currently, less than half of all used clothing is collected for reuse or recycling, while only 1% is transformed into new clothing ( Guillot, 2023 ). Furthermore, the fashion industry is estimated to contribute 10% of global carbon emissions, which is more than international flights and maritime shipping combined ( Guillot, 2023 ). Ireland generates approximately 170,000 tonnes of post-consumer textile waste per year ( EPA, 2021 ), corresponding to about 35 kg per capita, which is greater than the reported European Union (EU) average of 26 kg per person per year ( EPA, 2021 ). The Circular Opportunity In the process of road construction, natural cellulose fibres (made from wood) are commonly added to asphalt mixes to minimise binder drain-down ( Aljubory et al., 2021 ). Binder drain- down occurs when the asphalt separates from the aggregate particles and flows downward when exposed to high temperatures during the mixing and laying processes. This can affect the overall performance and durability of the road. In the textile industry, a significant amount of cellulose is wasted in the form of used cotton clothing, sheeting, and towels. Using this source of cellulose for road construction reduces the quantity of textile waste going to landfill, saves funding, lowers carbon emissions from cellulose importation, and decreases deforestation. About UsedFully UsedFULLY develops industrial scale textile waste-to-value solutions. The fully scalable technology converts large volumes of waste textiles into higher value products through proprietary processes and formulas that utilise continuous, solvent-free ambient-temperature methods. UsedFULLY’s flagship product is StrengthTex®, a fit-for-purpose cellulose replacement product for roads and the construction industry. UsedFULLY successfully utilised StrengthTex® in May 2022 on a central city road in Wellington, New Zealand. In another use for textile waste UsedFULLY, in partnership with Moral Fibre and Air New Zealand, created recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from polyester clothing. PET is a recyclable plastic commonly used to produce disposable beverage bottles. They transformed the Air New Zealand staff uniforms into recycled PET which can then be used as a raw material for products from furniture to keyboard keys thereby reducing the need to produce plastic from virgin materials. UsedFULLY also offers additional services including: A platform that generates data on the environmental and financial impacts of clothing at end-of-use for optimal resource management. Textiles and clothing are registered on the platform, and when garments are decommissioned, the UsedFULLY platform connects these resources to their solutions generating metrics on volumes reused and the associated environmental impacts. Fibre scanning equipment that uses spectroscopy to validate the composition of textiles, using a handheld scanner. This small device can test, validate, and provide reports on the composition of textiles and fibres. Replicability Each year, 99% of used clothing goes to waste representing a loss of more than USD $100 billion in resources (UNEP, 2023). Shifting to circular business models is critical for reducing the environmental and climate change impacts of textiles saving on raw materials, energy, water and land consumption, emissions, and waste ( EEA, 2022 ). Other Irish company’s making a business from used textiles include: Cirtex , a CIRCULEIRE member producing thermal and acoustic insulation, bedding and furniture padding, water retention growth pads, and flooring and carpet underlay from used mattresses. OCEANR , an Irish company that manufactures clothing out of plastics collected from the ocean. Titanic Denim , based in Belfast, creates luxury bespoke garments using reclaimed denim and textiles. ALL CASE STUDIES

6e96babb-4ff6-4283-bfea-ea288304e089 CIRCULÉIRE NON-MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: LOGITECH WEBSITE: LOGITECH.COM SECTOR : ELECTRONICS PUBLISHED: 16 OCTOBER 2025 TAGS: DESIGNFORCIRCULARITY, EWASTE, RIGHTTOREPAIR, PRODUCTDESIGN, SUSTAINABLETECH, LIFECYCLEASSESSMENT, CONSUMERELECTRONICS, CIRCULARDESIGN The Challenge Consumer electronics are traditionally designed to meet the immediate needs of the user by making life simpler or more convenient. However, this approach has contributed to a growing global problem: electronic waste, or “e-waste”. Electronics are among the fastest-growing waste streams globally. Since 2010, the amount of e-waste created per year has risen by 82% ( UNITAR, 2024 ). In 2022, the world generated a record 62 million tonnes of e-waste, which would fill 1.5 million 40-tonne trucks, roughly enough trucks to form a bumper-to-bumper line encircling the equator ( UNITAR, 2024 ). Modern electronics are often designed with complex, miniaturised components and composite materials, making disassembly and recycling difficult ( UNITAR, 2024 ). Most products lack design features that support recyclability, especially for rare and critical raw materials. As a result, valuable elements like lithium and neodymium are frequently lost during processing ( UNITAR, 2024 ). Research shows that extending the use of electronic equipment has clear environmental benefits. Extending the life of phones, for example, from 2 to 3 years reduces their carbon footprint by between 23 and 30 per cent, depending on whether repairs are required or not ( Cordella et al., 2021 ). A UK study revealed that extending the life of devices (such as phones, tablets and laptops) by 50% would reduce the amount thrown away by 24%, over ten years ( Lysaght, 2023 ). Recognising this, policymakers are beginning to act. The European Union’s 2024 Eco-design for Sustainable Products Regulation requires manufacturers to ensure products are more durable, repairable, and recyclable. This signals a shift from conventional design, which prioritises only the first user, toward circular design, which considers the needs of multiple stakeholders: initial users, second-hand buyers, repairers, recyclers and more. By extending product lifespans and reducing material and energy use, circular design tackles waste at its source. Importantly, this approach also aligns with consumer expectations. Surveys indicate that 70% of consumers are interested in buying durable, maintainable products ( Capgemini, 2021 ). Spending on sustainably marketed products is rising rapidly. Over the past five years, sales of such products have grown by 28%, compared with 20% growth for products without sustainability claims ( McKinsey, 2023 ). Consumers also increasingly value repairability. More than half (54%) of consumers say they would prefer to repair their electronic equipment rather than replace it ( Bruce, 2021 ). However, the cost of repair is the biggest deciding factor ( Higginbottom, 2024 ). If the repair is just as expensive as the new item, then why bother? This underscores the need for repairs and aftermarket parts to be affordable and accessible. Taken together, these factors highlight that e-waste is not merely a by-product of technological progress; people want change. Advancing circular design is therefore essential to minimise waste, conserve resources, and respond effectively to both regulatory pressures and evolving consumer expectations. The Circular Solution Logitech is a global manufacturer of computer peripherals, such as mice, keyboards and headsets, shipping around 3 million products per week to over 100 countries ( O’Mahony, 2021 ). Its products are used by 71% of the world’s 500 largest companies, and feature in one in three meeting rooms and desks worldwide ( Logitech, 2025 ). When operating at such a scale, circular solutions can offer huge positive impacts. Logitech recognises that many of the most effective opportunities to reduce a product’s environmental impact occur during early-stage development, when fundamental design and material choices are made. Consequently, the company has integrated circular design principles across its entire product development process ( Logitech, n.d. ). Logitech achieves this through a deep understanding of its products and their impacts. Teardowns are performed to analyse each part, the materials used and how these parts are assembled ( Logitech, 2025 ). Insights from these analyses feed into life cycle assessments (LCAs) ( Logitech, 2024 ). This is a systematic analysis of a product’s material sourcing, production, distribution, use and disposal to understand and quantify the carbon emissions associated with each step. Currently, 84% of Logitech’s products have independently verified LCAs ( Logitech, 2025 ), providing detailed insights into their environmental impacts. This drives data-driven decision-making to target the most impactful hotspots ( Logitech, 2024 ). Logitech's Product Teardown Process Logitech has also developed an internal Circularity Assessment Tool. This measures the comparative circularity of product designs while aligning with stakeholder views, regulatory trends, and industry best practices ( Logitech, 2024 ). This uses a semi-quantitative scoring system to evaluate factors like longevity, reuse, and recyclability, which helps development teams identify improvement opportunities and implement more sustainable solutions ( Logitech, 2024 ). This evidence-based circular development has driven several tangible outcomes, including: Materials: 78% of products now use post-consumer recycled plastics ( Logitech, 2024 ). Manufacturing: the MX Creative Console replaces painted finishes with microtextures, improving recyclability while giving a premium surface finish ( Logitech, 2024 ). Product Design: Steel reinforcing plates have been removed from keyboards to reduce carbon-intensive material use ( Logitech, 2023 ). End of life: In the US, Logitech has partnered with Staples to take back end-of-life products in exchange for a 25% discount voucher ( Logitech, n.d. ). These circularity initiatives both complement and enhance the user experience. Logitech aims to foster emotional attachment between users and their devices so they keep them for longer and repair them when they break ( Logitech, 2024 ). Transparency is another key aspect: LCA results are displayed on Logitech’s product packaging, empowering consumers to make more informed purchasing decisions ( Logitech 2025 ). Logitech is advancing design for repair. For example, the G733 headset features detachable ear pads and headband strap with easily replaceable internal parts such as battery and microphone ( iFixIt, n.d. ). The Logitech Repair Hub , developed in partnership with iFixIt, provides multilingual step-by-step repair guides for common problems on 20 popular products and offers direct sales of replacement parts. For the G733, replacing the battery for €25 ( iFixIt, 2025 ) instead of the entire product for €160 exemplifies how repair can extend product lifetimes while saving costs. By making repairs accessible and affordable, Logitech is reducing barriers to circular product use and empowering consumers to participate in the circular economy. Climate Impact The data-driven decision-making in Logitech is having a positive impact on their products. For example, the second generation of the Wave Keys keyboard implemented post-consumer recycled plastics, a redesigned circuit board, a redesigned frame, paper packaging and was manufactured with renewable energy ( Logitech, 2025 ). These steps reduced the second generation's emissions by 37% compared to the first, which equates to 310 tonnes of CO 2 per 100,000 units ( Logitech, 2025 ). Logitech’s emissions are highly dependent on its manufacturing and material suppliers. More than 99% of Logitech’s emissions are Scope 3 ( Logitech, 2024 ); 60% of which are from materials and manufacturing, and a further 25% are from the use of the products (i.e. the energy consumed by the devices) ( Logitech, 2024 ). The direct contribution of the different carbon reduction initiatives can be quantified. The transition to renewable energy of their suppliers saves 79 thousand tonnes of CO 2 emissions per year, post-consumer recycled plastic saves 25 thousand, and low-carbon aluminium saves 13 thousand( Logitech, 2024 ). Of all the materials used in their products and packaging, about one-third contains recycled content, and a further quarter is renewable natural materials ( Logitech, 2024 ). Across all programs, this saved roughly 140 thousand tonnes of CO 2 emissions in 2023 ( Logitech, 2024 ). You would need a forest roughly four times the size of Killarney National Park to capture a similar amount of CO 2 (Based on 3.5tCO 2 sequestered per hectare of native woodland per year ( Teagasc, 2025 ) and area of Killarney National Park = 10,236 hectares ( Discover Kerry, n.d. )). Logitech highlights how data-driven decision-making in product development enables lower impact and more circular products. Replicability Shift produces modular, easy-to-repair devices such as smartphones and speakers made with circularity in mind. Fairphone creates phones and audio devices that are easy to repair and built to last. iFixIt is spearheading the right-to-repair movement and is working with major tech manufacturers to improve the repairability of their devices. They also provide repair guides, parts and tools to break down barriers to repair. Refurbed offers a range of refurbished technology, such as mice, keyboards and headsets, giving them a second life. Google’s Pixel Watch 4 is assembled with screws and seals instead of glue, making it more repairable. iFixIt rated its repairability a 9/10 and called it “the first mainstream smartwatch to make repairability cool.” ALL CASE STUDIES

a07b0cfe-6da8-4cbf-9ea5-b5b19b22683e CIRCULÉIRE NON-MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: HEALTH BEACON WEBSITE: HEALTHBEACON.COM SECTOR : HEALTHCARE, MEDTECH, PHARMACEUTICALS PUBLISHED: 14 JULY 2025 TAGS: REUSE, RECYCLING, MEDTECH, PHARMACEUTICALS, MEDICAL WASTE, HAZARDOUS WASTE The Challenge Approximately 16 billion injections are administered globally eac h year ( WHO, 2024 ). Unfortunately, not all needles and syringes are properly disposed of ( WHO, 2024 ), posing a danger of injury and infection as well as potential reuse of an unste rilised product. Single-use products, such as injection needles and syringes, are popular due to the risk of transferable / infectious diseases plus the high cost and time-consuming process of sterilisation ( Collier, 2011 ). However, massive amounts of plastic packaging, single-use tools, and diagnostic devices emit greenhouse gases (GHG) when incinerated or while decomposing in landfills and oceans ( Greene, Skolnik & Merritt, 2022 ). In fact, healthcare systems are responsible for 4%–5% of the emissions of GHGs worldwide ( Rodríguez‐Jiménez et al., 2023 ). The Circular Opportunity Single-use medical supplies account for roughly 80% of the industry’s carbon footprint in terms of production, transport, usage, and disposal ( Greene et al., 2022 ). Medical supplies, like many other common household items, were made of reusable metal, fabric, and glass in the past, with little to no plastic used in their production or packaging ( Johns Hopkins, 2023 ). Currently, almost all medical supplies, including surgical masks, syringes, and surgical tools, are wrapped in or made of plastic ( Johns Hopkins, 2023 ). As a matter of fact, 85% of global medical waste is comprised of discarded materials that are disposable rather than reusable, despite only 15% of it being hazardous ( Greene et al., 2022 ). A sustainable healthcare system is one in which products are developed for longevity and circularity while also ensuring device reliability and patient safety. The Circular Solution in Practice HealthBeacon is an Irish digital therapeutics company that develops products for patients to manage injectable medications at home. The HealthBeacon Injection Care Management System monitors medication adherence and persistence by providing medication management reminders, safe and sustainable sharps disposal devices, educational resources, and artificial intelligence (AI) operated data analytics. The company is presently operating in 17 countries, primarily across Europe, North America, and the United Kingdom. Peer reviewed evidence published in the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy revealed that patients using this technology improved injectable medication adherence by up to 26% (Glynn, 2020) . HealthBeacon and Novartis Ireland are collaborating to use the HealthBeacon Green Labs to develop a platform that will offer quick and easy innovative sustainability solutions for Novartis patients ( Novartis Ireland, 2022 ). The first step of this partnership is supplying reusable sharps bins to rheumatology, dermatology, and neurology patients. Smart technology reminds patients to take their medication and alerts them when their sharps bin is almost full. The full sharps bin is then collected from the patient’s home, sanitised, and returned to the patient for reuse, ensuring an environmentally friendly and safe service for patients ( Novartis Ireland, 2022 ). Replicability According to a report by Grand View Research, Inc., the global home healthcare market is estimated to reach USD 747.b billion by 2030 ( GVR, 202 4 ). From 2022 to 2030, the market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.21% ( GVR, 2022 ). The increase of chronic illnesses such as respiratory diseases, kidney disorders, and diabetes is driving up demand for home therapeutic devices. HealthBeacon has an excellent opportunity to capitalise on this thriving market and expand its business. The collection and sustainable disposal of injectable sharps is a significant step towards tackling the global challenge of sustainably managing medical waste and assisting pharmaceutical companies in adopting more sustainable waste management practises. A few initiatives worth noting in the circular medical devices sphere include: Tympany Medical, a CIRCULÉIRE new venture, is a Galway-based medical technology company that produces reusable endoscopes. The ReMed project, a collaboration between Loughborough University and the University of Leeds, aims to identify the barriers to the circular use of medical devices and develop sustainable solutions. ALL CASE STUDIES

a5b70e0a-7b0b-46bb-a0ec-f139d0268178 CIRCULÉIRE MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: VOTECHNIK WEBSITE: VOTECHNIK.COM SECTOR : ELECTRONICS PUBLISHED: 24 APRIL 2024 TAGS: WEEE, CRITICAL RAW MATERIALS About Votechnik Votechnik developed a series of cutting-edge innovative robotic technologies for Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) recycling. LCD is an electronic display that is found in smartphones, tablets, televisions, and many other electronics. Votechnik’s robotic technology removes components containing hazardous substances from LCDs (e.g., mercury-containing lamps), and prepare non- hazardous materials for recycling. The Challenge The electronics industry is one of the top eight industries responsible for more than half of the world’s total carbon footprint. In 2020, the equivalent of 580 million metric tons of CO2 were emitted by Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) ( Singh and Ogunseitan, 2022 ). That is more than the emissions generated by Canada in a year (525 million metric tons) ( World Bank, 2023 ). LCDs have become the dominant technology in devices that contain displays. The rate at which people replace their devices every year results in an avalanche of discarded electronic waste. In fact, only about 38% of electronics that enter the market are subsequently collected; the remainder are discarded ( European Commission, 2020 ). LCD monitors are among the most dangerous electronic devices to discard because they contain toxic metals, including mercury, which can harm both humans and the environment. LCDs also contain rare earth metals, such as indium, which is one of the earth’s least prevalent minerals ( Royal Society of Chemistry, 2023 ). If Indium recovery is not increased, reserves may become smaller, affecting the supply chain. The Circular Opportunity Votechnik emerged from the University of Limerick, backed by the European Commission, and supported by world- class industrial players such as Siemens and KUKA . Votechnik has spent the last 10 years developing, testing, and operating their technology to the highest industry standards. They are certified compliant with the European Standard EN50625 for WEEE treatment, and their business model is specifically designed to address the EU legislative WEEE Directive. Votechnik offers a wide range of LCD recycling technologies, one of them being their Indium Recovery System, which is designed specifically to extract indium from WEEE glass panels. Their indium recovery technology is called IND2000 and is supplied as a machine to recyclers who run the process with Votechnik’s support. Votechnik’s technology is used to release and capture indium from the glass panels, achieving high extraction rates and minimizing waste. Purification techniques are used to refine the extracted indium, ensuring its quality and suitability for reuse in various applications. Furthermore, clean glass fractions are generated from the process, which can be reused in the production of the new glass products. The Indium Recovery System is designed to comply with international standards and regulations. Climate Impact By recovering this critical raw material from waste electronics, Votechnik’s Indium Recovery System ensures a stable and reliable supply chain for businesses, by reducing dependence on imported indium from China. It further contributes to environmental preservation by efficiently extracting indium from glass panels, preventing it from being lost in landfills or incinerated, and reducing dependency on indium mining. Replicability The electronic device industry is growing. The combined sales of smartphones, televisions, and computers in 2021 were USD$ 880 billion, with growth rates in 2022 expected to range between 3% - 4% ( Stewart and Crossan, 2022 ). Votechnik has effectively incorporated a circular business model into the booming electronics market, decreasing virgin resource consumption while assisting Ireland in meeting its WEEE collection targets. Recovery and reuse are becoming increasingly prevalent as nations strive to meet climate targets. KMK Metals Recycling , another CIRCULÉIRE member, provides environmentally sound management of waste metal in all forms. They collect and process 75% of Ireland’s WEEE. KMK Metals are partners with Votechnik on both their IND2000 technology plus their ALR4000 technology. The ALR4000 technology depollutes LCD displays, allowing them to be shredded before the secondary raw materials are recovered. ALL CASE STUDIES

3496cd27-edd3-42f2-a017-682ae4600cfe CIRCULÉIRE NON-MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: BRITISH SUGAR WEBSITE: BRITISHSUGAR.CO.UK SECTOR : FOOD & BEVERAGE PUBLISHED: 03 JULY 2025 TAGS: FOOD & BEVERAGE, INDUSTRIAL SYMBIOSIS (IS), BIOECONOMY, CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODELS, NEW REVENUE STREAMS, INNOVATION, WASTE VALORISATION About British Sugar Located in Wissington, Norfolk, British Sugar is the United Kingdom’s (UK) largest sugar beet refinery. In 1912 their first factory was built in Cantley, Norfolk, and in 1936 the factories were amalgamated into the British Sugar Corporation to manage the entire domestic crop. The Challenge Industrial Symbiosis (IS) is a form of circular economy that connects businesses from various industries to increase waste valorisation, improve resource efficiency, and reduce environmental impact ( Trokanas et al., 2014 ). The gradual opening of the UK sugar market to global competition, as well as the subsequent competition with low- cost sugar produced in developing nations, contributed to a change in the global market ( Benedetti, 2017 ). The main challenge that led British Sugar to implement industrial symbiosis (IS) was the need to adapt and maintain its competitive advantage in this changing global market ( Benedetti, 2017 ). The Circular Solution in Practice British Sugar is the leading producer of sugar for the British and Irish food and beverage sectors, processing about eight million tonnes of sugar beet and producing up to 1.2 million tonnes of sugar each year. They work in partnership with over 2,300 growers. They utilise waste materials from their sugar production process, as well as certain external partnerships, to make 12 different saleable products ( EU, 2023 ). Their innovative manufacturing approach also allows them to create co-products ranging from power generation and bioethanol to animal feed and much more. For instance, the beet washing residual soil is sold under a different brand called Topsoil ( Shi et al., 2021 ). The limestone used for purification is utilised to produce a lime substance that regulates soil acidity to improve soil quality, and this business has become the primary source of agricultural lime in Britain ( Shi et al., 2021 ). They also use the highly concentrated CO2 and waste heat generated during the manufacturing process in the greenhouse to create better growing conditions for tomatoes, making them Europe’s second largest tomato supplier ( Shi et al., 2021 ). These initiatives created significant economic value by generating new revenue streams and reducing waste disposal costs ( Shi et al., 2021 ). The Wissington facility processes 3.5 million tonnes of sugar beet every year, yet less than 100 tonnes of waste is sent to the landfill ( Shi et al., 2021 ). Environmental Impact Since 2014, these processes have resulted in a 26% reduction in water usage, a 12% reduction in energy usage and a 17% reduction in CO2. The factories operate using management systems accredited to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, ISO 50001, BRC and FEMAS. Moreover, British Sugar is playing a part in meeting the industry-focused goals of the United Nation’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, such as SDG9 ‘Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation’. Focusing on continuous improvement, the company supported this goal by applying a circular solution that helped reduce its end-to-end supply chain water and CO2 footprints by 30%, and by ensuring all plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable, biodegradable and / or compostable and providing access to objective scientific advice on sugar. Replicability The British Sugar case illustrates how the groundwork of Industrial Symbiosis can create opportunities for business innovation towards sustainability, by seeking opportunities to turn waste streams and emissions from core production processes into useful and positive inputs to new product lines. Replicability enhances the goal of reusing networked resources including water, energy, and materials both within a single company or industry or across multiple businesses in traditionally separate industries. Another significant IS project is Kalundborg Symbiosis , the world’s first IS initiative that has evolved over the past 50 years. This partnership of 17 public and private companies has more than 30 different streams of excess resources flowing between them. ALL CASE STUDIES

e98898ad-0e77-4354-a3e6-0bf98438432d CIRCULÉIRE MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: BLADEBRIDGE WEBSITE: BLADEBRIDGE.IE SECTOR : BUILT ENVIRONEMENT PUBLISHED: 21 AUGUST 2025 TAGS: BUILT ENVIRONMENT, CIRCULAR DESIGN, INNOVATION, SECOND LIFE, WASTE VALORISATION The Challenge Wind power has established itself as a vital cornerstone technology in the global effort to combat climate change and achieve the transition to a net-zero economy. Its environmental credentials, particularly when compared to legacy fossil fuel systems, are now scientifically robust and well-documented. On a life-cycle basis, onshore wind power has one of the lowest greenhouse gas (GHG) footprints of all energy sources. Comparing CO₂ equivalents per kilowatt-hour (gCO_2eq/kWh): Wind power has a median estimate of 13 gCO_2eq/kWh, Natural gas has a median estimate of 490 gCO_2eq/kWh, and Coal-fired power plants have a median estimate of 1,001 gCO_2eq/kWh ( NREL, 2021 ). According to the International Energy Agency, global wind energy generation needs to increase from 2,330 Terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2023 to over 7,100 TWh by 2030 to align with a Net Zero Emissions by 2050 scenario. An approximate increase of 17% per year ( IEA, 2024 ). In terms of policy within the EU and Ireland, more wind power is the clear direction of travel. In 2022, in response to the war in Ukraine, the European Union launched the REPowerEU plan, to reduce EU dependence on fossil-fuel imports. The plan aims for 480 GW of wind energy by 2030 up from 190 GW in 2022 ( Wind Europe, 2022 ). Ireland's Climate Action Plan 2024 aims to increase the island’s share of renewable electricity to 80% by 2030, targeting 9 GW of onshore wind, and at least 5 GW from offshore wind projects ( Government of Ireland, 2024 ). With so much wind power coming online, serious consideration needs to be given to what happens to the wind turbines at the end of their life. Wind turbines are designed for a 20-year lifespan based on a set of design requirements by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) ( Wind Energy Ireland, 2021 ). Typically they last up to 25 years with some having their lifetime extended to 35 years ( Wind Europe, 2020 ). 85-90% of a wind turbine can be recycled as they are made of copper, steel and cast iron, however the remaining 10-15% of a turbine's mass is primarily made from composite materials used in the turbine blades, which are more challenging to recycle. ( Wind Europe, 2020 ). By 2030, it is projected that around 52,000 tonnes of wind turbine blades will be decommissioned annually in Europe ( Wind Europe, 2021) , that’s approximately the same weight as 3,700 double-decker buses. Without a circular approach to blade design, it's estimated that blade waste will grow to approximately 43 million tonnes globally by 2050 ( Liu and Barlow, 2017 ) - that’s approximately 3.1 million double-decker busses. The Circular Opportunity BladeBridge , are an Irish company and CIRCULÉIRE member, spun-out from the Re-Wind Network. The Re-Wind Network is an international research group from the Georgia Institute of Technology, University College Cork, Queen’s University Belfast, City University of New York and Munster Technological University who develop solutions to repurpose wind turbine blades at the end of their life. BladeBridge works with owners and operators of wind farms to provide them with sustainable end-of-life options for decommissioned blade material. When a blade reaches the end of its life, BladeBridge tests its strength to assess what kind of products it is suitable for, they then design innovative products to repurpose the blade for its new life. They have repurposed blades to create infrastructure such as a bridge on the Midleton to Youghal Greenway; benches, bike-parking and picnic tables on the Achill Greenway; E-bike charging hubs with ESB; furniture for a local community centre in Co Clare; and they are constantly coming up with new and innovative ideas. Wind turbine blades are getting bigger as time passes, and the decommissioning of later models brings new opportunities for new designs. BladeBridge has plans for products including office pods, shelters, and glamping pods. BladeBridge is currently the only company in Ireland repurposing turbine blades and are a pioneer in using blades for infrastructure like bridges. They have extensive experience working on pilot projects with ESB, Tidy Towns and numerous county councils. As BladeBridge’s turbine blades are used as a substitute for high-carbon virgin material, such as steel and concrete, their infrastructure designs result in 20-50% lower environmental impacts, which exceeds green public procurement initiatives. Their products also save money over their lifespan, as they require much lower maintenance versus conventional products. For local governments and communities BladeBridge offer infrastructure that shows engagement with the circular economy and comes with a great built-in story about the products history. By averaging the CO 2 saved from the use of raw materials across twelve different repurposing scenarios, BladeBridge have calculated that repurposing one tonne of wind turbine blades saves an equivalent half a tonne of CO 2. Their goal is to repurpose as much of wind turbine material as possible, diverting it from landfill or incineration, and preventing up to 900 tonnes of CO 2 equivalent emissions per year. Replicability Wind turbine blades are made to be tough and durable. They are usually a mixture of fibreglass and resin and are designed to withstand storms and wind for decades. Whilst this makes them hard to recycle, it also means they are ideal for outdoor furniture and infrastructure. Other examples of wind turbine solutions include: The Danish city of Aalborg has installed public bicycle shelters made from decommissioned wind turbine blades from a local wind farm. In the Netherlands, the company Blade-Made creates street furniture, playground equipment, and architectural features from sections of decommissioned turbine blades. The Polish company Anmet recycles and repurposes blades for various uses, including constructing small-scale bridges and city furniture. GE Renewable Energy partnered with Veolia North America (VNA) to process blades from its U.S. based onshore turbines, shredding them for use as a raw material for cement manufacturing. Siemens Gamesa has launched the "RecyclableBlade," the world's first fully recyclable wind turbine blade, which uses a new resin type that allows for the separation of blade materials at the end of life. ALL CASE STUDIES

67923338-9d95-44a5-80e3-2fb0b2337bdf CIRCULÉIRE MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: ERIU WEBSITE: ERIU.EU SECTOR : TEXTILES PUBLISHED: 24 APRIL 2024 TAGS: TEXTILES, BIOECONOMY The Challenge Sheep farming is Ireland’s fourth most important animal enterprise ( Teagasc, 2023 ). Wool is a natural, biodegradable, and renewable fibre and is abundant in Ireland due to the key role of sheep farming. Wool was considered as an agricultural product in the EU until 2002, and it was a source of income for the farmers who operated in the sector. Wool’s categorisation altered through a series of EU regulations and is now currently classified as a Category 3 waste product alongside animal carcasses (DAFM, 2022 ). Wool must now be transferred to specialised processing facilities, which means high reprocessing costs and uncertain earnings for many farmers. All treatment of recovered materials needs to adhere to the guidelines of Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency . This regulatory change, coupled with the rapid decline in the usage of natural fibres in favour of synthetic fibre production, resulted in the devaluation of wool. Farmers in Ireland are only paid 20 cents per kg ( DAFM, 2022 ), which is considerably less than the cost of shearing. This leaves farmers with no incentive to care for their wool or breed for wool quality. Currently, some sheep farmers are storing years’ worth of wool in their sheds or storage warehouses ( O’Riordan, 2022 ), which compromises the condition of the wool. The Circular Opportunity Currently, synthetic, petroleum-based polymers account for two-thirds of all textile items ( Henry, Laitala and Klepp 2019 ). Laundering synthetic clothes accounts for 35% of primary microplastics released into the environment ( De Falco et al., 2019 ). Sheep wool, on the other hand, is a natural biodegradable and renewable fibre which at the end of its life poses no threat to human health or the environment ( DAFM, 2022 ). Properties in wool also allow it to be used for purposes such as fertiliser and insulation. Wool is an excellent insulator and thermo- regulator. It responds to variations in body temperature, keeping the wearer warmer when cold and cooler when warm. It is odour and wrinkle resistant, so does not need to be washed as frequently as other fibre types, conserving water, and energy ( DAFM 2023 ). According to recent studies, regenerative wool can store carbon from the environment, thereby minimising the impacts of climate change ( Colley et al., 2020 ). The Circular Solution In Practice Ériu , a 2023 CIRCULEIRE New Venture, founded in 2021, manufactures yarn from the wool that is hand-selected, processed and designed entirely in Ireland. Ériu is the first Irish knitwear brand whose products are exclusively Irish sourced and manufactured using a ‘Farm to Yarn’ sustainable initiative. Ériu contributes to the Irish economy by sourcing wool from a trusted network of farmers around Ireland, as well as from their own farm in Wicklow. They offer farmers EUR €2.50 per kg of wool, which is more than 10 times market price. Donegal Yarns processes the wool locally, and Irish knitters in Dublin make it. Aside from local collaborations, they have established their own facility for processing wool on the farm which they intend to roll out in stages. The first stage is scouring, where they will wash the wool softly and sustainably using biodiverse methods. They already have equipment for additional stages, which will further enable an expansion of their Farm-to- Yarn networks to source and incentivise more wool collection, and create more opportunities for an expanding range of wool products. Replicability The global wool market is expected to grow from $37.06 billion in 2022 to $45.05 billion in 2027 ( The Business Research Company, 2023 ). As consumers are becoming more conscious of the environmental degradation caused by synthetic textile production there has been a rise in demand for sustainable and ethically produced textiles ( Granskog et al., 2020 ). In light of these factors, Irish wool is expected to hold significant potential for the textile sector’s sustainable transition. Ériu has an unparalleled opportunity to be at the forefront of revitalising the Irish wool market . As circularity in the textiles and fashion sector continues to be encouraged, a few companies worth mentioning include: Infinited Fiber , a Finnish company that has developed a technology that converts textile waste into a premium-quality circular textile fibre, which reduces the world’s reliance on virgin raw materials. Our Choice Fashion, based in Luxemburg, manufactures circular leather sneakers that are 100% plastic free, repairable, and recyclable. ALL CASE STUDIES