05814e72-2073-4602-bc35-9357c56238a0 Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Copy link CIRCULÉIRE NON-MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: CPW & HGP ARCHITECTS (BEN AINSLIE RACING HQ) WEBSITE: CPW & HGP ARCHITECTS SECTOR : BUILT ENVIRONMENT PUBLISHED: 02 JULY 2025 TAGS: CIRCULAR DESIGN, CIRCULAR PROCUREMENT, LIFE_CYCLE ANALYSIS, WASTE HIERARCHY, RECYCLED MATERIALS, RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY, WATER EFFICIENCY, RESOURCE EFFICIENCY About Ben Ainslie HQ Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) headquarters is a building located in Portsmouth in England. It was built to house the British sailing team competing in the America’s Cup. The construction work started in July 2014, with the new facility becoming fully operational in late 2015. The project faced demanding targets from the local government’s planning consent process, since it had to demonstrate its environmental benefits. In the end these initial challenges facilitated the adoption of circular principles in the procurement process, allowing better end-of-life consideration and sourcing of materials. The Challenge Construction and building operations account for 33% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 40% of global energy consumption, owing to the use of equipment, transportation, and building materials manufacturing ( Sizirici et al., 2021 ). In Ireland, construction and demolition generate eight million tonnes of waste ( Nugent, 2023 ), which is more weight than that of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. Furthermore, the vast majority of this material is not reused or recycled ( Nugent, 2023 ). More construction is needed as the population grows and urbanisation expands. However, to mitigate GHG emissions, novel, sustainable, and resource efficient construction methods are required. The Circular Solution The tender for the BAR HQ was based on creating the first building in Portsmouth with a Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM1) ‘Excellent’ rating. This was a requirement for the local government planning consent. Using Building Information Modelling (BIM), the design team was able to conduct a life cycle analysis of design decisions while also giving informed options for in-use performance monitoring. This promoted circular thinking in the acquisition of construction materials and products. Following the waste hierarchy, the first principle of the procurement approach was to reduce the impact of the materials energy and water. This approach started with the demolition and recycling of existing materials, e.g. concrete, on the site. The approach also considered where impacts would occur across the whole life of the building. All the key specifications were aimed at achieving the BREEAM Excellent rating. The award criteria was based on a combination of environmental performance and cost, depending on the construction element being procured. Climate Impact The collaboration between designers and product suppliers during the BAR HQ project demonstrated the importance of engaging suppliers early. This ensured that solutions offered through the tender stage met environmental performance, as well as cost levels. In terms of environmental benefits, much importance was given to fully or almost fully recyclable and recycled materials. For instance: 100% of the demolition concrete was reused in the foundations; Over 97% of all demolition materials from the site were recycled; 100% of the steelwork materials are recyclable if the building is dismantled; 100% of the wall cladding is recyclable ( Jones et al., 2017 ). Importance was also given to energy and water efficiency: 100% renewable electricity; 1200 litre tank for harvesting rainwater; 25% improvement in water efficiency over standard building regulations. An estimated €2 million to €2.7 million worth of savings were achieved through sustainability measures ( Jones et al., 2017 ). Replicability Important factors to consider in projects with environmental performance targets are deadlines, costs and secondary material supply / availability ( Jones et al., 2017 ). Considering the conceptual and design phases of buildings rely on bids based on costs and CO2 emissions, some examples that are worth mentioning include: JLL’s Manchester office , where upskilling a real estate firm’s staff was the key to embed circular principles into design, procurement and fit-out to showcase how circularity can be brought into an office environment. UN City in Copenhagen , where the new UN hub presented a key opportunity to embed sustainable development and circularity in the building process. (Top image: Matt Brown, Flickr , under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license) ALL CASE STUDIES

62ad6c22-eef5-428a-be28-26e7b1e2fbab Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Copy link CIRCULÉIRE MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: ECOROOTS WEBSITE: ECOROOT.CO SECTOR : PACKAGING PUBLISHED: 04 FEBRUARY 2026 TAGS: BIOMATERIALS, MYCELIUM PACKAGING, BIOECONOMY, WASTE VALORISATION, INDUSTRIAL SYMBIOSIS, PLASTIC ALTERNATIVES, COMPOSTABLE MATERIALS, DIGITAL TRACEABILITY Challenge Plastic packaging waste poses severe environmental threats, contributing to pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss. In 2019, global plastics production emitted 1.8 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG), equivalent to 3.4% of global emissions, with 90% stemming from fossil fuel extraction and processing ( OECD, 2022 ). This is more than Russia’s 1.7 billion tonnes of annual emissions in 2021 ( UNFCCC, 2021 ). Packaging dominates the plastics market at around 60% of end-use demand, yet EU recycling rates for plastic packaging hover below 40% ( StopWaste, 2024 ). In Ireland, only 30% of plastic packaging waste was recycled in 2023, leaving approximately 250,000 tonnes unrecycled and triggering €200 million in EU Plastics Own Resourc e levies ( EPA Ireland, 2025 ). That's enough to fill roughly 100 Olympic-sized swimming pools, intensifying landfill burdens and ocean contamination. Circular Solution Ecoroots , a participant of the 2025 CIRCULÉIRE Venture Accelerator, produces mycelium-based biomaterials from agricultural and industrial waste, replacing plastic and polystyrene in protective packaging for fragile goods like cosmetics, beverages, and pharmaceuticals. The company grows mycelium, the root network of mushrooms, on waste substrates like spent grain from whiskey distilleries, forming a strong, mouldable bio-foam that is 100% compostable. Ecoroots employs a closed-loop process using waste heat and rainwater for zero-waste production. Its digital platform delivers end-to-end traceability by analysing waste inputs, optimising growth conditions (temperature, humidity, CO₂), preventing drying defects, storing recipes, enabling predictive adjustments, triggering parameter alerts, and generating batch-level QA, traceability records, and ESG reports. This supports modular on-site grow-units, allowing partners like distilleries to convert residues into custom packaging. Climate Impact Ecoroots diverts agricultural and industrial waste from landfills. Irish whiskey production alone creates 350,000 tonnes of spent grain annually ( Abolore, 2022 ), weighing 100,000 tonnes more than the world’s largest cruise ship. Each tonne of brewers’ spent grain landfilled emits 513 kilogrammes of CO 2 e ( LIFE-Brewery ). Ecoroots' materials decompose in 3-6 weeks in home compost, 90 days in landfills, or 180 days in oceans, enriching soil without microplastics ( Ecoroots, n.d .). Compared to polystyrene, mycelium production emits far fewer GHGs, sequesters carbon (up to 70% more in some substrates) ( BBC, n.d. ), and cuts energy use by 90%. Currently, 70% of Ireland's plastic packaging waste undergoes energy recovery incineration ( EPA Ireland, 2025 ). Ecoroots curbs landfill methane and incineration-related carbon emissions by displacing non-recyclable plastics with mycelium alternatives, while valorising spent grain for biodegradable packaging production. Replicability EU policies are accelerating the shift to circular packaging like Ecoroots' mycelium alternatives. The Single-Use Plastics Directive bans expanded polystyrene food and drink containers since 2021 ( EPA Ireland, 2025 ), while the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation mandates all packaging to be recyclable by 2030, alongside a 5% waste reduction target ( European Commission, 2025 ; REPAK, 2025 ). Coupled with CSRD-mandated ESG disclosures, these frameworks heighten demand for compostable, traceable alternatives that deliver measurable circularity. Europe's recyclable packaging market is projected to grow from 7.17 billion USD in 2025 to 12.26 billion USD by 2035 (CAGR 6%), driven by EU directives like PPWR targeting 55% plastic recycling by 2030 ( Towards Packaging, 2026 ). As regulations tighten on packaging and the recyclable packaging market expands, circular solutions like Ecoroots are primed to tackle pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss, while valorising waste streams into revenue. Other companies tackling packaging waste include: Myco , a Czech biotech company that develops and manufactures 100% natural, biodegradable mycelium‑based materials. Rebox , CIRCULÉIRE member, provides a circular approach to cardboard packaging by prioritising reuse over recycling. Mondi advances flexible packaging circularity through its FlexStudios R&D, targeting 100% reusable/recyclable products by 2025. 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 categorised 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

3496cd27-edd3-42f2-a017-682ae4600cfe Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Copy link 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

cdf1704c-4fcc-4821-a744-b50daba372fe Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Copy link CIRCULÉIRE MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: BEAN AROUND WEBSITE: BEANAROUND.IE SECTOR : COSMETICS PUBLISHED: 2 ND MARCH 2026 TAGS: WASTE TO VALUE, UPCYCLED INGREDIENTS, COFFEE WASTE VALORISATION, CIRCULAR COSMETICS, BIO BASED SOLUTIONS, MATERIAL EFFICIENCY, LOCAL CLOSED LOOPS, RESOURCE RECOVERY, SUSTAINABLE BEAUTY, EMISSIONS REDUCTION The Problem Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world and ranks among the most traded commodities ( FAO, 2025 ). In 2023, an estimated 11 billion kilograms of raw coffee were produced, requiring around 12 million hectares of land ( FAO, n.d.), or nearly twice the area of Ireland 1 . During brewing, only 18–22% of coffee’s mass is extracted by water, leaving behind spent coffee grounds (SCGs) as waste ( Corrochano et al, 2025 ). These residues still contain valuable compounds such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, phenolics and caffeine ( Sidło and Latosińska, 2024 ). These components provide useful functional properties, including antioxidant activity, dietary fibre, stimulation of collagen production in the skin, and protection against UV radiation ( Sidło and Latosińska, 2024 ). Despite this, coffee grounds are a burden for cafes, workplaces and homes across the country. If sent to landfill, every tonne of coffee grounds would produce 525 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions ( Schmidt Rivera et al., 2025 ). Coffee grounds are a food waste, and therefore, Irish businesses are required under the Waste Management (Food Waste)(Amendment) Regulations 2024 to segregate coffee grounds from other waste streams. This waste is typically composted or anaerobically digested ( EPA, n.d. ). Composting one tonne of spent coffee grounds produces approximately 30.7 kg of CO₂ emissions, whereas processing the same amount through anaerobic digestion can avoid about 6.2 kg of CO₂ by capturing gases that would otherwise escape into the atmosphere and by substituting fossil-derived gas. ( Schmidt Rivera et al., 2025 ). However, both of these solutions still treat the material as waste. Under the 10 R-strategies framework for the circular economy , which sets out different ways to reduce waste and keep materials in use for longer, using spent coffee grounds for new products is considered a more circular option than simply treating them as waste. This is because it extends the life of the material, reduces the need for virgin resources, and can lower greenhouse gas emissions compared with disposal. Coffee grounds are segregated at source, providing a clean and consistent feedstock that can be redirected into new value chains. Spent grounds have been used to produce reusable coffee cups , insulation for buildings , stronger concrete , and even alcohol . Moreover, individual components such as caffeine, coffee oil, chlorogenic acid, and phenolics can be extracted for use in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and biofuels ( Sidło and Latosińska, 2024 ). Despite these efforts, spent coffee grounds remain an underutilised resource with significant potential for higher value uses. Unlocking this potential calls for solutions that transform this abundant “waste” into circular products. The Circular Solution Bean Around produces exfoliating soap made from used coffee grounds collected from local cafés and workplaces. It was founded by sisters Sadhbh and Aisling Wood, after Sadhbh used their father’s home psoriasis remedy of used coffee grounds to remove fake tan ( Bean Around, n.d. ). They have since expanded nationwide, demonstrating how everyday waste can be transformed into value-added consumer products. Coffee grounds serve as a natural exfoliant, replacing synthetic or resource-intensive materials such as plastic microbeads ( which were banned in 2019 ), sugar, or salt. By incorporating this by-product into skincare formulations, Bean Around valorises a waste material while reducing the need for virgin ingredients. Many of their soaps are sold in the same cafés that supply the grounds, creating a local closed loop ( SustainabilityOnline, 2025 ). The packaging is made from recycled and recyclable materials, further enhancing the company’s circular model. To secure a supply of coffee grounds, Bean Around partners with both large corporate clients, including Google Ireland, KPMG, and EY, and independent coffee shops in Dún Laoghaire and nearby areas. This localised collection network minimises transport emissions and ensures access to fresh coffee grounds. Bringing a cosmetic product to market requires a Cosmetic Product Safety Assessment . This involves strict checks to prevent contamination and bacterial growth. Several laboratories refused to even test Bean Around’s products because they contained waste-derived ingredients. Eventually, they found a suitable testing partner, and the products passed all safety standards. This shows a wider problem. Products made from recycled or waste materials often face additional soft barriers (non-regulatory obstacles), even when they meet all required safety standards. Through collaborations with national retailers such as Lidl, SuperValu, and Java Republic, Bean Around achieved a 300% increase in sales in 2024 ( Business Post, 2025 ). This success reflects growing consumer demand for clean and sustainable beauty products, particularly among young people ( Statistica, 2025 ). While Bean Around demonstrates how circular innovation can succeed, the use of waste-derived materials in cosmetics also faces regulatory and practical hurdles. Addressing these challenges will be essential for scaling such models across the wider beauty industry. Bean Around's founders featured on RTÉ News, discussing their sustainable, coffee-ground skincare business. Climate Impact To date, Bean Around has repurposed more than 1,000 kilograms of spent coffee grounds into high-value skincare products. By valorising this material rather than sending it to compost or landfill, the company transforms a common waste into a source of economic and environmental value. If the same quantity were landfilled, it would generate over 525 kilograms of CO₂ equivalent emission ( Schmidt Rivera et al., 2025 ). That is comparable to driving 4,600 kilometres², or driving from Cork to Belfast and back five times³. Replicability UpCircle is a circular skincare company that makes face and body scrubs from upcycled coffee grounds, as well as other upcycled ingredients from the food industry. Frank Body is an Australian company that produces coffee-based exfoliating scrubs, although they don’t claim to be made from used coffee. Ecobean produces a range of chemicals extracted from spent coffee, including coffee oil, antioxidants, and protein additives for industrial and consumer applications Kaffe Bueno is a Danish biotech company that extracts products from spent coffee grounds for human nutrition, personal care, and agrochemical industries. See the CIRCULÉIRE case study on Kaffe Bueno here . Footnotes The land area of the Republic of Ireland is 6.9 million hectares. 12 million hectares is 1.77 times the area of Ireland. Based on 0.114 kg CO2e emissions per kilometre ( SEAI, n.d. ) Based on the return trip from Cork to Belfast being equal to 830km. ALL CASE STUDIES

f9c55f9d-bf24-488b-be0f-1093f40c9cfc Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Copy link 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

a4740068-36be-456d-ade7-4fe19cface0a Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Copy link CIRCULÉIRE MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: ARCOLOGY WEBSITE: ARCOLOGYSYSTEM.COM SECTOR : BUILT ENVIRONMENT PUBLISHED: 24 APRIL 2024 TAGS: CIRCULAR IT, CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODEL About Arcology System Arcology System is a smart and data-driven interior construction system that offers modularity and adaptability, unlocking circular economy value in the way that commercial fit-outs are financed, designed, procured, built, and managed for REITs (real estate investment trusts), developers, and end-users. Fit-outs are activities that prepare a commercial tenant’s interior space for occupation, such as installing flooring, ceilings, partitions, and furnishings. The Challenge Buildings account for 39% of annual global Green House Gas (GHG) emissions, with 28% originating from building operations and 11% from building materials and construction activities ( Fonseca, 2023 ). In Ireland, construction and demolition generate nine million tonnes of waste ( EPA, 2023 ), that’s about the same weight as 12,857 fully loaded Boeing 747 jumbo jets. Furthermore, most of this material is not being reused or recycled ( Nugent, 2023 ). Urgent decarbonisation is driving REITs and landlords to invest in energy and building retrofitting to reduce carbon emissions, meet regulations, and reduce financial risk, but they are struggling to find solutions to embodied carbon. Embodied carbon refers to the GHG emissions arising from materials and construction processes across the entire lifecycle of a building, as measured in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂e) ( Fonseca, 2023 ). The Circular Opportunity Arcology System is a circular kit-of-parts approach to interior construction that aims to solve several problems within commercial interior fit-outs on both the supply and demand side, including inflexibility, sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and labour shortages. It uses lightweight, post-consumer recycled aluminium profiles to create a “smart grid” that can integrate various interior components (doors, walls, ceilings, lighting), allowing for easy adaptability and upgradability of the space. The system reduces waste and the use of new materials, thus contributing to a circular economy. Clients can either purchase the hardware outright or lease it (Product-as-a- Service) as an operating expense. Integrated Internet of Things (IoT) sensors collect real-time data on environmental conditions, occupancy, and asset tracking, which is gathered within a proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) assisted operations and integrated workplace management system (IWMS) platform. This data provides insights into how the space is being used and identifies generative-design layouts for improvement using already purchased modules. The material chain of custody and ‘ golden thread ’ of information are also captured across the entire lifecycle. Climate Impact Arcology System offers a data-driven and intelligent interior fit-out solution that can significantly reduce carbon emissions and enable adaptive reuse of potentially stranded assets. The system enables a circular economy value chain, from financing and design to procurement, construction, and management. The system’s design-for-disassembly approach can constantly reconfigure internal space for multiple use cases by reusing materials, rather than recycling or disposing of them, reducing the need for virgin resources and waste. 80% of buildings to meet Net-zero 2050 targets already exist, Arcology enables the adaptive reuse of these assets enabling them to become ‘smart’, and function as ‘ material banks .’ The proprietary integrated IoT- environmental and asset tracking sensors within the hardware system efficiently track materials, reducing waste and carbon emissions from sourcing to use, and enabling a circular supply chain that integrates certified products. The company’s post-consumer aluminium “Meccano™-like” connection hardware ensures that integrated and approved locally sourced materials stay in use at their highest value. They can be moved from building to building, and traded afterward, resulting in lower embodied carbon. Replicability The construction industry is one of the largest in the world economy, with approximately USD $10 trillion spent each year on construction-related goods and services ( Barbosa et al., 2017 ). As one of the most waste-producing sectors, a new approach to materials is required. In Ireland, implementation of digital product passports requiring a collection of digital data associated with a certain product is scheduled for 2026 or 2027. Arcology System provides the first step from a linear to a circular construction industry and is positioning itself as an industry leader in the circular construction sector. As sustainability becomes more important in the construction sector, circular economy practices are becoming more prevalent. Other notable businesses are: Dirtt manufactures a component-led, modular, interior construction system that is shipped from their facilities in Canada. Holcim decarbonises buildings for a net-zero future by providing low-carbon products and solutions that allow the construction industry to build better with less. ALL CASE STUDIES

f3843591-0df6-4785-b40a-57236b472118 Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Copy link 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

35d992f8-fb6d-4ebc-9ef3-af3bc7170bfe Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Copy link COMPANY: CELTIC RENEWABLES WEBSITE: CELTIC-RENEWABLES.COM SECTOR : CHEMICALS / BIOECONOMY PUBLISHED: 16TH JUNE 2026 TAGS: GREENCHEMICALS, WASTEVALORISATION, FERMENTATION, INDUSTRIALBIOTECHNOLOGY, ABEFERMENTATION, BIOECONOMY, GREENSOLVENTS, CIRCULARMATERIALS, BIOBASED In the second week of September 2025, a delegation of CIRCULÉIRE members and staff were invited to Glasgow, Scotland, by Zero Waste Scotland to meet Circular Economy Industry Pioneers and Stakeholders from the Scottish Ecosystem. On 10 September, the delegation visited Celtic Renewables' plant in Grangemouth, where the company is using fermentation to transform waste materials into high-value green chemicals. This case study is part of a special series transferring knowledge and learnings from the Scottish circular economy ecosystem to circular economy pioneers in Ireland. The Challenge Fossil fuels are primarily associated with being an energy source, but less widely recognised is their role as the foundation of the modern chemicals industry. Around 13% of fossil fuels are used not for combustion, but as raw materials for making products such as plastics, fertilisers, and solvents ( Zanon-Zotin et al., 2024 ). Solvents are all around us. Ethanol is used in perfumes, acetone in nail polish remover, and butanol in acrylic paint. These carbon-based chemicals are vital to many everyday products, but they come with a cost. To produce a kilogram of butanol, 2.5 kilograms of carbon dioxide are released, while producing a kilogram of acetone releases 1.9 kilograms of carbon dioxide ( ESIG, 2021 ). Most of this impact comes from the fossil fuels used as raw materials to make them. The global demand for these chemicals continues to rise. By 2050, global production of the seven major base chemicals - the building blocks of plastics, fertilisers, solvents, and pharmaceuticals - could grow by nearly 70% from 2020 levels, requiring 81% more energy to produce them ( PwC, 2024 ). Today, 95% of the raw materials to make these precursors still come directly from fossil fuels ( PwC, 2024 ). The industry needs to completely change how it makes chemicals - from the feedstocks to the processes to the energy sources - if it wishes to meet its carbon reduction targets. PwC estimates this shift will require between $1.5 and $3.3 trillion in investment by 2050 to reach net zero ( PwC, 2024 ). There is huge potential in the market for a greener, more circular solution to disrupt this legacy approach. Whiskey is core to Scotland's identity and is embedded in its history, culture, and economy. Yet it produces a significant amount of waste. Producing a single litre of whiskey creates between 10 and 18 litres of residue waste ( Edwards et al., 2022 ). This adds up to approximately 7.5 million tonnes of residue being produced across Scotland per year. Much of this is used as animal feed or fertiliser, though a small number of distilleries have permission to discharge co-product to sea under Scottish Environment Protection Agency regulation ( Edwards et al., 2022 ). Yet this waste is full of valuable resources that should be captured and circulated within the economy. What if it could be used to make green chemicals? Circular Solution Celtic Renewables was founded by Professor Martin Tangney, who originated the research at Edinburgh Napier University that would become the basis for the company. Beginning at test tube scale, his team worked to revive a century-old fermentation process and reimagine it for the circular economy. The company was established in 2012 as a university spinout and has since raised over £90 million in public and private funding, building Scotland's first biorefinery - a commercial demonstrator plant on a 2.5 acre site in Grangemouth, operational since 2023 ( Celtic Renewables, 2026 ). The CIRCULÉIRE team visits Celtic Renewables in Grangemouth, Scotland, to see how whiskey and agricultural waste is being transformed into high-value green chemicals. ABE fermentation - known historically as the Weizmann process - is at the heart of Celtic Renewables' approach: clostridia bacteria convert sugars and starches into acetone, butanol, and ethanol solvents. Originally developed at the beginning of the twentieth century, it formed the backbone of smokeless gunpowder (cordite) manufacturing in the UK and the US during the First World War. By the early 1960s, it had been displaced by cheaper, fossil-fuel-derived alternatives as petrochemical process economics proved superior ( Nguyen et al., 2018 ). With growing demand for green chemicals, several companies have tried to revive the process. Celtic Renewables has succeeded where others failed by putting circularity at the core of its business model. Competitors like Green Biologics - which shut down in 2019 - relied on conventional feedstocks such as corn starch and sugar, where high raw material costs made it impossible to compete with fossil-fuel derived alternatives on price ( Bomgardner, 2019 ). Instead, Celtic Renewables uses waste streams such as whiskey residue and rejected potatoes as the food source for the bacteria. This cuts feedstock costs to just 10–20% while also solving a waste disposal challenge for food and drink producers. Professor Martin Tangney on why the chemicals our economy needs should come from above the ground, not below it. As Professor Tangney explains in the video above: "Anywhere we can find the raw material that has been generated by another industry, we can potentially process that biological material into our high-value sustainable chemicals". The ambition extends well beyond Scotland - the company sees potential in waste streams from any food, drink, or agricultural sector globally. The Grangemouth demonstrator plant has been producing green solvents and shipping regularly to customers since becoming operational, with the process constantly being refined and improved ( Zero Waste Scotland, 2025 ). Building on this success, Celtic Renewables has secured £16.23 million in new investment to fund the planning and development of a new £120 million industrial-scale biorefinery at Grangemouth - with ten times the production capacity of the current facility and plans to create 149 new skilled jobs by 2030 ( Celtic Renewables, 2026 ; Biofuels International, 2026 ). Celtic Renewables illustrates how a business built on circular principles can become more competitive, build resilience, and unlock entirely new markets - turning industrial waste into sustainable value. Climate Impact During the delegation's visit to the Grangemouth plant, Celtic Renewables CEO Mark Simmers told CIRCULÉIRE: "Renewables has been mostly about energy to date, but we must as a society really start to think about materials and the way we live our lives and the inputs we need for that." Celtic Renewables is showing what that shift looks like in practice. Celtic Renewables reports that its green chemicals generate up to 65% less carbon emissions than their fossil-based petrochemical counterparts ( Celtic Renewables, 2025 ). For every tonne of bioacetone or biobutanol produced, almost 3 tonnes of carbon are saved ( Celtic Renewables, 2025 ). The company has plans to build several larger facilities directly adjacent to distilleries, allowing waste streams to be piped directly across the boundary. They also plan to make better use of process byproducts - capturing CO₂ and hydrogen and producing biogas from the leftover liquid effluent - which will close the loop further, increase their positive climate impact, and create additional revenue streams. The potential at scale is transformative. Around 13% of all fossil fuels are used not for energy but as the raw material for chemicals - a share that current decarbonisation strategies largely overlook ( Zanon-Zotin et al., 2024 ). Biorefineries like Celtic Renewables' demonstrator in Grangemouth point the way forward - showing that it is possible to produce the chemicals our economy depends on from sustainable, above-ground resources rather than fossil fuels extracted from below. Replicability The green chemicals and biorefinery space is growing, with a number of organisations developing comparable approaches: Niskus Biotec (Ireland), a CIRCULÉIRE member established in 2022, uses fermentation and enzymatic processes to upcycle spent grains from breweries and distilleries into high-value bioproducts - demonstrating that the circular valorisation of drinks industry waste streams is replicable in an Irish context. RipCell (Scotland), was founded in 2021 and uses a compact purification process to convert biomass fermentation byproducts into high-purity bio-lactic acid and bio-acetic acid - serving markets including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, bioplastics, and EV battery recycling. POET LLC (USA) is the world's largest producer of bioethanol, operating 35 bioprocessing facilities across nine US states with an annual production capacity of 3.1 billion gallons - demonstrating the commercial scale that bio-based fermentation processes can reach when built around abundant agricultural feedstocks. Green Generation (Ireland) was the first company in Ireland to inject biomethane into the national gas network, fermenting food waste and animal slurry at its anaerobic digestion plant in Co. Kildare. The company went into receivership in early 2025, with its shareholders citing competition from fraudulently labelled cheap biofuel imports as a key factor - a cautionary illustration of the commercial pressures facing early-stage bio-based producers in Ireland ( Irish Times, 2025 ). ALL CASE STUDIES

901caf9a-8db1-4d23-86ed-4ed8c4895fef Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Copy link CIRCULÉIRE NON-MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: GEN PHOENIX WEBSITE: GENPHOENIX.COM SECTOR: TEXTILES PUBLISHED: 23 RD OCTOBER 2026 TAGS: WATER CIRCULAR MANUFACTURING, RECYCLED LEATHER, UPCYCLING, WASTE VALORISATION, CLOSED-LOOP RECYCLING, TAKE-BACK SCHEMES, MATERIAL INNOVATION, WATER RECYCLING, AVIATION INTERIORS, ZERO WASTE TO LANDFILL, MATERIAL EFFICIENCY The Challenge Leather is one of our oldest materials, but making it creates a lot of waste. Only about 20-25% of the weight of raw cattle hide becomes leather ( JRC, 2013 ). Processing one tonne of hides uses around 500 kg of chemicals and leaves roughly 600 kg of solid residues and 15,000-50,000 litres of wastewater ( JRC, 2013 ). Between 80% and 90% of the world’s leather is tanned with chromium salts, so offcuts and shavings carry chromium with them ( JRC, 2013 ). EU rules do not class this chromium(III) waste as hazardous ( JRC, 2013 ), but burning chrome-tanned scraps produces ash with high levels of chromium(VI) ( UNIDO, 2021 ). Poorly managed tannery waste can also contaminate soil and groundwater ( JRC, 2013 ). In developing countries and under-developed countries, landfill is the main disposal route for solid tannery waste ( Famielec, 2020 ). The chemicals, machinery and processes used in tanning pose high risks to workers, especially in countries where laws are poorly enforced ( UNIDO, 2021 ). Toxic hydrogen sulphide gas causes more tannery deaths than any other hazard, while skin disease is a common harm ( UNIDO, 2021 ). Europe faces its own pressures. EU cattle-hide tanneries produce an estimated 400,000 tonnes of wastewater sludge a year, plus a similar amount of other solid residues ( JRC, 2013 ). Raw materials make up 50-70% of tannery production costs ( JRC, 2013 ), so every discarded offcut is money lost. Pressure is also building at the end of a leather product’s life. Under the revised Waste Framework Directive, every EU country must, by April 2028, make producers of clothing, accessories and footwear, including leather items, pay to collect, sort and recycle them ( European Parliament and Council of the EU, 2025 ). The Circular Solution Gen Phoenix is a materials company based in Peterborough, England, that has been turning waste into new materials since 2007 ( Gen Phoenix, n.d.a ; Gen Phoenix, n.d.b ). It collects leather offcuts from tanneries and factory floors, as well as products at the end of their life ( Gen Phoenix, n.d.a ). These are milled into soft fibres and pressed into sheets of fibre web. Two sheets are then bonded to a textile core using only high-pressure water, 95% of which is recycled on site. Finally, the material is oiled, buffed and coated ( Gen Phoenix, n.d.a ). It is supplied on ready-to-cut rolls, and the main plant can make up to 6 million m² a year ( Gen Phoenix, n.d.b ; Gen Phoenix, n.d.c ). Gen Phoenix makes three material families. ELeather, the original product, has been used across buses, trains and aircraft for over 15 years; its Essence range is the company’s main aviation material ( Gen Phoenix, n.d.b ; Gen Phoenix, n.d.c ). Aurora uses chrome-tanned “wet blue” offcuts from European tanneries for fashion, footwear and car interiors ( Gen Phoenix, n.d.d ; JRC, 2013 ). Helios, launched in 2024, takes finished leather scraps and used post-consumer and industrial materials, so old products can become new material ( Gen Phoenix, n.d.d ; Gen Phoenix, 2024 ). The Circular Dress Cover, unveiled in 2024 with seat-cover maker Sabeti Wain Aerospace and Doy Design, shows how the loop can close ( Gen Phoenix, 2024 ). Made from Helios, the covers are designed to be collected through a take-back programme at the end of their life and turned back into new seat-cover material, while still meeting aviation fire-safety tests ( Gen Phoenix, 2024 ). In a separate seat design, Gen Phoenix’s Essence material is paired with a 100% PET spacer fabric instead of the foam layer usually bonded to seat covers. This allows the whole seat cover to be recycled without complex dismantling ( Gen Phoenix, 2026 ). Gen Phoenix notes, however, that recycling covers at scale still depends on the wider industry setting up ways to collect and return them ( Gen Phoenix, 2026 ). Environmental, Social and Economic Impact Gen Phoenix reports zero waste to landfill from its manufacturing since 2016 and recycles 95% of its process water ( Gen Phoenix, n.d.a ). It reports that its Essence aviation material has an over 80% lower carbon footprint than traditional leather ( Gen Phoenix, n.d.e ). Early life cycle analysis suggests the Circular Dress Cover cuts the carbon footprint of seat-cover manufacturing by about 30%. For an airline with 180 aircraft, it could keep over 3 tons of waste a year out of landfill ( Gen Phoenix, 2024 ). Products contain up to 77% recycled content. Some of the rest is virgin plastic, which the company aims to eliminate ( Gen Phoenix, n.d.b ). For airlines, material on rolls gives around 90% usable area, compared with a maximum of 70% for hides. It is also more than 48% lighter than typical aviation leather, which lowers fuel costs ( Gen Phoenix, n.d.c ). Gen Phoenix reports that Essence lasts over six years in use without wear and tear, reducing how often seats need replacing ( Gen Phoenix, n.d.e ). Customers include American Airlines, LATAM, SNCF and Amtrak ( Gen Phoenix, n.d.b ). Gen Phoenix manufactures in the UK ( Gen Phoenix, n.d.b ). It requires suppliers to ensure that leather does not come from the Amazon or other areas of high environmental concern ( Gen Phoenix, n.d.b ). Replicability Gen Phoenix is one of several companies rethinking how leather is made, used and recovered. The examples below take different routes to the same goal, from cleaner tanning and energy recovery to new materials made from farming and food waste. Muirhead (UK) describes its leather as the lowest carbon intensity in the world, achieved by sourcing hides locally, reclaiming energy from waste and reusing water ( Muirhead, n.d.a ). Its long-life leather can be turned into energy at the end of its life instead of going to landfill ( Muirhead, n.d.b ; Muirhead, n.d.c ). ECCO Leather’s DriTan™ (The Netherlands), launched in 2018, uses the moisture already present in hides for part of the tanning process, producing leather that is indistinguishable from traditionally tanned leather. It saves about 20 litres of water per hide and reduces chemical use and wastewater ( ECCO Group, 2018 ). Ananas Anam (London) makes Piñatex® from pineapple leaves left over from the harvest ( Ananas Anam, n.d.a ). The leaves need no additional resources to grow, and using them gives farming communities a new source of income ( Ananas Anam, n.d.b ). Because the leaves are often burnt after harvest, the company reports that each metre of Piñatex® saves the equivalent of up to 12 kg of CO₂ ( Ananas Anam, n.d.c ). VEGEA (Italy) turns grape marc, the waste left over from winemaking, into GrapeSkin®, a material for fashion, interiors, cars and luxury packaging. It is made from several bio-based layers on a thin recycled textile backing ( VEGEA, n.d.a ; VEGEA, n.d.b ). ALL CASE STUDIES

c7eee634-9120-419d-8d18-ac09ce30d4b1 Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Copy link CIRCULÉIRE MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: RELOOP WEBSITE: RELOOP.IE SECTOR : INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) PUBLISHED: 25 TH MARCH 2026 TAGS: PRODUCT SHARING, LIBRARY OF THINGS, REUSE SYSTEMS, TEXTILE RECOVERY, E-WASTE COLLECTION, VALUE RETENTION, DIGITAL PLATFORMS, MATERIAL EFFICIENCY, SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCE The Problem Ireland has a waste problem. We generate 3.1 million tonnes of municipal waste (the waste from homes and businesses) per year ( EPA, n.d. ), or roughly 590 kilograms per person 1 . This rate has remained largely unchanged since 2016 2 , and at the same time, there has been no meaningful improvement in the recycling rate 3 . Over 97% of the materials used in the economy come from virgin sources ( Circle Economy, 2024 ). This consumption is reflected in emissions: in 2022, Ireland had the second-highest carbon emissions per capita in the EU, and was more than 50% higher than the EU average ( CSO, 2024 ). Textiles are one part of this issue. Ireland generates about 170,000 tonnes of used textiles per year ( EPA, 2021 ). Roughly two-thirds end up in general waste, which destines it for incineration or landfill ( EPA, 2021 ). The remaining third is collected through clothes banks, collections and charity shops, where items may be resold or recycled ( EPA, 2021 ). The collection rate of textiles needs to be increased to boost this reuse and recycling. Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) shows a similar pattern. In 2023, Ireland collected 44% of WEEE placed on the market; well below the EU target of 65% ( EPA, n.d. ). In fact, this is down from previous years; it was 51% in 2022 and 64% in 2021 ( EPA, n.d. ). Despite this, Ireland performs strongly once WEEE is collected, exceeding EU benchmarks for recovery, recycling and reuse ( EPA, n.d. ). The main challenge is therefore expanding the collection, particularly from consumers. Sharing offers a practical mechanism to reduce the amount of waste generated and materials used, whilst maintaining access to products and services. For example, a typical household drill is used for only 13 minutes over its lifetime ( Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2021 ), yet most of us have one at home. But what if you and your neighbours shared one drill instead? Sharing tools or other products within communities can significantly cut demand for new items, share costs, and encourage the purchasing of longer-lasting, better-quality products ( Demailly & Novel, 2014 ). In the UK, Libraries of Things scale this idea through digital platforms to manage shared items. Members can easily check availability, book items, and collect them from local hubs ( Library of Things, 2024 ). These systems simplify borrowing, build community trust and make low-impact choices more accessible and affordable ( Library of Things, 2024 ). The Circular Solution Reloop is an online platform that works with residential communities to collect old clothes and e-waste, while also offering a library-of-things service for residents. Through the platform, residents can borrow a wide range of products, from VR headsets to steam cleaners to tables and chairs. Items are requested online, delivered the next working day, used for two days, and then collected for the next user. The service itself is free; residents pay only an €8 delivery and collection fee. This saves residents’ money by removing the need to buy these items while saving materials and emissions. Reloop also partners with charities to ensure that collected textiles are resold to support their work. E-waste is collected by social enterprises that specialise in recycling electrical and electronic equipment. These partnerships help give materials a second life and support wider social and environmental goals. For property managers, Reloop offers a low-effort way to improve residents’ experience. Running a library of things or managing textile and e-waste collections independently would be an administrative burden and would require significant investment. Reloop handles logistics, coordination and reporting through its online booking and data-tracking system, reducing workload while enhancing the services available to residents. Climate Impact Library of Things services cut manufacturing demand and resource extraction by enabling shared access to products. Reloop now works with 23 residential communities across Dublin to provide this service. A useful comparison comes from Library of Things Ltd in London, which operates 22 locations. To date, they have enabled their members to borrow 75,000 items, saving them over £10 million, while at the same time reusing 525 tonnes of electricals and saving 1,500 tonnes of carbon emissions ( Library of Things, 2025 ). This illustrates the potential environmental value of shared-use systems like Reloop’s. Reloop’s textile collection helps to divert these from general waste streams. Reused clothing has 70 times lower emissions than new, even when global transport is included ( Norion Consult, 2023 ). Producing a new cotton shirt requires more than 30,000 litres of water, while a reused one only needs 0.3 litres ( Norion Consult, 2023 ). Increasing textile recovery, therefore, delivers substantial savings. E-waste collection offers similar benefits by recovering valuable materials. From the 5.7 million tonnes of e-waste collected in Europe, around 400,000 tonnes of critical raw materials were recovered, including copper, aluminium, silicon, tungsten and palladium ( Iattoni et al., 2025 ). Recycled metals are 2 to 10 times more energy efficient than virgin metals ( PACE, 2019 ). According to the 2050 Critical Raw Materials Outlook for WEEE report, “improving separate collection systems is essential to reduce the volume of critical raw materials lost before they even reach treatment facilities” ( Iattoni et al., 2025 ), and this objective is in line with Reloop’s mission. Replicability Tulu is a smart in-building platform that lets residents access shared appliances, tools and services on demand, reducing the need for individual ownership. Clothes POD provides clothing banks at 1,200 locations nationwide to offer convenient local drop off for waste textiles for resale or recycling. University College Dublin’s library offers a library of things for its students, enabling access to shared equipment. Westmeath libraries offer a library of things for musical instruments, toys, children’s fancy dress costumes, and much more. WEEE Ireland is a CIRCULÉIRE member that offers on-demand collection of e-waste for businesses, schools, colleges, health facilities and more. Footnotes Based on waste statistics for 2023. Ireland’s population in April 2023 was 5.281 million people ( CSO, 2023 ). For 2016, total municipal waste generated =2.763 million tonnes ( EPA, n.d. ) and Ireland population = 4.762 million people ( CSO, 2017 ). This gives a per capita rate of 580 kg per person, representing a 1.7% increase between 2016 and 2023. The recycling rate in 2016 was 41%, in 2023 it was 42% ( EPA, n.d. ). The EU target for 2023 was 50% ( EPA, n.d. ). ALL CASE STUDIES

94036eb7-0636-4468-96f2-31cf79a845fc Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Copy link 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

792505fe-15ec-45b6-acf6-1cfc10e0bcf0 Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Copy link CIRCULÉIRE NON-MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: MiALGAE WEBSITE: MIALGAE.COM SECTOR: BIOTECHNOLOGY, AQUACULTURE & AGRI-FOOD PUBLISHED: 15 th JULY 2026 TAGS: CIRCULAR BIOECONOMY, DISTILLERY WASTE, FERMENTATION, BY-PRODUCT VALORISATION, MICROALGAE, AQUACULTURE, FISHMEAL REPLACEMENT, JUST TRANSITION The Challenge Global fish stocks are under sustained pressure: as of the most recent FAO assessment, 35.5% of the world's marine fish stocks are classified as overfished ( FAO, 2025 ). A significant share of this pressure comes from "reduction fisheries" - fishing aimed not at direct human consumption but at producing fishmeal and fish oil - which land an average of 23.4 million tonnes of forage fish a year, around a quarter of all wild marine catch by volume ( Majluf et al., 2024 ). Having fallen well below its 1990s peak, the volume of wild fish reduced to fishmeal and fish oil is now projected to rise again over the coming decade, according to the OECD-FAO's latest joint outlook, which identifies the EU as one of the two largest global consumers of fish oil - expected to account for 15% of world demand by 2034 ( OECD/FAO, 2025 ). Ireland has a direct stake in this: marine ingredients still made up around 62% of feed for its organic farmed salmon at the sector's 2017–2019 baseline, including 18% fish oil ( Cooney et al., BIM, 2025 ). A Circular Solution MiAlgae produces omega-3-rich microalgae by recycling nutrient-rich by-products from whisky distilleries, including Falkirk Distillery ( Scotch Whisky Association, n.d. ). In Scotland, approximately 15 litres of co-product are generated for every litre of whisky produced ( Zero Waste Scotland, 2026 ). MiAlgae uses them as a feedstock for fermentation in 30,000-litre bioreactors, which the company states are run on renewable energy ( Just Transition Commission, 2025 ). Throughout the process, growth is monitored to maintain oil quality ( University of Edinburgh, n.d. ). The dried algae is sold as a microalgal omega-3 ingredient for the aquaculture and pet food sectors, giving distilleries a lower-cost, lower-impact route for co-products that would otherwise require disposal ( University of Edinburgh, n.d. ). The company's production model is designed to be modular, replicable and scalable, enabling facilities to be located close to whisky distilleries to minimise transport requirements and simplify feedstock collection. Construction of the new Grangemouth facility began in December 2025, with commercial production scheduled to commence in spring 2026 ( Zero Waste Scotland, 2026 ). Environmental, Social and Economic Impact Over a recent six-month period, MiAlgae reports that it recycled wastewater equivalent to nearly 300 Olympic-sized swimming pools and prevented 150,000 kg of CO₂ emissions - comparable to eliminating 500 round-trip flights between London and Edinburgh ( Just Transition Commission, 2025 ). For every tonne of algae it produces, the company saves an estimated 30 tonnes of fish that would otherwise be caught for fishmeal and fish oil ( Scottish Government, 2025 ). Zero Waste Scotland estimates that, scaled across further sites near Scotland's whisky distilleries, the model could average 100,000 tonnes of CO₂ saved per site annually ( Zero Waste Scotland, 2024 ). MiAlgae's Grangemouth facility is backed by £3 million in joint UK and Scottish Government funding and is the first new project at the Grangemouth site since its oil refinery closure ( UK Government, 2025 ; Scottish Government, 2025 ). Over the next five years, the project is expected to create around 310 jobs - roughly 130 directly at the Grangemouth site and a further 180 supported elsewhere in Scotland - and deliver an estimated £53 million into the Scottish economy ( UK Government, 2025 ; Scottish Government, 2025 ). As a condition of the public funding, eligible local workers are given priority during recruitment, and the facility is expected to help move workers into biotech from Scotland's oil and gas sector as part of Scotland's just transition ( UK Government, 2025 ; Just Transition Commission, 2025 ). Replicability The model addresses a growing need for sustainable omega-3. Fish oil remains the only economically viable source of the long-chain omega-3s that farmed fish require, which makes it a limiting factor for the sector's growth. Demand is set to intensify: global aquaculture output overtook wild capture fisheries in 2023, reaching 97.6 million tonnes, and is projected to reach 112 million tonnes by 2033 - growth that will widen a gap fish oil alone cannot fill ( European Commission & EUMOFA, 2025 ). Aquaculture's share of global fishmeal use, which rose from 63% in 2009 to 92% in 2023, underlines how heavily the sector already leans on marine ingredients ( European Commission & EUMOFA, 2025 ). MiAlgae's own model is built to be replicated - a modular design intended to be rolled out close to distilleries across Scotland - and it sits within a growing ecosystem of related approaches to sustainable feed: INNOAQUA (EU) - a €7.2 million Horizon Europe project cultivating microalgae on aquaculture wastewater to produce omega-3-rich, protein-rich ingredients under the Farm-to-Fork Strategy. Horizon Proteins (United Kingdom) - a Heriot-Watt University spin-out that shares MiAlgae's whisky-by-product feedstock, extracting protein from pot ale for Scottish salmon feed. Ocean Harvest Technology (Ireland) - produces seaweed-derived feed ingredients for aquaculture and livestock, developed through an Enterprise Ireland Innovation Partnership. Veramaris (Netherlands) - produces the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA directly from marine algae as an alternative to fish oil. ALL CASE STUDIES