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- ReCEOL
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
- Kaffe Bueno
f9c55f9d-bf24-488b-be0f-1093f40c9cfc CIRCULÉIRE MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: KAFFE BUENO WEBSITE: KAFFEBUENO.COM SECTOR: FOOD & DRINK PUBLISHED: 26 MAY 2025 TAGS: FOOD WASTE, CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODEL, BIOECONOMY, COSMETICS The Challenge Many people around the world start their day with a cup of coffee. From Oct 2021 to Sep 2022, over 168.5 million 60kg bags of coffee were consumed globally, with Europe accounting for 31% of its consumption ( International Coffee Organization, 2023 ). Every year, approximately 18 million tonnes of used coffee grounds are discarded worldwide, with the majority being sent to landfill ( May, 2021 ). When coffee grounds decompose in landfills, they emit methane gas, which has a greenhouse heating effect 84 times higher than carbon dioxide (over a 20 year period). ‘If all the estimated 18 million tonnes of wet, spent grounds were left to decompose naturally, they would release over 2.3 billion cubic metres of methane annually – a global warming impact equivalent to the entire annual CO2 output of France’ ( May, 2021 ). The Circular Opportunity A circular economy is an economy that eliminates waste by design. It does this, in part, by recognising the value contained in what is normally throw away. ‘When brewing a cup of coffee, only 1% of the potential in the coffee bean is being utilised, making it one of the most undervalued resources in the world’ ( Kaffe Bueno 2023 ). Spent coffee grounds are already being used for biofuels, natural fertilisers, nutrition and personal healthcare products. The Circular Solution in Practice Kaffe Bueno is a Danish bioscience company founded in 2016. They are a Certified B Corporation who use green chemistry and biotechnology to upcycle spent coffee grounds to produce ingredients for the human-nutrition, personal-care and agro-chemical industries. Kaffe Bueno collects and dries the spent coffee grounds from selected hotels, offices, and industry partners in Copenhagen. They then extract the antioxidant-rich arabica seed oil and coffee fibres. Their circular business model has resulted in a number of marketable healthcare products, such as extracts for serums, oils, shampoos, conditioners, soaps, sunscreens, natural exfoliants and antioxidants. For the nutrition market they produce fibre rich flour for baking breads, cookies and cereals plus coffee flavouring extracts. By diverting spent coffee grounds from landfill they currently prevent up to 37 tonnes of methane emissions per year ( Kallehauge, 2023 ). Replicability The global coffee beauty products market was valued at US$593 million in 2022, and it is projected to grow to US$961.9 million by 2031 ( Transparency Market Research, 2023 ). Consumers are becoming more conscious of the ingredients in skincare products. In addition, the increasing demand for organic and natural skincare products is enhancing the market value for beauty products containing coffee. Some of the prominent players in the market such as Loreal Paris, Estee Lauder Inc., and Avon have been focusing on introducing coffee-infused beauty products to expand their offerings and serve the customers with natural ingredient-based solutions ( Grand View Research, 2019 ). Nutrient recovery from food waste and residues has been applied in many cases and for different purposes. Considering coffee waste valorisation, some examples also worth mentioning include: UpCircle is a circular skincare company that use coffee grounds to make facial scrubs amongst other upcycled ingredients from the food industry. The Coffee Cherry Co developed an extraction process for coffee cherry pulp to provide an ingredient for flours and nutrition drinks. A Note on By-Products & End of Waste A by-product is a residue left over from the production of another product. In Ireland, Regulation 27 of the Waste Directive sets out the circumstances in which a material can be considered a by-product and not a waste. It is essential you notify the EPA to determine if your material satisfies the criteria of a by-product. The EPA will confirm if it can be catogorised as a by-product or if it must be categorised as a waste. If the substance is classified as a waste then it may need to achieve End-of-Waste status via Article 28 of the Waste Directive to be kept in use as a resource. ALL CASE STUDIES
- Well Spent Grain
c11d36ad-d879-4496-8638-4af7801836e0 CIRCULÉIRE MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: WELL SPENT GRAIN WEBSITE: WELL-SPENT-GRAIN.COM SECTOR : FOOD PUBLISHED: 24 APRIL 2024 TAGS: FOOD WASTE, CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODEL The Challenge One of the earliest steps in the beer brewing process is when grain is steeped in hot water to stimulate the release of fermentable sugars for brewing. Once those sugars are released, the liquid is drained away and used in the next stage of the process. The grain that is left behind is no longer of any use to the brewer and is called Brewer’s Spent Grain (BSG). This spent grain accounts for approximately 85% of the waste created through the entire brewing process (Terefe, 2022). The brewing industry produces an estimated 39 million tonnes of spent grain per year (Bachmann, Calvete and Féris, 2022), that’s equivalent to the weight of 7.8 million African elephants. 70% of spent grain is commonly used as low-value cow feed or fertiliser, 20% is usually either disposed of in a landfill and the remaining 10% is converted into biogas (Terefe, 2022). That means approximately 7.8 million tonnes of BSG ends up in a landfill every year. Every tonne of BSG disposed of in landfill emits 513 kilogrammes of CO2 equivalent (LIFE-Brewery). BSG disposed of in landfill emits about 4 billion kilogrammes of CO2 each year. This is comparable to the same annual amount of CO2 emitted by burning 22,053 railcars worth of coal (EPA.gov). The Circular Opportunity BSG for human consumption has gained popularity in recent years, owing mostly to its health-related bioactive components. BSG is thought to be the most abundant source of phenolic chemicals, particularly hydroxycinnamic acids (HCAs) (Ikram et al., 2017). These phenolic chemicals are natural antioxidants that have been linked to the prevention of age-related chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases, type I and type II diabetes, and some cancers (Ikram et al., 2017). BSG is also regarded as a source of dietary fibre for humans, mainly viscous fibres, which aid in raising cholesterol and fat excretion and improving the digestive process (Ikram et al., 2017). The Circular Solution In Practice Well Spent Grain, a CIRCULÉIRE New Venture, is a Dublin-based Irish start-up founded by Sunkyung Choi and Patrick Nagle in March 2022. Well Spent Grain collect BSG from brewers like Rascals Brewing Company and transport it immediately to their kitchen for processing or storage. They upcycle it by creating tasty value-added snack bites. Well Spent Grain collaborated with the Prepared Consumer Foods Team in Teagasc Food Research Centre in Ashtown to develop the snacks and validate the production process. They work with ENSO to create and implement their sustainability strategy, track, and verify their performance. Their first product, Born-Again Peanut and Dark Chocolate soft snack bites, are made from upcycled BSG plus 5 additional ingredients (dates, 100% peanut peanut butter, toasted hazelnut, 70% dark chocolate and maple syrup). They provide good nutrition and a boost to adults’ energy levels. Each pack of Born-Again Bites has a natural malty, nutty, fruity flavour, with hints of dark chocolate and maple syrup. They provide 4.6g of protein per pouch and are high in fibre. They are accidentally vegan, have 100% recyclable packaging, and are hand-crafted locally. Well Spent Grain offer the consumer the opportunity to take part in the circular food economy in the easiest way possible. By picking up a pouch of Born Again Peanut and Dark Chocolate Soft Snack Bites, you are already taking part, and you get a delicious treat for your trouble. Replicability The global upcycled food market size was valued at USD 53.7 billion in 2021, and is projected to reach USD 97 billion by 2031 (J & D, 2023). Well Spent Grain has a great opportunity to cement and scale its business model alongside the thriving market while promoting the circular economy. Nutrient recovery from food waste and residues has been utilised in a variety of cases, including Niskus Biotec, a CIRCULÉIRE member, who upcycles and adds value to brewery and whiskey distillery by-products by using them to grow gourmet mushrooms (e.g., oyster, lion’s mane, and shiitake) and create myco-fermented food ingredients. ALL CASE STUDIES
- IperionX
35571c7f-11f5-4ff4-b582-1dbcc4883a23 CIRCULÉIRE NON-MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: IPERIONX WEBSITE: IPERIONX.COM SECTOR : ADVANCED MATERIALS PUBLISHED: 13 NOVEMBER 2025 TAGS: CRITICALRAWMATERIALS, TITANIUM, RECYCLING, SUPPLYCHAIN, RESOURCERECOVERY, AEROSPACE, ADVANCED-MATERIALS The Challenge Titanium is a critical mineral valued for its exceptional strength, light weight, and resistance to corrosion ( Schulz et al., 2017 ). It is an essential metal for industries such as aviation, shipbuilding, power generation, and medical implants, where durability and lightweight materials are crucial ( Schulz et al., 2017 ). Titanium dioxide (TiO2), an oxide form of titanium, is widely used in pigments and renewable energy applications due to its photocatalytic properties - its ability to use light to trigger chemical reactions that can, for example, enhance the efficiency of sunlight conversion into electricity in solar panels ( TDMA, 2023 ). Recognized as both a critical and strategic raw material under the European Union's Critical Raw Materials Act , titanium is vital for key sectors including civil aviation, defence, space, advanced manufacturing, and the green and digital transitions ( Joint Research Centre, 2025 ). Despite its importance, the EU relies heavily on imports of titanium minerals and metal, primarily from countries like China, Russia, and Ukraine, which exposes the supply chain to geopolitical risks, market concentration, and long lead times. These vulnerabilities have led the EU to prioritize circular economy strategies such as increased recycling, diversification of supply sources, and development of secondary raw materials to reduce import dependency and increase supply resilience ( Joint Research Centre, 2025 ). The extraction and processing of titanium has additional environmental and human health costs. Titanium mining can result in deforestation, habitat loss, and contamination of air and water - especially when waste is improperly managed ( Farjana et al., 2018 ). The overall process is energy- and water-intensive, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and exacerbating water scarcity in mining regions. A Circular Solution IperionX, a U.S.-based producer of critical minerals and materials, has partnered with European metals recycler Aperam Recycling through its American entity ELG. ELG has longstanding expertise in sourcing and processing titanium, stainless steel, and superalloys, handling over one million metric tonnes of metal annually ( Aperam, 2024 ). Using University of Utah-developed technology, IperionX can produce competitively priced titanium metal from both mined mineral and scrap. Unlike the industry-standard Kroll process, their method enables 100% scrap usage, making a fully closed-loop circular system possible ( IperionX, 2025 ). IperionX utilises Hydrogen Assisted Metallothermic Reduction (HAMR), an energy efficient thermochemical process that can produce either Commercially Pure (CP) or alloyed titanium powders at low cost and with low carbon emissions in a sustainable closed loop ( IperionX, 2025 ). The IperionX Titanium Demonstration Facility has the capacity to produce 125 tonnes of titanium powder per year ( Stockhead, 2023 ) and the company has scale-up plans to achieve a capacity of 1,400 metric tonnes of titanium per year by mid-2027 ( Metal AM, 2023 ). Climate Impact Recycling titanium scrap into powder produces over 90% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than conventional plasma atomisation methods, resulting in a carbon footprint as low as 7.8 kg CO2e per kilogram ( IperionX, 2023 ). By relying on recycled feedstock, IperionX reduces the need for new mining, conserves natural resources, and minimises waste. Additionally, by producing titanium powder domestically, the U.S. can lower transport-related emissions and costs - addressing a major supply chain gap as the nation currently imports all high-quality titanium ( Stockhead, 2023 ). Replicability The titanium market, valued at $2.44 billion in 2023, is set to grow at over 6% annually through 2030, largely due to increased demand from aviation and industrial sectors ( Grand View Research ). The uptake of circular recycling approaches, like those of IperionX, is likely to accelerate as industries seek lower-carbon and resource-efficient solutions. European initiatives focusing on titanium recycling and sustainable production include: EcoTitanium (France), is a leading European plant specializing in recycling aerospace-grade titanium alloys using advanced furnace technology. The EcoTitanium recycling plant is supported by significant EU investment, and produces thousands of tons of titanium alloy annually while helping to reduce emissions compared to traditional ore-based production. EcoTitanium is currently the main large-scale titanium recycling facility in Europe and aims to strengthen European supply chains and reduce import dependency ( EIB, 2018 ). The EURO-Titan Project is a multi-partner EU-funded project working to establish low-carbon titanium metal production from industrial residues and scraps within Europe. It aims to create traceable, continuous titanium metal production aligned with decarbonization and supply chain resilience goals. ALL CASE STUDIES
- Kujala Waste Centre
f74e8719-ca2e-43f8-9b65-516d56caea47 CIRCULÉIRE NON-MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: KUJALA WASTE CENTRE WEBSITE: Salpakierto.fi/en/ SECTOR : WASTE PUBLISHED: 01 JULY 2025 TAGS: INDUSTRIAL SYMBIOSIS (IS), RESOURCE EFFICIENCY, WASTE VALORISATION, WASTE MANAGEMENT About Kujala Waste Centre The Kujala Waste Centre in the city of Lahti, Finland, collects biowaste and bio residues and processes these into biogas, biofuel, compost, and fertilizer. The centre also collects hazardous Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE ( EU, 2019 ). The main operator at Kujala Waste Centre is Päijät‐ Häme Waste Management Ltd (PHJ), which provides waste management for ten municipalities and offers seven waste reception stations for residents. The Challenge As the global population grows and urbanisation expands, so does industry. However, increased industrialisation leads to greater waste generation. According to the World Bank, the world generates 2.01 billion tonnes of waste yearly, with this amount projected to rise to 3.40 billion tonnes by 2050 ( Kaza et al., 2021 ). The Circular Solution PHJ has employed the principles of industrial symbiosis (IS) in the city of Lahti to optimise waste processing, treatment, and recycling. 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 Kujala Waste Centre project has various waste related businesses in a single location spanning 70 hectares ( Ministry of the Environment of Finland, 2022 ), allowing outputs from one business to be easily transferred to another for reuse or further processing. Salpakierto contributes to developing IS in the Kujala Waste Centre and invites new companies to the area ( Ministry of the Environment of Finland, 2022 ). Tarpaper Recycling Finland Ltd. has a facility in the Kujala Waste Centre where it receives, stores and processes roofing felt containing bitumen ( Ministry of the Environment of Finland, 2022 ). The roofing felt is crushed into bitumen crumbs, which is used as a bitumen substitute in the asphalt sector, such as at NCC Industry Ltd.’s asphalt factory in Kujala ( Ministry of the Environment of Finland, 2022 ). Climate Impact Kujala Waste Centre receives approximately 200,000 tonnes of waste every year. Approximately 85,000 tonnes of the waste received is municipal, and the remaining 115,000 tonnes is production waste. Nearly 100% of the material is recovered ( Ministry of the Environment of Finland, 2022 ). In 2018, the amount of energy generated from landfill waste was equivalent to the annual heating energy consumption of roughly 13,900 detached houses ( EU , 2019 ). About 70% of landfill gas is directed to Hartwall Ltd.’s soft drink factory, where it is used to create steam for bottle washing ( Ministry of the Environment of Finland, 2022 ), and around 30% of the biogas is utilized at the Kujala Waste Centre to generate electricity and heat at the microturbine factory ( Ministry of the Environment of Finland, 2022 ). Replicability Replicability can be inspired by the Lahti region’s municipality approach in coordinating the principles of industrial symbiosis and waste management practices. In 2022, Ireland's municipal waste recycling rate was 41%, meaning the country will face significant challenges to meet the upcoming EU recycling targets for 2025 to 2035 ( Environmental Protection Agency, 2024 ). Ireland is also strongly reliant on export markets, particularly for municipal waste, hazardous waste, packaging waste, WEEE and biowastes treatment. An estimated 39% of all municipal waste managed was exported in 2022 ( Environmental Protection Agency, 2024 ). so the country is clearly missing out on opportunities for repurposing waste materials. Addressing this waste management issue would also aid Ireland in meeting its commitments under the EU Circular Economy Action Plan, the EU Green Deal and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Some significant IS projects include: Kalundborg Symbiosis , the world’s first IS initiative that has evolved over the past 50 years, with a partnership of 17 public and private companies, with more than 30 different streams of excess resources flowing between them. British Sugar is the leading producer of sugar for the British and Irish food and beverage sectors, they utilise waste materials from their sugar production process, as well as certain external partnerships, to make 12 different saleable products ( European Union, 2023 ). ALL CASE STUDIES
- Holcim
94036eb7-0636-4468-96f2-31cf79a845fc CIRCULÉIRE NON-MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: HOLCIM WEBSITE: HOLCIM.COM SECTOR : BUILT ENVIRONMENT PUBLISHED: 05 NOVEMBER 2025 TAGS: SUSTAINABLECONSTRUCTION, GREENCONCRETE, RECYCLEDCONCRETE, BUILTENVIRONMENT, EMBODIEDCARBON, CEMENT, CONSTRUCTIONWASTE, WASTETORESOURCE The Challenge Buildings account for 39% of global carbon emissions, with operational emissions related to heating, cooling, and power use contributing 28%, and embodied carbon—emissions from materials and construction—making up 11% ( World Green Building Council, 2025 ). Concrete alone is estimated to be responsible for approximately 6 to 8% of global CO 2 emissions ( World Economic Forum, 2024 ). This high carbon footprint arises mainly from the energy-intensive process of heating limestone at extreme temperatures during cement production, to make clinker, which is a primary ingredient in concrete. The built environment consumes about 50% of all extracted raw materials globally, emphasizing its significant resource demands ( European Commission, 2018 ). Concrete is the second most used material on earth, following only water in volume of use ( World Cement Association, n.d. ). Without the adoption of sustainable practices, the global consumption of raw materials for construction is projected to double by 2060, causing further environmental degradation and resource depletion ( OECD, 2019 ). A Circular Solution Holcim, a worldwide leader in building materials, partnered with Seqens - a major social housing organization in France - to give birth to Recygénie, the world's first building fully made from recycled concrete. This 220-unit social housing complex utilised Holcim's ECOCycle technology, which turns construction and demolition waste into new building materials (Holcim, n.d.). In 2021, a group of 1960s apartment buildings were torn down just outside of Paris, France. On the same site, construction began on the Recygénie complex, one year utilising demolition waste from the very buildings that once stood on the site ( Fast Company, 2024 ). This project demonstrated Holcim's ECOCycle technology platform, which enables the production of concrete from 100% recycled construction and demolition materials. The platform includes advanced crushing and processing systems that transform demolition waste into high-quality recycled aggregates, sand, and cement components. By reusing these recycled materials, ECOCycle reduces reliance on virgin raw inputs, conserves natural resources, and contributes to lowering the carbon footprint of new buildings ( Holcim, 2025 ; Holcim, 2023 ). A key collaborator on the project was the CSTB (Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment), the French national organization for R&D in construction. The CSTB’s partnership was essential to monitor and validate the performance of the recycled material, as the project went beyond existing French building standards. By working with the CSTB to validate the material, the project helped create a pathway for future circular projects and challenged existing regulations that limit the use of recycled content. The circular opportunity presented by Recygénie shows that big buildings can be constructed using only recycled materials, without a compromise on quality and safety. This helps keep waste out of landfills and encourages better use of resources. It sets an example in the field of sustainable building practices that can be used around the world ( Holcim, 2023 ). Climate Impact Recygénie has significantly reduced its environmental impact. The project's primary CO 2 savings come from using recycled materials to create new clinker, a process that avoids the high-temperature calcination of virgin limestone—the main source of cement's emissions. The project also diverted over 6,000 tons of construction and demolition waste from landfills and saved an equivalent amount of natural resources by recycling materials such as cement, aggregates, and water. These efforts demonstrate the potential of circular construction practices to lower carbon emissions, reduce waste, and conserve resources ( Holcim, 2023 ). Replicability The success of Recygénie proves that fully recycled concrete buildings are feasible and scalable. Holcim is replicating this model across the markets where it operates, adapting the solution to local building norms and material availability. In 2023, Holcim has recycled nearly 8.4 million tons of construction demolition materials ( Holcim, 2023 ). Several Irish companies are making great strides in the use of recycled cement and sustainable construction practices: Ecocem Ireland is a leading sustainable cement producer specializing in Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS), a byproduct of the steel industry used as a low-carbon substitute for Portland cement. Their product significantly reduces embodied carbon in concrete while maintaining high performance. Techrete are Ireland’s largest architectural precast concrete façade specialist, Techrete has launched a sustainable concrete range with a 50% reduction in embodied carbon, driven by incorporating cement replacement materials and high-performance mixes. Trinity College Dublin & FLI Precast Solutions developed a groundbreaking low-carbon concrete using biomass ash, an industrial byproduct from Edenderry Power Station, reducing carbon emissions by over 50%. Kilsaran , a longstanding Irish concrete products producer, implemented CarbonCure technology, which injects recycled CO 2 into concrete to permanently mineralize it for a reduced carbon footprint. ALL CASE STUDIES
- OceanR
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
- Rent The Runway
9f5d5c2f-4feb-44dc-b0a6-8f9a89d781d6 CIRCULÉIRE NON-MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: RENT THE RUNWAY WEBSITE: RENTTHERUNWAY.COM SECTOR : FASHION & TEXTILES PUBLISHED: 30 OCTOBER 2025 TAGS: SUSTAINABLEFASHION, CLOTHINGRENTAL, CIRCULARFASHION, ACCESS-OVER-OWNERSHIP, PRODUCT-AS-A-SERVICE, TEXTILEWASTE, SLOWFASHION, RESALE The Challenge The fashion industry accounts for 8–10% of annual global carbon emissions—more than international flights and shipping combined ( Leal Filho et al., 2022 ). Clothes however, are an everyday essential. Across the world, clothes act as both protection from the elements and a form of expression. Recent decades have seen exponential growth in clothing production due to globalisation, urbanisation, and population growth, with up to 60% of global fibre production destined for clothing ( Leal Filho et al., 2022 ). Currently, the fashion industry largely operates in a linear model, extracting mostly non-renewable resources to manufacture garments that are frequently worn for a short period of time before being disposed of or incinerated ( Circular Economy Month, 2024 ). Less than half of all used clothing is collected for reuse or recycling, and only one percent is converted into new clothing ( European Parliament, 2024 ). Furthermore, the textile industry utilises large amounts of natural resources, contributing to environmental degradation. Making one cotton t-shirt requires 2,700 litres of fresh water - enough to satisfy one person’s drinking needs for two and a half years ( European Parliament, 2024 ) - and textile dyeing contributes to about 20% of global clean water pollution ( European Parliament, 2024 ). A Circular Solution Rent the Runway (RTR), founded in 2009, is an online platform that allows customers to rent, subscribe, or purchase designer clothing and accessories. Harvard Business School classmates, Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Fleiss, founded the company after seeing Hyman’s sister overspend on an expensive dress for a wedding. They envisioned a ‘Closet in the Cloud’ model, filled with designer styles to rent, wear and return for a fraction of the cost. In 2010 they expanded into designer necklaces, earrings and handbags and launched a plus size category in 2013, before opening a bricks-and-mortar store in New York in 2014. Then in 2016 they launched their monthly subscription model. RTR offers three monthly subscription plans that allow users to select at least five items per month from over 10,000 options for a fee. Users may choose to hold on to items for as long as they please or purchase them outright. Items are sold at a significant discounted rate, often exceeding 50% off the original retail price. When each rental is returned, specialists professionally clean them and items are repaired as needed to increase their longevity. Climate Impact RTR’s rental-based business model reduces both environmental and social costs associated with new clothing. On average, renting through their platform consumes 24% less water, 6% less energy, and generates 3% less carbon emissions per garment versus purchasing a new item ( RTR, 2025 ). Over the past decade, RTR has saved: 67 million gallons of water, which could fill approximately 101 Olympic-sized swimming pools. 98.6 million kWh of energy, enough to power 12,697 households in a year. 44.2 million pounds of CO 2 emissions, comparable to 47,737 roundtrip flights between Dallas, Texas and Newark, New Jersey ( RTR, 2025). Since 2010, RTR’s rental model has displaced the production of about 1.6 million new garments. As of January 2024, 6.5 million garments were repaired, and 1.4 million decommissioned rental products were diverted from landfill via resale, donation, or recycling with partner organizations. Replicability The global clothing industry is valued at USD 1.3 trillion and employs over 400 million people across the value chain ( Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017 ). However, clothing underutilisation and the lack of recycling result in an annual value loss of more than USD 500 billion ( Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017 ). RTR has developed a circular business model that effectively taps into the underutilised clothing market while decreasing resource consumption, carbon emissions and waste. Other examples of companies championing circular textile solutions include: The Renewal Workshop (USA) upcycles post-consumer clothing via repair and resale. Worn Again Technologies (UK) innovates chemical recycling for fibre-to-fibre garment recovery. Stuff4Life (UK) converts end-of-life workwear PPE into new polymer feedstock. UsedFULLY (NZ) is pioneering scalable end-of-life textile reuse, including cellulose-based construction materials from textile waste ( Circuleire, 2024 ). ALL CASE STUDIES
- British Sugar
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
- Usedfully
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
- Ahrend
abb2e18b-2e79-4162-97eb-7d22fb6375b8 CIRCULÉIRE NON-MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: AHREND WEBSITE: AHREND.COM SECTOR : BUILT ENVIRONMENT PUBLISHED: 27 JUNE 2025 TAGS: BUILT ENVIRONMENT, FURNITURE, CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODELS, CIRCULAR DESIGN, REUSE About Ahrend Furniture Ahrend , established in 1896, is an international leader in office furniture and space solutions, committed to delivering vitalising workspaces. Ahrend furniture is designed to optimise employee’s experiences with the focus on stimulating health, wellbeing, and productivity in workspaces. The Challenge As educational levels improve and the service industry expands, so will the number of individuals with formal office positions, causing a growth in office space and furnishings ( Ellen McArthur Foundation, 2021 ). Although this benefits people’s livelihoods, it has a negative influence on the environment by increasing waste. In Europe, 10.78 million tonnes of furniture waste is discarded yearly ( Forrest et al., 2017 ), which is the approximate weight of 53,900 adult blue whales. Only 10% of that furniture is recycled, while 80% - 90% is incinerated or ends up in landfills ( Forrest et al., 2017 ). Producing the average piece of furniture emits 47 kilogrammes of CO2, which is comparable to burning nearly 20 litres of petrol ( Lai, 2023 ). The Circular Solution In the 1990s, Ahrend was involved in the development of Ecodesign, the European guideline for environmentally-friendly product design. Since then their new products are designed to be modular, sustainable, repairable and parts are designed to be easily separated for reuse or recycling. In 1994, Ahrend designed the A220 office chair which was was one of the first Ecodesign products in the world. In 2011, they became the first and only Cradle to Cradle company in the furniture industry. Cradle to Cradle is a global certification system which scores brands for their commitment to the circular economy, the reduction of waste and hazardous chemicals, more efficient uses of resources and the reuse of materials, energy efficiency, and social responsibility ( Good On You, 2023 ). Ahrend now offers their customers a “Furniture as a Service” (FaaS) option, in which they rent their office furniture for a fee, based on the length of time that they require it. Ahrend provides maintenance, storage, and insurance for all products in use during this time. When a customer no longer requires the furniture, it is returned to Ahrend and refurbished, thereby prolonging its life and decreasing virgin material use. This business model has several advantages. As Ahrend maintains ownership of their product throughout its lifetime they are incentivised to design it for durability and to be easily repairable and remanufactuarable in the future. This in turn reduces waste, CO2 emissions and the need for additional virgin resources. The FaaS business model also ensures the end-of-life of a product is considered right from the early design stages and influences the materials chosen for production, assessing them on their recyclability and lack of toxicity. Climate Impact Ahrend lowers CO2 emissions by up to 40% each year by redeploying materials and products. The FaaS model also cuts costs. Consider a new working environment with a total investment value of €45,000 over a time frame of 60 months. If the FaaS model is opted for versus buying, a €6000 savings could be achieved on the end cost ( Ahrend, 2023 ). FaaS makes more financial sense once you consider the savings from maintaining a work environment such as logistics, interest, storage, and maintenance expenses. Furthermore, Ahrend’s manufacturing process is CO2 neutral, using 100% renewable energy and closed water and energy circuits with heat pumps to reduce its CO2 footprint. Replicability Under the Product as a Service (PaaS) business model companies offer their physical product as a service. This model incentivises companies to consider longevity, maintenance, reuse, re-manufacture, and recycling in their product design. All this is done in close collaboration with customers, who become “users” of a service instead of “consumers” of a product. The PaaS model has already been applied to cars, bikes, smartphones, clothes, printers, solar panels, tires, etc. For example... Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport, pays Philips and Cofely for ‘light as a service ’. They save on maintenance costs and extend the service life of the light fittings by 75%. It further limits raw material consumption, because every component can be recycled or re-used at the end of its service life ( EU, 2023 ). Homie , in the Netherlands, offers a pay-per-use washing machine subscription where customers pay less for wasing at lower temperatures ( CEF, 2023 ). ALL CASE STUDIES
- BladeBridge
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












