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- Hibra Design
35baa048-ee0d-45bc-8725-03cc682c3bb5 CIRCULÉIRE MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: HIBRA DESIGN WEBSITE: HIBRA.IE SECTOR : AUTOMOTIVE PUBLISHED: 12 FEBRUARY 2026 TAGS: ELECTRIC VEHICLE RETROFITS, CIRCULAR TRANSPORT, FLEET DECARBONISATION, AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING, EMISSIONS REDUCTION, COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ELECTRIFICATION, LOW‑CARBON LOGISTICS, RESOURCE EFFICIENCY The Problem Transport is the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in Europe and has made little progress in decarbonising over the past few decades ( EEA, 2025 ). Despite advances in electrification and biofuels, transport emissions in 2024 were still higher than in 2012 ( EEA, 2025 ). In Ireland, transport has experienced the most significant increase in emissions of any sector since 1990 – up 129% ( EPA, n.d. ). In recent years, however, there has been some improvement. In 2024, Ireland’s transport emissions were approximately 5% lower than pre-COVID levels, largely due to growing electric vehicle (EV) adoption ( EPA, 2025 ). That year, 25% of new vehicle registrations were battery electric or hybrid electric vehicles, bringing the national EV fleet to 148,900, which exceeded the Climate Action Plan’s target ( EPA, 2025 ). Yet even if every passenger car were an EV, 51% of vehicle emissions would be unchanged because of the trucks, buses and vans on our roads ( EPA, 2025 ). Commercial vehicles typically have long service lives, which influences how companies account for both their costs and emissions. In Ireland, more than half of the national bus fleet is over five years old ( NTA, 2021 ), while half of the heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) are over eleven years old ( Climate Change Advisory Council, 2024 ). Replacing these vehicles early, while they're still good and usable, with EVs can cut operational emissions and fuel costs. For example, driving 10,000 km in an EV car costs approximately €145, compared with around €1,350 in a petrol-powered car ( Cupra, n.d. ). But they require high upfront investment and generate new manufacturing emissions. Retaining the existing fossil fuel-powered vehicles avoids these manufacturing impacts but perpetuates higher operational emissions. A more circular approach is to retrofit diesel vehicles with electric batteries and motors. This requires less capital investment; research indicates that new medium-duty electric trucks and buses typically have payback periods of 7.5 and 8.3 years, respectively. Retrofitted equivalents, however, can achieve payback in 4.7 and 4.5 years ( Primus Partners, 2024 ). This shorter payback window makes investing in retrofit solutions more attractive to fleet operators. However, the optimal pathway for fleet operators between these options depends on vehicle condition, age, mileage, electricity mix, and available capital, requiring a case-by-case assessment. The Circular Solution Hibra Design is an Irish automotive engineering company that takes existing diesel-powered commercial vehicles and retrofits them with battery electric powertrains (Powertrain refers to the system that delivers power to the wheels; in a diesel vehicle, this includes the engine, gearbox, drive shaft, etc.). This enables Hibra Design to extend the lifespan of existing vehicles, reduce operational costs, and significantly cut emissions. The company’s engineering approach allows for customised vehicle redesign and prototype development tailored to meet the performance and reliability needs of the client. Each retrofit involves detailed analysis of thermodynamics, electrical systems, and ergonomics, while maintaining compliance with safety and regulatory standards. As well as reducing fuel emissions, Hibra Design’s approach retains the embedded carbon already invested in the original vehicle structure, avoiding the emissions associated with manufacturing a new one. This supports both decarbonisation and circular economy objectives by extending vehicle life and maximising material value. The company has also developed its internal Hibra Design System, which analyses real-world operational data from its clients, such as fuel use, distance travelled, and operating hours. This enables three key outcomes: Technical feasibility assessment of vehicle electrification based on operational patterns. Economic analysis of cost and return on investment for fleet operators. Engineering and implementation of customised zero-emission solutions. Through this data-driven methodology, Hibra Design helps clients identify viable decarbonisation pathways and transition towards circular, low-carbon fleet operations, with significant cost savings. Video of Ireland's first electric tractor built in Cork by Hibra Design Climate Impact Retrofitting internal combustion vehicles to electric powertrains delivers emission savings. An independent life cycle assessment of a converted Smart ForTwo found a 45% reduction in total greenhouse gas emissions compared to a new EV. This was driven by the reuse of the existing structure and the lower fuel emissions ( Innocenti et al., 2024 ). In India, where the electricity grid is more carbon-intensive, retrofitted buses and trucks achieved operational emission savings of 26 and 36 tonnes of CO₂ per year, respectively ( Primus Partners, 2024 ). In Ireland, Hibra Design demonstrated the potential impact of this approach through a feasibility study for Iarnród Éireann at Rosslare Europort. The study showed that 98% of terminal tractor operations could be powered by battery-electric technology, eliminating tailpipe emissions and saving approximately €200,000 per year in operational costs. Replicability New Electric is a Dutch company that has been converting a wide range of commercial vehicles, including everything from Hilux trucks to asphalt rollers to tugboats, to fully electric since 2008. ABB retrofits large-scale mining trucks. In one example, a 30-year-old 147-tonne mining truck was converted to a fully electric drivetrain, saving around 100,000 litres of fuel per year. Electric Classic Cars is the world’s largest converter of classic cars to electric drivetrains, giving old cars new technology. ALL CASE STUDIES
- 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
- Renewable Parts
42190427-b090-430f-90dc-e30d21bfa7df CIRCULÉIRE NON-MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: RENEWABLE PARTS LTD. WEBSITE: RENEWABLE-PARTS.COM SECTOR: ENERGY DATE PUBLISHED: 16 JANUARY 2026 TAGS: WINDENERGY, WINDTURBINES, REMANUFACTURING, SUPPLYCHAIN, RENEWABLEENERGY, COMPONENTREUSE, DECOMMISSIONING, CARBONSAVINGS, MATERIALRECOVERY In the second week of September 2025, a delegation of CIRCULÉIRE members and staff was invited to Glasgow, Scotland, by Zero Waste Scotland to meet Circular Economy Industry Pioneers and Stakeholders from the Scottish Ecosystem. On Tuesday, September 9 th , our delegation visited Renewable Parts, a supply chain refurbishment and remanufacture specialist in the wind energy industry. This case study is part of a special series to transfer knowledge and learnings to Circular Economy Pioneers in the Irish Ecosystem. The Challenge The wind energy industry is experiencing rapid growth. In Ireland, wind power’s share of electricity supply has more than doubled in the last decade. It now provides 34% of Ireland’s electricity supply, second only to natural gas at 44% (SEAI, 2024) . Wind has very low emissions; about 13 grams of CO 2 per kilowatt-hour (NREL, 2001) , which mainly comes from the materials, manufacturing, and construction of the wind turbines. Once in operation, a wind turbine produces virtually zero emissions. In comparison, natural gas emits 486 grams per kilowatt-hour (NREL, 2001), making wind 97% cleaner. While this represents a significant leap forward, the industry still faces challenges. How can we make the materials, manufacturing, and construction of wind turbines more sustainable? How do we maintain them and source parts for them decades later? How can the existing turbines be improved upon? What happens to these massive structures when they reach the end of their life? Addressing these questions requires a circular approach. Many wind farms are approaching their end of life, meaning huge quantities of waste materials will need to be disposed of. In Scotland alone, 5,500 onshore turbines will be decommissioned by 2050, creating 1.4 million tonnes of waste material (Jacobs, 2021). If you were to load this onto lorries and line them bumper to bumper, the queue would extend from Cork to Belfast and back (based on a 16.5 metre long articulated truck ( RSA, 2025 ) carrying 27 tonnes ( Espace Global Freight, n.d. )). The industry urgently needs to address this waste. Each turbine has about 8,000 parts ( US DoE, n.d. ), such as gears and motors, many of which will fail or will need to be replaced regularly over its lifespan. These parts currently end up in a landfill or are melted down to be recycled. Producing the materials for replacement parts accounts for 83% of their emissions (Arias Losada, 2021) . The wind industry creates a lot of waste, but the materials used to replace parts are also a major source of emissions. The Circular Solution Renewable Parts is a Scottish company tackling waste in the wind industry. Renewable Parts began exploring the reuse of parts in the Wind Industry in 2012, but it took until 2018 for the idea to gain real traction. This illustrates both the inertia in shifting industry mindsets and the persistence required for circular business models to succeed. Their work points towards a growing recognition that achieving net-zero goals depends on the sustainability of supply chains; and remanufacturing can be central to achieving that. Renewable Parts’ approach is simple: take end-of-life components, remanufacture them to a standard equal to or better than new, and return them to turbine owners. Wind turbines operate for decades in extreme environments, and sooner or later, some of their components are going to break. The failed parts, along with parts from decommissioned turbines, are taken to Renewable Parts’ facility in Lochgilphead. Here they are stripped into components, and everything down to the bolts and washers is cleaned and inspected. The bearings, seals, and grease are always replaced, and individual worn-out components are refurbished or swapped out. Once reassembled, the parts perform like new and even have the same warranty. This reuse of material enables lower cost parts and diverts a huge amount of materials going to waste. Despite common misconceptions that remanufactured parts might be somehow inferior to new parts, industries such as aerospace have long relied on them, proving their safety and reliability. In fact, remanufacturing often outperforms original manufacturing, as data from past failures enables engineers to design out weaknesses and produce improved parts. Far more rigorous than repair, remanufacturing delivers high-integrity products that often surpass the originals, positioning it as a cornerstone of a high-quality and sustainable industrial future. Renewable Parts tracks exactly how components fail: by age, manufacturer, and even the specific conditions of the turbine e.g., wind alignment. By pinpointing the root causes, they can redesign vulnerable parts. The result? Remanufactured components that are stronger and often outlast the originals. In one example, an improved Siemens 1.3 yaw drive showed a 10% reduction in failures compared to the original design (Cross, 2024). Renewable Parts demonstrates how remanufacturing with a circular business model can improve quality while reducing time, cost, and carbon. And it's working; turnover is growing by 37% year on year (Zero Waste Scotland, 2024) , with remanufacturing already accounting for 38% of revenue. The company aims to raise this to two-thirds within five years, and in the process create more skilled jobs in rural Scotland. The Differences Between Repair, Refurbishment & Remanufacture Repair is the most basic intervention, focused on fixing a specific fault to get a product back into working order. This process typically involves minimal disassembly and only addresses the failed part without assessing the overall condition of the item. The goal is to restore function, not to improve the product's lifespan or appearance. Refurbishment goes a step further than repair. It involves restoring a used product to a functional, but not necessarily "like-new," condition. The focus is on fixing obvious faults and improving its cosmetic appearance. Parts are repaired or replaced as needed, but the product is not completely disassembled. A refurbished item will often have a limited warranty and may not meet original performance specifications. Remanufacture is the most rigorous and comprehensive process. It involves disassembling the product completely, inspecting all individual components, and replacing or restoring worn-out or obsolete parts with a combination of reused, repaired, and new parts. The goal is to return the product to a like-new or better-than-new condition in terms of performance, appearance, and quality. A remanufactured product typically comes with a new warranty that is equivalent to or better than the original product's warranty. Climate Impact The remanufactured parts offer significant carbon savings. Customers receive carbon certificates, allowing them to measure their reductions and compare the value directly against buying offsets. Between 2018 and 2024, Renewable Parts’ remanufacturing has saved 579 tonnes of CO 2 equivalent (Zero Waste Scotland, 2024) . That’s equivalent to the electricity of roughly 540 homes in Ireland for a year. In that same period, they have diverted 198 tonnes of material from landfill (Zero Waste Scotland, 2024) , or about seven articulated lorries full. The potential impact across the wind industry is vast. Research commissioned by the Coalition for Wind Industry Circularity, of which Renewables Parts is a member, found that if just ten out of the thousands of parts in a turbine used a circular supply chain, it could save 800,000 tonnes of parts from being scrapped in 10 European countries by 2035. This market would be worth 9.6 billion GBP (11.1 billion EUR) and create 20,000 jobs (BVG Associates Limited, 2023) . Circular economy solutions aren’t just good for the environment - they also make clear economic sense. This presents a huge untapped business opportunity; Stephen Fitzpatrick of the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland said, “Renewable Parts Limited are the only company in Scotland, and arguably the UK, that are picking this up. But they can only do so much. We need many, many more of those companies or for Renewable Parts to grow significantly.” Replicability Vestas , one of the world's largest turbine manufacturers, operates a refurbishment facility of 120 people in Lübeck, Germany. Failed generators are refurbished, cutting their CO 2 emissions by more than half compared to producing a new one. This supports their goal of reducing supply chain emissions in their service business by 45% by 2030 (Arias Losada, 2021) . Siemens Gamesa operates 11 repair centres globally, which offer reduced costs and lead-times, with improved reliability and availability of parts (Siemens Gamesa, n.d.) . They have also 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 (Siemens Gamesa, n.d.) . BladeBridge , an Irish company and CIRCULÉIRE member, repurposes old wind turbine blades into new products such as bridges and outdoor furniture. The blade is used in place of virgin materials such as steel and concrete, resulting in a 20-50% lower environmental impact. The products also require less maintenance, saving money over their lifespan. Their products have been used on the Achill Sound and Midleton to Youghal greenways, as well as communities across the country. Read our BladeBridge case study here. 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. These examples show how circular solutions are fostering an entire ecosystem of companies, each specialising in different aspects of wind turbines. ALL CASE STUDIES
- CE Business Supports | CIRCULÉIRE
Explore CIRCULÉIRE’s business supports, including hotspot baseline assessments, circular maturity tools, action plans, funding supports, entrepreneurship and policy innovation. CIRCULAR BUSINESS SUPPORTS KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE & POLICY ENGAGEMENTS ECOSYSTEM COLLABORATION HOTSPOT BASELINE ASSESSMENTS CIRCULAR MATURITY MODEL CIRCULAR ACTION PLAN CIRCULAR ECONOMY ENTREPRENEURSHIP FUNDING SUPPORTS POLICY INNOVATION GHG (Hotspot) Baseline CIRCULÉIRE is raising awareness and capacity building with our member participants to explore and report not only Scope 1 & 2 emissions, but also Scope 3 emissions on an annual basis. The CIRCULÉIRE baseline assessment provides you with a Hotspot Baseline for your estimated emissions across scope 1, 2 and 3 which provide an indicator of how your organisation is performing over time. Completing a baseline assessment annually will help your organisation to: Inform carbon reduction target setting Establish internal data collection and data management practices Enable transparent communication about your emissions reduction efforts – as part of ESG and CSRD reporting requirements. GHG (Hotpost) Baseline Steps Circular Maturity Model Transitioning from the current linear economy of ‘Take, Make and Waste’ to a circular economy where ‘waste’ is designed out of the system is not something that is done overnight. Nor is it something that is done by one or two people within in an organisation. It requires a broader conversation across the entire organisation to make that shift from a linear to a circular mindset. CIRCULÉIRE’s Circular Maturity Model (CMM) is an online self-assessment toolkit designed to facilitate that conversation. Key benefits of the CMM tool are: Stimulate a dialogue around what circularity means for your business Understand your circular economy capabilities Establish (Annual) Circular Maturity Baseline & Benchmark Circularity Performance Gain recommendations to improve Circular Economy Performance Visual Reporting Tool - representing your current and targeted circularity levels Easy-to-Use Online Tool - functionality for both individual and multi-user assessments Circular Action Plan For those organisation's interested in finding ways to save money and add value to your business operations, we offer a comprehensive assessment and customised action plan. Over the course of 12 to 16 weeks, our team will work closely with you through on-site visits, workshops, and interviews to: Understand the current environmental impacts of your production processes and supply chain, focusing on materials, water, and energy usage. Identify areas where circular economy strategies are already in practice. Analyze how resources are utilized throughout your value chain and pinpoint where inefficiencies occur. Brainstorm innovative ideas for reducing costs, enhancing supply chain resilience, and create new value opportunities through circular strategies. Develop a customized action plan outlining short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals for implementing circular economy practices, allowing for ongoing monitoring and performance tracking. Circular Venture Accelerator The Circular Venture Accelerator is a programme that supports late-stage ventures to expand their innovative circular solutions to generate systemic impact and advance Ireland’s Net-Zero Carbon ambitions. The Circular Venture Accelerator is designed and delivered by Irish Manufacturing Research and funded by the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment as part of CIRCULÉIRE. Created by Irish Manufacturing Research, the programme was co-designed and co-delivered in collaboration with Tangent, Trinity’s Ideas Workspace from 2020 to 2023. From 2024, the CIRCULÉIRE Accelerator, the first of its kind in Ireland, has been fully delivered in-house with the participation of national and international experts. For the past six years, CIRCULÉIRE's Circular Venture Accelerator has supported late-stage circular ventures to scale. The programme provides circular economy innovators, who wish to avail of highly specialised circularity mentorship and business acceleration support, access to a diverse pool of mentors, coaches, and subject experts. For more insights into the programme and to view the 2026 Call for Applications, please visit the Circular Venture Accelerator’s website . 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 Arcology Systems Arcology System is a revolutionary smart and data-driven interior construction system that offers modularity and adaptability. This system unlocks circular economy value in the way commercial fitouts are financed, procured, built and managed for REIT’s, developers and end-users. Ériu Ériu is reviving the lost legacy of Irish Wool. Ériu yarn is made from the softest Irish wool, hand selected, processed and designed entirely in Ireland. They are proud to be the first Irish knitwear brand whose products are exclusively Irish sourced and made through our ‘Farm to Yarn’ sustainable initiative and sourced from a trusted network of farmers around Ireland, as well as Ériu’s own farm in Wicklow. THE FACTORY The FACTORY is on a mission to reinvent the traditionally wasteful and plastic-reliant signage industry by utilising wood, cardboard and other more Earth-friendly materials. The company uses green energy for production, and is reimagining their signage systems with so reuse is at its core. Tympany Medical Tympany Medical are designing endoscopes at the leading edge of design, electronics, photonics, and engineering. Tympany deliver first in class endoscopes to the ENT market and beyond to allow surgeons to maximise visualisation in minimally invasive surgery. UsedFULLY UsedFULLY is creating science-based solutions for unwanted clothing and textiles. Their vision is to circularise textile resources and measure impacts to reduce waste and emissions. The company seeks to Implement new technologies and circular business models at scale to ensure the full value of textile resources are maximised thereby reducing the environmental impacts of clothing and textiles. Well Spent Grain Well Spent Grain are committed to reducing the impact of food waste in the supply chain by upcycling brewer’s spent grain (which is underutilized and wasted in the food supply chain), into healthy sustainable snacks that are available for sale in retail stores. Harley & Marley Harley & Marley launched “Planet Loving Pets” a super-premium range of fish-based pet treats made from sustainable and nutritious ingredients in Ireland. The company’s range is made by Origin Green Gold Members Atlantis Seafood of Kilmore Quay, Wexford and the first range features four products. Their treats are made of locally caught fish, under Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM)’s Fisheries Improvement Project (FIP), meaning it is all sustainably fished and traceable. IFF Plastics IFF Plastics turns waste plastic (farm, industrial and ocean plastic) into top quality fence posts using a closed loop recycling service. They partner with farmers, business, and customers to deliver a circular plastics business model. Niskus Biotec Niskus Biotec is focused on the provision of innovative products and services to the agri-food and biotech sectors in fungal large-scale solid-state fermentation. The company works with customers to select the most suitable fungal strains for their process and growing media and to develop and scale-up new fungal derived high-value products such as proteins, enzymes, and intermediates. Sensi Sensi is a cleantech company that has developed the world’s first Smart RVM (Reverse Vending Machine) using Visual Artificial Intelligence. Their products incorporate advanced visual recognition technology and digital rewards, enabling deposit return schemes for several recyclable materials and reusable products to ensure the collection of uncontaminated streams of material. Verifact Verifact are a cloud-based sustainability platform that enables supply chain information to be captured and stored securely. This data is then used to validate the supply chain claims including circular economy related claims. Avoca Seafood Avoca Seafood is an aquaculture company dedicated to raising Atlantic salmon in a responsible and eco-friendly way. Utilizing a state-of-the-art Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS), Avoca raises fish entirely on land within a controlled environment. Allowing for continuous production while maintaining optimal conditions for the fish and minimizing environmental impact. Biowave Biowave technology is the sustainable solution for converting waste streams to bioavailable resources. Bio wave take difficult to treat organic wastes and convert them to a form that is ready for downstream biological processing. Digital Array Control Systems (DACS) DACS has developed a battery management system to extend the useful lifespan of lithium battery packs. This unit costs 8-12% of the basic array but doubles lifespan and prevents capacity loss. I am not a Virgin A high-quality clothing and shoe company, specializing in 100% recycled or biodegradable a high-quality clothing and shoe company, developing 3D printed footwear from secondary raw materials. ZeroNet The world’s first cloud-based technology platform designed explicitly around the logistical requirements of the Circular Economy. The ZeroNet app launched in Brighton & Hove in 2020 in partnership with Tech-Takeback. It will launch in Ireland in 2024. The service is designed to radically streamline the domestic recovery of unwanted small electrical and electronic devices. Electric Avenue Bikes Electric Avenue are a bike-share provider that is exploring the modularity of their bikes and batteries, which creates the potential to remanufacturer them at the end of each lifecycle. Applying this method, they double the life span of a lithium-ion battery pack and keep bikes on the road and out of landfills for longer. Jiminy Eco Toys Jiminy Eco Toys is an eco-specialist toy company, retailing and distributing the earth-kindest toys across Ireland & the UK that address the problem of toys that are wrapped in plastic packaging. Founder Sharon Keilthy set up Jiminy to give eco-minded customers more options. KnowCarbon KnowCarbon are a digital and traceability venture that provides transparent, actionable data to companies and consumers on carbon. ReFunk ReFunk is a female-owned, one-stop eCommerce platform that promotes the circular economy by buying, selling and commissioning pre-loved and upcycled furniture through their marketplace. Returnr Returnr is eliminating single-use food and beverage packaging in cafes and independent retailers through a B2C deposit return scheme for reusable food and beverage packaging. Blade Bridge BladeBridge repurposes retired wind turbine blades into sustainable infrastructure such as bridges and e-bike charging hubs. Wind blades are made from a composite material which is incredibly strong and durable and can be used to substitute raw materials such as steel and concrete for lower carbon & lower maintenance products Finline Furniture Revive by Finline Furniture is an initiative that not only promotes circularity but also supports social causes and customer loyalty. This take back scheme gives old furniture a second life. We restore and resell it, reducing waste and promoting sustainability thereby making a positive impact on the environment and society as a whole. HaPPE Earth HaPPE Earth have created bio-digestible (compostable) Personal Protective Equipment, such as single use splash aprons, using sustainably sourced bio-resin. The PPE is used as before but this time, the value is recovered by using our HaPPE onsite medical bio-digester creating a pathogen safe, nutrient rich fertiliser, resin recapture or biofuel potential. Rezero Rezero eliminates waste by preventing millions of unused cigarettes from being incinerated annually, addressing a global issue. By isolating cellulose acetate from the cigarette filters, Rezero manufactures sustainable products like buttons and eyewear frames, reducing reliance on virgin materials and supporting the circular economy in the fashion industry and beyond. Shareclub Shareclub offers innovative circular packaging solutions for events, workplaces, and takeaway services, designed to cut costs and minimise waste. Utilising QR-enabled reusables, shareclub tracks usage and impact, providing event hosts and corporate partners with quantifiable insights on their reduction of disposable items and CO2 emissions, enhancing sustainability reporting. Circular Food Co. Circular Food Co. enables the circular economy by transforming food manufacturing waste into high-value ingredients. We help producers reduce disposal, cut carbon, and create new revenue streams—keeping food in the system longer and replacing resource-intensive ingredients with upcycled, sustainable alternatives. EcoRoots Ecoroots is a biotechnology company creating high-performance, compostable packaging from mycelium, the root network of fungi, grown on agricultural and industrial waste. By combining advanced biology with digital optimisation, we deliver circular solutions that cut emissions, reduce energy use, and eliminate waste by upcycling local by-products into truly sustainable, closed-loop packaging. Bean Around Bean Around is a coffee repurposing business focused on transforming used coffee grounds into revitalising exfoliating bars, body scrubs and other high value-added products. We are challenging the prevailing linear, single use, throw away business model that is contributing significantly to current global environmental issues. Our philosophy is: rethink the problem, reimagine the solution, and redesign the product. Our goal is to shift the way people view waste, turning what was once discarded into high value-added, eco-friendly, sustainable products. Mesh Bioplastics Mesh Bioplastics develops sustainable plant-based alternatives to single use medical plastics. By designing products compatible with existing clinical waste and industrial composting processes, we enable healthcare providers to reduce reliance on fossil-derived plastics and move toward circular end-of-life solutions—minimising environmental impact without disrupting established workflows. Kinset Kinset is driving circularity in fashion through its Digital Product Passport platform. By enabling supply chain transparency, promoting repair and reuse, and guiding end-of-life recycling, Kinset empowers brands and consumers to extend product lifecycles, reduce waste, and meet EU sustainability regulations, transforming compliance into action for a more circular economy. Reloop Reloop supports CIRCULÉIRE’s mission by embedding circular practices in households, promoting access over ownership, enabling textile and e-waste recirculation, and engaging diverse stakeholders. Our data-driven, service-based model reduces waste, retains materials, and fosters systemic change, accelerating Ireland’s transition to a circular economy with measurable environmental benefits. Anaula Anaula builds technology that transforms distillery wastewater into algae-based fertiliser and feed. By using algae to recover nutrients from waste, we convert pollution into a regenerative input—replacing synthetic fertilisers and unsustainable fish feed—demonstrating a closed-loop, nature-based circular economy model. Hibra Design Hibra Design develops bespoke vehicles and vehicle systems with a focus on clean technology powertrains. A core part of our offering is to reengineer fossil-fuel powered vehicles with battery-electric powertrains. This allows companies to significantly reduce operational costs; meet ESG and CSR responsibilities; create healthier working environments and increase production efficiency. European Level Funding Supports Horizon LIFE Programme Innovation Fund Circular Bio-based Europe Just Transition Fund Horizon Europe Horizon Europe is European Union’s primary funding program for research and innovation. The programme funds large scale international research projects on a variety of topics including the circular economy and sustainability. Objectives: Improving European competitiveness through innovation. Target Audience(s): Research organisations, SMEs, multinationals. For most call proposals you must apply as a team of at least three partner organization from three different EU or associated countries, at least one being from an EU country. Total Funding: Budget of EUR 95.5 billion for the period of 2021-2027. Availability: Funding opportunities all year around, deadlines dependent on specific calls. LEARN MORE Innovation Fund The Innovation Fund is one of the world’s largest funding programmes for the demonstration of innovative low carbon technologies, especially with an emphasis on energy and industry. It focuses on projects with European added value that can bring significant emission and greenhouse gas reductions. Objectives: Support and foster innovation in low-carbon technologies and processes across Europe. Target Audience(s): Research organisations, SMEs, multinationals. Total Funding: The Innovation Fund’s total budget is dependent on the carbon price and it is estimated to be c.€40 billion over 2020 to 2030. Availability: Regular calls throughout the year. LEARN MORE EU LIFE Programme LIFE funding is the European fund for Environment Nature Conservation and Climate Action. LIFE funds close-to market projects providing up to 55% co-funding of project costs. Objectives: Support the transition towards a resource efficient society. Target Audience(s): Research organisations, SMEs, multinationals. Total Funding: Ranging from €1 million up to €5m per project. Availability: April-September (Opens 18th April 2024) LEARN MORE Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking The Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBIJU) is a €2 billion partnership between the EU and the Bio-based Industries Consortium which builds on the success of its’ predecessor, the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU) . Objectives: Develop new technologies to transform renewable natural resources into bio-based products. Target audience(s): Research organisations, SMEs, multinationals. Total Funding: For 2024 the call budget is €213 million. Availability: Calls opened 24th April 2024 and close on 18th September 2024. LEARN MORE EU Just Transition Fund The EU Just Transition Fund (EUJTF) is Pillar 1 of the European Union Just Transition Mechanism. Its purpose is to assist the most affected territories in transitioning to a climate-neutral economy. In Ireland, the EUJTF supports the economic transition of the Midlands region and focuses on upskilling and employment projects in green enterprise. Target Audience(s): Private, public, and community and voluntary organisations. Total Funding: Budget of €169 million from 2021-2027. Availability: July LEARN MORE National and All-Island Funding Supports Green Transition Fund DCEE CEIGS EPA Research Call Intertrade Ireland Enterprise Ireland Green Transition Fund The Green Transition Fund supports companies across each of the different aspects of their decarbonisation journey – from initial planning and capability building to investment, research, and innovation. The fund is comprised of two separate streams: The Climate Planning Fund for Business includes the following opportunities: Climate Action Voucher: €1,800 for advisory support to develop an initial sustainability/decarbonization/circular economy strategy and action plan Green Start: Up to €5,000 to fund consultancy to introduce environmental best practice systems. Green Plus: up to €50,000 support for training project to improve environmental management capability. Strategic Consultancy: Up to €35,000 support to assist large energy user to develop carbon reduction roadmap. Audience: High-potential start-ups, SME and large enterprise can apply to all the above, except from GreenPlus which is available only for SME and large enterprise. Availability: any time. The Enterprise Emissions Reduction Investment Fund include the following opportunities: Capital investment for Energy Monitoring & Tracking Systems: Up to €50,000 for companies to put in place systems to monitor energy usage. Capital Investment for Decarbonisation processes: Up to €1m to support companies to decarbonise their manufacturing combustion processes. Innovation and R&D Grants: From €5,000 innovation vouchers to large scale R&D projects in the areas of sustainability and decarbonisation. Audience: Manufacturing, SMEs and large enterprises. Availability: any time. LEARN MORE EPA Research Call 2024 The call aims to support innovative research projects to support policy-and decision-making addressing environmental, climate change and sustainability challenges. Applicant may apply under a range of broad thematic areas including facilitating a circular economy. Objectives: Enhance Ireland’s competitiveness and resilience and inform policy innovation. Target Audience(s): Research organisations, SMEs, multinationals. Total Funding: €14.3m awarded in 2023 Availability: April Green Enterprise Funding: Innovation for a Circular Economy The Green Enterprise funding aims to support innovators in Ireland to develop, demonstrate and implement circular economy approaches in their business models. It is managed through the EPA-led Circular Economy Programme and is co-funded by EPA Research. Objective: Support innovation projects for the implementation of circular economy approaches in business models. Target Audience(s): Research organisations, SMEs, multinationals. Total Funding: Up to €100,000 (this is information of 2022) Availability: 2024 Call is closed - Updates to come on 2025 Call LEARN MORE Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme (CEIGS) The Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme (CEIGS) is a Government of Ireland initiative led by DCEE. The purpose of this grants scheme is to provide support to projects which work in the Circular Economy space, with the aim of advancing the Circular Economy in Ireland and raising awareness of its need. Objective: support Irish businesses develop circular solutions in product and service design, production. Target Audience(s): social enterprises, voluntary and community organisations and small/medium businesses (defined here as less than 50 employees). Total Funding: c.€500,000 per call with indicative grant €50,000 for 1-year projects. Availability: The 2024 call opened on 19th June 2024 and closes on 19th July 2024 LEARN MORE Intertrade Ireland Innovation Boost The Innovation Boost aims to support cross-border business on the island of Ireland through developing and embedding innovation through facilitating and funding an academic partner to help industry overcome an innovation or technology gap. Objective: Support innovation projects for the implementation of circular economy business models. Target Audience(s): Indigenous SME on manufacturing or tradeable services Total Funding: c. €50,000 Availability: All year round. Innovation Boost B2B The Innovation Boost B2B aims to support innovative cross-border partnerships and promote business collaborate to solve problems. Objective: Support innovation projects for the implementation of circular economy business models. Target Audience(s): Indigenous SME on manufacturing or tradeable services Total Funding: Provides up to €50,000 per partner. Availability: All year round. LEARN MORE LEARN MORE Policy Innovation CIRCULÉIRE's involvement in policy advisory groups and legislative discussions exemplifies our collective commitment to advancing the circular economy agenda in Ireland. Through strategic collaborations, expert representation, and thought leadership, we actively contribute to the formulation of policies that drive sustainable practices, innovation, and economic growth. As we engage with policymakers and industry stakeholders, our aim is to create an environment where circular principles thrive and pave the way for a more resilient and prosperous Ireland. At CIRCULÉIRE, we actively engage with key policy initiatives and decision-making processes that affect our Industry members to support the adoption of their circular transition in Ireland. CIRCULÉIRE team members play an active roles in advisory groups led by government and state agencies, such as the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment (DCEE), the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM) , the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI). We contribute on behalf of Industry members with insights, knowledge, and industry experience to inform the policy decision making process DCEE Construction Advisory Group DCEE Textiles Advisory Group DCEE Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy Advisory Group DAFM Irish Bioeconomy Forum EPA Food Waste Action Group EPA National Reuse and Repair Network NSAI National Committee on Circular Economy - NSAI/TC066
- All-Island Circular Venture Award 2025 | CIRCULÉIRE
The All‑Island Circular Venture Awards spotlight innovative start-ups across Ireland that are advancing the circular economy through impactful circular value propositions. The awards recognise late‑stage ventures driving new solutions for how materials, components, and products are used, reused, remanufactured, and regenerated—celebrating high‑potential innovators shaping a more sustainable future. 27th Nov, 2025 All-Island Circular Venture Awards 2025 Celebrating Innovation. Accelerating Circular Impact. ABOUT THE AWARDS WINNER & FINALISTS PRIZES JUDGES AGENDA VENUE, DATE, TIME ABOUT THE AWARDS The AlI-Island Circular Venture Awards will spotlight start-ups and ventures across the island of Ireland who are pioneering the emergence of the circular economy sector by enabling or demonstrating a circular value proposition. The awards are a great opportunity for late-stage start-ups driving innovation in the circular economy, and a platform to shine a light on high-potential ventures reshaping how materials, components and products are used, reused, remanufactured and regenerated. CIRCULÉIRE is delighted to announce its inaugural All-Island Circular Venture Awards, a prestigious new initiative designed and led by Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) and funded by the Department of Climate, Energy & the Environment (DCEE). READ THE AWARDS GUIDELINES & CRITERIA 2025 WINNER HaPPE Earth, the WINNER of the inaugural All-Island Circular Venture Awards embodies circular innovation, circular excellence, execution strength, commercial viability and system level impact with the persevering and pioneering vision of never giving up. Lisa O'Riordan Chief Operating Officer, HaPPE Earth 1st Finalist Gemell Technology, the 1st finalist is a venture that is pioneering digital technologies to leverage advanced tech to make it easy for actors and supply chains to reduce waste. It is imminently scalable not only in Ireland but further afield. Co-Founder & CEO, Gemell Technology Limited Adam Hankin 2nd Finalist Ecoroots, the second finalist is a venture with a holistic circularity story and significant IP potential which can enable scalability. They are not only figuring out how to do this in their own right, but also enabling other actors in their value and supply chain to valorise production residues. Ecoroots fundamentally exemplifies the systemic level of change required to bring the circular economy to life. Founder & CEO, Ecoroots Lavanya Bhandari CIRCULAR TROPHY FABRICATION GALLERY PRIZES €5.000 + Coaching Session + CIRCULÉIRE Case Study €3.000 + Coaching Session + CIRCULÉIRE Case Study €2.000 + Coaching Session + CIRCULÉIRE Case Study SHORTLISTED VENTURES The ten shortlisted ventures pitching to an audience of investors, industry, policy makers, and media at the first All-Island Circular Venture Awards will include Arcology System, Biographene Innovations Ireland, BladeBridge, Circular Food Co, Ecoroots, HaPPE Earth, Gemell Technology Limited, Harp Renewable, Integrated Materials Solutions and Kinset Limited. The selected ventures represent an extremely broad range of sectors including commercial fitout infrastructure, construction waste management, compostable PPE, biobased production and packaging solutions; repurposed wind energy infrastructure; digital enablement of circular processes; aerobic digestion; additional manufacturing for textiles; and upcycling of food residuals. READ ON FOR MORE DETAILS ON THE COMPANIES: Arcology System enables adaptive, circular, and waste-free interiors through a modular, sensor-enabled construction system. BladeBridge repurposes retired wind turbine blades into durable infrastructure. Ecoroots transforms agricultural waste into compostable mycelium packaging powered by a data-driven platform for scalable, zero-waste biomanufacturing. HaPPE Earth makes single-use PPE into a circular solution, replacing plastics with compostable materials, converting waste into fertiliser, and delivering ESG insights cutting costs, carbon, and complexity. Integrated Materials Solutions (IMS) accepts C&D wastes and processes them into certified low carbon secondary aggregates for reuse in the construction industry. Bio Graphene Innovations Ireland transforms agricultural waste into bio-graphene materials that decarbonise concrete, enabling seawater use, and establishing a scalable circular manufacturing model for Europe. Circular Food Co recovers food waste to turn into high value ingredients. Gemell Technology Limited reduces unnecessary textile waste through data-driven 3D visualisation and analytics. Harp Renewables supplies advanced, fully circular food waste solutions for all industries. Kinset connects supply chain, material, and lifecycle data in one trusted system, making it simple for brands to demonstrate transparency, enable reuse and recycling, and engage consumers through interactive digital experiences. REPRESENTATIVES: VIEW BIO Arcology System develops modular, sensor-enabled interior construction systems for circular, adaptive interiors. Backed by EU innovation grants and live UNECE pilots, it replaces fixed fitouts with reconfigurable components that retain material and financial value, unlocking new revenue and waste-free operation for landlords and developers. Colette van Jaarsveld Co-Founder & CEO, Arcology System VIEW BIO BladeBridge repurposes decommissioned wind-turbine blades into durable, low-carbon infrastructure such as pedestrian bridges, shelters, and street furniture. By repurposing composite waste into certified products for public spaces, BladeBridge diverts tonnes of material from landfill, reduces embodied carbon, and demonstrates circular innovation in Ireland’s renewable energy and construction sectors. CEO, BladeBridge Dr Angie Nagle VIEW BIO Ecoroots is a deep-tech circular venture that turns local waste streams into high-performance mycelium packaging. A proprietary digital platform ensures consistency, accelerates growth, and enables scalable, modular production. By combining biotechnology with real-time data and AI, Ecoroots deliver fully compostable materials with traceability, quality control, and global licensing potential. Founder & CEO, Ecoroots Lavanya Bhandari VIEW BIO HaPPE Earth is reimagining the future of single-use PPE with the world’s first fully compostable, circular system for PPE. Through proprietary bio-based materials, on-site bio-digestion, and smart ESG data tools, we help hospitals, food, and pharma sectors eliminate plastic waste and emissions while building cleaner, more sustainable operations that protect people and the planet. Co-Founder & CEO, HaPPE Earth Dr Mary O'Riordan VIEW BIO Bio Graphene Innovations Ireland (BGII) is an Irish clean-tech venture developing Biocene, a bio-graphene produced from agricultural waste. In partnership with MEP World Group (USA), BGII’s first product, SeaMix, strengthens concrete, reduces cement dependency, and allows seawater use –driving Ireland’s transition to low-carbon, circular construction and advanced manufacturing. Co-Founder, Bio Graphene Innovations Ireland Ltd Barry O’Flanagan VIEW BIO Circular Food Co (CFCO) applies circular economy principles —reuse, regenerative design, and system innovation— to transform food waste into high-value products. The company collects surplus produce from manufacturers and farms, converting it into nutritious upcycled foods through closed-loop processing. Unlike traditional “take-make-dispose” models, CFCO integrates waste valorisation and local resource cycling across all operations. Co-Founder & Head of Operations, Circular Food Co (CFCO) Niamh Dooley VIEW BIO Gemell is transforming textile manufacturing with software that generates photorealistic digital twins of fiber, yarns & fabrics, entirely from data. No samples, no scanning, no waste. The solution helps mills cut unnecessary sample waste by 70%, accelerate design workflows & approvals, and deliver lifelike digital fabrics directly into designers’ hands. Co-Founder & CEO, Gemell Technology Limited Adam Hankin VIEW BIO With over 20 years of global waste management expertise, Harp Renewables designs, develops, and manufactures fully circular solutions for organic waste treatment, providing a cleaner alternative to traditional disposal. Combining innovative technologies and a commitment to reshape waste management, we deliver cost-reducing, eco-friendly, and custom-tailored products for businesses of all sizes. Senior Sales Manager, Harp Renewables Gerry Mc Donnell VIEW BIO Integrated Materials Solutions (IMS) is an environmental company based in north Co. Dublin working at the forefront of sustainable C&D waste management since 2017. To date IMS have diverted over 500,000 tonnes of waste concrete and soils from landfill by producing high quality aggregates and sands through start of the art processing. Trucks arrive containing waste and leave full of secondary aggregates, closing the loop on Ireland’s construction materials. Managing Director, Integrated Materials Solutions (IMS) Cian O’Hora VIEW BIO Kinset is a Dublin-based green-tech platform enabling circularity across the consumer goods sector. By digitising product data and creating Digital Product Passports, Kinset connects supply chain, material, and lifecycle information, making it simple for businesses to measure impact, meet regulations, and engage consumers through trusted product transparency. CEO & Co-Founder, Kinset Limited Katelyn O’Riordan JUDGES VIEW BIO Geraldine is a strategic circular economy expert, systems thinker and senior sustainability leader with +15 years multi-sectoral experience working horizontally and laterally in industry applied research, consulting, advertising, and communications. She has a track record of building collaborative public-private partnerships to deliver the circular economy’s transformation potential. Geraldine holds a PhD in Strategic Management & Sustainable Development and MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London and is a nationally and internationally recognized thought leader on scaling industry-oriented circular innovation. Geraldine Brennan Director of Circular Economy Innovation - IMR/ CIRCULÉIRE VIEW BIO Jamie is a Partner at Regeneration.VC, leading early-stage circular and regenerative technology investments globally. He has completed 50+ climate investments across the UK and US, co-founded two tech startups including Tropic Biosciences, and previously worked with Founders Forum, Sky, and B Capital. UCLA Anderson graduate; former global PE lawyer. Partner - Regeneration.VC Jamie Rowles VIEW BIO Mark is a prominent industrialist with a career in international business development for leading manufacturers in Northern Ireland. Today he is Joint Chief Executive of Makers Alliance, an industry-led body guiding the strategic vision for advanced manufacturing in Northern Ireland. Mark is a former President of the NI Chamber of Commerce, served 8 years on the board of Invest NI, and was recognised in 2015 with the award of an OBE for services to the economy. Joint Chief Executive Officer - Makers Alliance Mark Nodder VIEW BIO Founder & General Partner of WakeUp Capital, Faye backs visionary European founders tackling climate and social challenges. A former social entrepreneur and angel investor, she champions inclusive innovation, impact investing, and diversity. She serves on multiple boards and leads philanthropic initiatives. Based in Dublin, she holds a BA and MBA. Founder & Managing Partner - WakeUp Capital Faye Walsh Drouillard MEDIA & NEWS Media - Click to share the message Loop motif generated with the support of AI. News All-Island Circular Venture Awards to support circular economy in Ireland READ MORE IRISH TECH NEWS, 27 OCT 2025 Meet the Judges: All-Island Circular Venture Awards 2025 READ MORE CIRCULÉIRE NEWS, 22 OCT 2025 New start-up award aims to boost Ireland’s circular innovation READ MORE INDUSTRIAL PC, 20 OCT 2025 New start-up award aims to boost Ireland’s circular innovation READ MORE SILICON REPUBLIC, 20 OCT 2025 Apply for the first All-Island Circular Venture Awards READ MORE NIBUSINESSINFO.CO.UK, 17 OCT 2025 STRATEGIC PARTNERS & SUPPORTER Partners Supporter What All-Island Circular Venture Awards 2025 When 27th Nov 2025, 2:00 PM - 6:30 PM Where ESB Head Office (F27), Event Space, 27 Fitzwilliam Street Lower, Dublin, D02 KT92
- Reloop
c7eee634-9120-419d-8d18-ac09ce30d4b1 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
- Sotenäs Symbioscentrum
f4128287-c8f8-408b-aff4-a8e3615f0fb2 CIRCULÉIRE NON-MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: SOTENÄS SYMBIOSCENTRUM WEBSITE: SYMBIOSCENTRUM.SE SECTOR : ENERGY, AQUACULTURE, FOOD PUBLISHED: 03 SEPTEMBER 2025 TAGS: SUSTAINABLEFISHING, INDUSTRIALSYMBIOSIS, MARINESUSTAINABILITY, FISHWASTEMANAGEMENT, RENEWABLEENERGY, SUSTAINABLEAQUACULTURE The Challenge Sotenäs is a small coastal municipality in Sweden with around 9,000 inhabitants. Fishing is its economic backbone, home to the country’s second largest fish auction as well as three of Sweden’s major seafood processing plants ( Marthinson, 2022 ). By 2010, decades of rapid expansion had created serious sustainability challenges. Environmental regulations prohibited companies from increasing their discharges of processed water into the sea, and each year more than 15,000 tonnes of sludge and fish trimmings had to be transported to distant biogas plants in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. These long and costly transports resulted in substantial CO₂ emissions entering the atmosphere. Under pressure, some businesses considered relocating, a move that would have put the local economy at risk ( Marthinson, 2022 ). The Circular Solution In response, the Sotenäs municipality launched the Sotenäs Centre for Symbiosis (Symbioscentrum) in 2015. The centre functions as a hub for industrial symbiosis (IS), bringing together the municipality, a local college, a Swedish state-owned venture capital company Fouriertransform, and six other partner organisations ( Charter & Whitehead, 2023 ). The vision of Symbioscentrum is both economic and environmental: to create jobs, develop value-added products, and achieve greater efficiency by linking industries and upcycling local waste streams. Its collaborations extend across sectors such as food production, aquaculture, renewable energy, algae production, and marine technology ( Charter & Whitehead, 2023 ). At the outset, three core projects anchored the system: · a biogas facility to process fish trimmings, · a wastewater treatment plant, and · the recycling of ocean plastics and fishing gear. Today, fishing companies send their waste to the Renahav biogas plant, which produces renewable energy and hot water that are supplied back to those same companies. The facility also generates digestate — a nutrient-rich by-product of anaerobic digestion — which local farms use as organic fertiliser. Over time, new businesses joined the loop. For instance, the microbrewery Smögen Ale AB delivers spent malt to the biogas plant, further demonstrating how waste streams can be repurposed into resources ( Giacometti et al., 2023 ; Trokanas et al., 2014 ). The flow of resources through the Municipality (Sotenäs Symbioscentrum, 2024) Climate Impact This model has yielded both business and environmental gains. An environmental impact assessment in 2018 estimated: · reductions of approximately 60,000 tonnes of CO₂-eq emissions, · a decrease of 388 tonnes of phosphate-equivalent eutrophication impacts, · avoidance of more than 19 million tonne-kms of waste transport, and · the creation of local green jobs. Additionally, by extracting nutrients from wastewater, the initiative helps improve aquatic conditions and enhances the quality of marine resources, especially fish. Streamlined operations also reduce energy and logistics costs, making participation economically attractive for local companies ( Martin & Carlsson, 2018 ). Replicability The Sotenäs case shows how municipalities can use industrial symbiosis principles to manage environmental pressures while strengthening the local economy. The European Union hosts more than 6,600 industrial facilities and up to 43 million potential synergies for IS — meaning there is vast untapped potential across Europe ( Quintana, Chamkhi, & Bredimas, 2020 ). Drawing on this experience, Symbioscentrum recommends five enablers for successful symbiosis: Networking – the human element is key Innovation – Access to funding, knowledge and testing are highly beneficial Smart adaptation – the business model needs to be viable Physical proximity – can be crucial for communication and resource exchange Storytelling – A powerful tool to communicate your vision and attract new participants ( Giacometti et al., 2023 ). The initiative also looked to the well-known Kalundborg Symbiosis in Denmark as inspiration, the world’s first IS network, which now involves 17 public and private organisations and more than 30 different resource flows ( Giacometti et al., 2023 ). 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
- 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
- Knowledge Sharing | CIRCULÉIRE
Explore CIRCULÉIRE’s knowledge sharing resources, including circular economy policy insights, thought leadership, case studies, and much more in our Knowledge Hub. CIRCULAR BUSINESS SUPPORTS KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE & POLICY ENGAGEMENTS ECOSYSTEM COLLABORATION CIRCULAR ECONOMY POLICY THOUGHT LEADERSHIP CASE STUDIES CIRCULAR EXPLORER KNOWLEDGE HUB European Circular Economy Policy EU Green Deal (EGD, 12/2019) The EU Green Deal is Europe’s roadmap for making the EU’s economy sustainable – tackling climate and environmental-related challenges through a new growth strategy. It outlines the European Commissions’ commitment to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. The Green Deal defines key actions, investments, and support mechanisms to support people, businesses, and regions transition to a circular economy, restoring biodiversity and cutting pollution. European Industrial Strategy (2020) The EU’s Industrial Strategy seeks to transform industry making Europe’s businesses future-fit by becoming greener, more circular (the Green Transition) and more digital (the Digital Transition) while remaining globally competitive. It emphasises the importance of leveraging the impact of the EU Single Market to drive innovation and set global standards and outlines a new SME Strategy to encourage innovation, cut red tape and provide better access to finance. EU Circular Economy Action Plan (2020) The EU Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP 2.0) is part of the European Green Deal. It outlines a range of measures to enable sustainable products to become the EU norm starting with the following key value chains: Electronics and ICT; Batteries and Vehicles; Packaging; Plastics; Textiles; Construction, Food, Water and Nutrients. The CEAP 2.0 in conjunction with other policy frameworks aims to ensure a joined-up approach to circularity in Europe. EU Waste Framework Directive (2018) The EU Waste Framework Directive was adopted in 2008 to regulate and reduce the quantity of waste being produced in Europe. It has undergone several amendments, the latest in 2018. It defined the waste management hierarchy; explains when waste becomes a secondary raw material; encourages the reuse of products and design of products with recycled content and outlines targets for the recycling of key materials. In 2023, the EU Commission proposed a targeted amendment of the Directive, with a focus on textiles and food waste. The proposal aims to bring a more circular and sustainable management of textile waste as well as introducing EPR schemes for textiles in all EU Member States. In June 2024 the Council adopted its general approach on the Revision proposed which allows the new EU presidency to continue the process for the final text under the new legislative cycle. EU Farm to Fork Strategy (2020) The Farm to Fork Strategy is a key part of the European Green Deal and outlines how food production systems in Europe can be reshaped to ensure healthy, environmentally- friendly and fair food for all citizens. It seeks to deploy circularity in bio-based value chains, and focuses on carbon intensity, protection of soil, air, water, and reversing biodiversity loss. The strategy also seeks to ensure that fair economic returns for producers and affordable prices for end-customers. Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (2023) The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) entered into force on the 5th of January 2023. It modernizes and strengthens the non-financial reporting rules concerning social and environmental information companies must report. It also broadens the set of companies that must report to include listed SMEs and non-EU companies that generate over 150 million EUR on the EU market. Companies subject to CSRD will have to report according to the ESRS standards, and the first companies will have to apply the new rules when reporting in 2025. Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (2024) The new Ecodesign for Sustainable Regulation (ESPR) entered into force on the 18th of July 2024. It builds on the Ecodesign Directive (2009/125/EC) and aims to promote more environmentally sustainable and circular products. The ESPR establishes a framework to set eco-design requirements for specific product groups to improve their circularity, energy performance, and other environmental sustainability aspects. The ESPR also introduces the Digital Product Passport (DPP) (art.9), a tool to provide comprehensive digital information about a product’s sustainability throughout its entire lifecycle. Right to Repair Directive (2024) The Right to Repair Directive adopted by the European Council on the 30th of May of 2024 aims to ensure that consumers are able to seek repair instead of replacement when a product is broken or defective. Some of its main elements are: incentives for producers to prolong life cycles of products, a right for consumers to request that manufacturers repair products that are technically repairable under EU law, a free-of-charge EU repair information form, and online repair platform to connect consumers with repairs and the extension by 12 months of the seller’s liability period after the repair of a product. National Circular Economy Policy Climate Action Plan (2019) Ireland’s first Climate Action Plan was published in 2019, to address the impacts of climate disruption. It includes a chapter on Waste and the Circular Economy. This is the first time an Irish policy recognized the need to adopt circular economy principles and mandated the development of a Circular Economy Policy and Action Plan for Ireland, inspired by the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan. Climate Action & Low Carbon Development Act (2021) The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act turn climate commitment into a law and set out a specific target for Ireland of net-zero emissions no later than 2050 and to a 51% reduction in emissions by 2030, doubling the ambition of the 2019 Action Plan. The Climate Action Plan 2021 set out a detailed sectoral roadmap to achieve Ireland’s net-zero targets. This Plan is revised and updated yearly. Waste Action Plan for Circular Economy (2020) The Waste Action Plan for Circular Economy is Ireland's strategic waste planning and management roadmap. This plan aims to move away from a waste disposal focus and promote a circular economy, preserving resources for longer. The plan outlines the sector's role in achieving the CAP 2019 and includes measures and targets for various waste areas. Additionally, the plan promises to publish a Whole-Government Circular Economy Strategy Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy (2022-23) The Whole Government Circular Economy Strategy published in December 2021 is Ireland's first national strategy which establishes a policy framework to guide the transition towards a circular economy in all sectors and encourages public sector leadership in embracing circularity. In the strategy, the concept of a circular economy is explained, along with the reasons why Ireland must achieve it, and how national policy will be developed to support this objective. The next Whole of Government CE Strategy is anticipated to undergo public consultation and go before government before the end of 2024. Circular Economy & Miscellaneous Provisions Act (2022) The Circular Economy Act 2022 is a landmark legislation in Ireland that defines the Circular Economy for the first time in Irish domestic law. It establishes comprehensive regulations and economic measures to help Ireland transition into circularity. The Act places the Circular Economy Strategy on a statutory footing, making the ongoing development of circular economy policy a legal requirement of the Government. It also re-designates the existing Environment Fund as a Circular Economy Fund to support environmental and circular economy projects. National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap (2023-2025) The National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap sets out actions to achieve a reduction of 50% in Ireland's food waste by 2030. The development of this roadmap was one of the commitments in Ireland's Waste Action Plan for Circular Economy (2020). The Food Waste Prevention Roadmap sets out priority actions to focus on food waste prevention across key sectors in the food supply chain. It also looks at the role of the public sector in tackling food waste by improving procurement practices. National Bioeconomy Action Plan (2023) In 2018, as part of Project Ireland 2040, the government published the first National Policy Statement on the Bioeconomy which set out a vision, common principles, strategic objectives, and an implementation framework to develop the bioeconomy across relevant sectors. It established a Bioeconomy Implementation Group (BIG), co-chaired by DECC and DAFM. The subsequent National Bioeconomy Action Plan 2023-2025 has a strong focus on bringing sustainable scientific practices, technologies, and biobased innovation into use on farms and by biobased industries in Ireland – including leveraging circularity principles. National Waste Management Plan for Circular Economy (2024-30) The National Waste Management Plan for Circular Economy, published in March 2024, sets out the framework for the prevention and management of waste in Ireland from 2024 to 2030. The Plan outlines specific targets, policies, and actions to accelerate the transition toward a circular economy. It includes circular economy targets such as reuse, repair, and resource consumption. Green Public Procurement Strategy and Action Plan 2024-2027 (2024) The Green Public Procurement Strategy and Action Plan for the period 2024-207 was published in Ireland on the 4th of April of 2024. It aims to enhance sustainable procurement practices within the public sector, leveraging its substantial purchasing power to drive environmental and circular objectives. This plan replaces the “Green Tenders” policy and aligns with broader national circular and climate strategies. Key components include setting sector-specific targets, implementing comprehensive monitoring and reporting mechanism, providing training and awareness program and fostering market engagement and innovation. Sectoral Guides Sectoral Guides are resources that provide information, guidance, and best practice examples in a particular industry or sector. Our Good Practice Sectoral Guides series aim to educate and highlight the best Circular Economy practices in a variety of sectors. They are essential reading for both industry and policy stakeholders who are invested in the progression of a Circular Economy in Ireland. 2025 Industrial Power-to-Heat: Enabling Circularity in Energy Systems This guide supports industry leaders, policymakers, and energy stakeholders in understanding how Power-to-Heat technologies can drive Ireland’s transition toward a circular and low‑carbon energy model. It examines the systemic inefficiencies in current renewable electricity use—such as curtailment and grid constraints—and highlights how converting surplus power into usable heat can unlock new value streams for industry. By exploring technological pathways, enabling conditions, and policy levers, the report illustrates how Power‑to‑Heat can strengthen energy resilience, decarbonise industrial heat demand, and accelerate Ireland’s journey toward a more integrated, resource‑efficient energy system. 2024 Unpacking the Circular Innovation Opportunities for Ireland's MedTech Sector This guide provides MedTech stakeholders with an understanding of the Circular Economy (CE), its necessity, and the opportunities it presents for value creation. It explores the drivers, enablers, and barriers to CE adoption in Europe and Ireland, offering strategies to transition effectively. Policymakers gain insights into key enablers and industry challenges, fostering collaboration to accelerate CE implementation in the MedTech sector. 2023 Towards a Circular Economy of Water This guide equips industry leaders with practical Circular Economy of Water (CEW) strategies, empowering them to drive sustainability and resource efficiency. Policymakers, gain insights and industry perspectives to accelerate CEW implementation through collaborative action. 2022 Circular Road and Rail Good Practice Sectoral Guide We explore global innovations in circular road & rail, sparking inspiration for Ireland's future. Industry leaders, discover practical strategies to optimise resource use and minimise waste. Policymakers, gain insights into international circular economy success stories shaping the future of mobility. 2022 Circular ICT /EEE Good Practice Sectoral Guide This guide empowers you to navigate the circular ICT & EEE shift and to discover best practices, funding opportunities, and educational resources to fuel your transition. We identify key barriers and learn from Irish companies leading the way. Policymakers will find insights to design supportive regulations and incentives. 2022 Circular Aviation Good Practice Sectoral Guide This guide showcases global innovations that are transforming the aviation industry towards circularity. Irish stakeholders will discover how to adopt these circular practices to optimise resource use and reduce waste. Policymakers will gain insights into international policies that are driving positive change in aviation sustainability. 2022 Circular Maritime & Shipping Good Practice Sectoral Guide Discover global innovations transforming the Irish shipping industry towards circularity. Explore practical strategies to optimise resource use and reduce waste. For broader industries relying on Ireland's sea links, learn more about the potential to minimize your Scope 3 emissions. 2021 Circular Food & Drinks Good Practice Sectoral Guide We explore cutting-edge innovations revolutionising the food & drinks industry. Discover Irish and global best practices to minimise waste, optimise resources, and embrace circularity. Unleash new opportunities for your business while protecting our planet. 2021 Circular Construction & Built Environment Good Practice Sectoral Guide We explore innovative solutions transforming construction globally, from recycled materials to modular design. Irish stakeholders, discover practical ways to optimise resources and minimise waste in your projects. 2021 Circular Fashion & Textiles Good Practice Sectoral Guide Explore innovative solutions reshaping fashion globally, from recycled materials to upcycling trends. Irish stakeholders, unlock opportunities to close the loop and minimise textile waste. 2021 Circular Agriculture & Biobased Industries Sectoral Good Practice Guide Discover global pioneers driving the circular shift in agriculture and biobased industries. Irish stakeholders, unleash your potential to reduce waste, optimise resources, and unlock new business models. Embrace a more sustainable future for Ireland's agricultural & biobased landscape. Other Publications CIRCULÉIRE produces and curates a range of knowledge resources to support learning and action on the circular economy. These resources help demystify circular economy concepts, share evidence‑based insights, and highlight practical approaches across sectors, forming a growing knowledge base that supports organisations, policymakers, and practitioners in advancing Ireland’s transition to a circular economy. 2026 2025 Download Circular Skills Insights Report (2025) The CIRCULÉIRE Circular Skills Insights Report 2025 explores circular economy skills, jobs, leadership, and innovation in Irish industry, bridging the gap between strategy and operational delivery through research and training. View infographic A Circular Economy MedTech Infographic This infographic introduces CIRCULÉIRE’s MedTech circular innovation guide, highlighting best practice insights for industry, funders, and policymakers. Thematic Working Groups Each year CIRUCLÉIRE designs and deliver Thematic Working Group interactive sessions based on topics chosen by our network participants to support their transition to the circular economy. The aim of Thematic Working Groups is to: Demystify the circular economy, raising awareness of relevant policy and industry best practices to equip businesses to make informed decisions Unlock the opportunities and barriers to scaling up circular innovation in Ireland Co-develop actionable outputs and recommendations to support the transition of Irish Industry towards circularity Foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and networking amongst the CIRCULÉIRE network and key stakeholders in Ireland’s circular economy ecosystem Share a pipeline of circular opportunities to inspire circular innovation in Irish industry Our Thematic Working Groups are delivered by the CIRCULÉIRE team within Irish Manufacturing Research, in collaboration with select expert facilitators or guest speakers. A multi-sectoral panel including industry representatives, policy makers, regulators, and academics are guided through a collaborative peer learning and knowledge-sharing process to obtain a detailed understanding of the selected topic. 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 Circular Economy, Product Lifecycle Thinking & Sustainable Product Regulation Designing products and services with a circular economy mindset, considering the entire lifecycle of products from design to disposal, and creating value through sustainable and innovative business practices. Contributors: Aisling McCarthy Dept Enterprise, Trade, and Employment Vojtech Vosecky Circle Economy Digitalisation & Digital Product Passport Using latest digital technologies to optimise the use of resources, reduce waste, and increase efficiency in the supply chain. Importance of data-driven decision-making and how digitisation can support transparency and traceability in the supply chain, as well as ensuring your business is ready to adapt to future EU regulatory changes such as Digital Product Passports. Contributors: Amba Concheso DSS+ Dr Rembrant Kopplaar EcoWise Measuring Circularity Exploring the main measurement approaches and tools for measuring circularity, such as life cycle assessment, material flow analysis, and circularity indicators. Outlining the process of measuring progress in the circular economy, and whether and how impact is highly dependent on the goals, reach, and target audiences of circular economy practitioners. Contributors: Shane Colgan EEA Dr John Gallagher TCD Circular Packaging Packaging waste is a key priority highlighted in both the EU Circular Economy Action Plan and the Irish Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy . The plans identify packaging as a prime target for the Extended Producer Responsibility model, placing the onus on producers to minimize waste. In 2021, packaging waste generated in the EU was estimated at 18.7kg per inhabitant with significant variations between countries. Irish inhabitants are amongst the top generators of packaging waste across Europe producing 1.2 million tonnes. The Circular Packaging Thematic Working Group, co-designed and delivered by CIRCULÉIRE and Mabbett & Associates Ltd guided participants through a series of meetings, ideation workshops and webinars. These sessions aimed at identifying circular innovation opportunities where Irish industry can reduce or replace their primary, secondary and tertiary packaging waste with more re-usable, re-fillable or recyclable packaging systems. Expert Co- Facilitators: Mabbett & Associates Ltd Circular Plastics While plastics offer advantages like affordability, durability, and versatility, their single-use nature and low recycling rates create significant challenges. These challenges include lost material value, harm to wildlife, and negative impacts on our environment and health. Out of 30 million tonnes of plastic waste collected annually in Europe, only 5 million are recycled into new products. The remaining plastic is incinerated, landfilled, or exported. To meet the ambitious European Green Deal objectives, much more plastic waste needs to be recycled and more sustainable, non-toxic and viable material substitutes also need to be found. The chemical industry plays a crucial role in this transition by advancing all forms of plastic recycling – mechanical, chemical, and organic. Similarly, emerging innovations in green chemistry are leading the way for industry to substitute fossil-fuel derived plastics with non-toxic, bio-based alternatives from renewable sources. The Circular Plastics Thematic Working Group, delivered by CIRCULÉIRE in collaboration with TUS’s Material Research Institute, guided participants through a series of meetings, ideation workshops and webinars aimed at identifying industry-led innovation opportunities to circularise Ireland’s plastics economy. Expert Co- Facilitators: TUS’s Material Research Institute Circular Design Circular design, a core principle of the circular economy, is a key priority in both the EU Circular Economy Action Plan and Ireland's Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy. Crucial for developing sustainable products and services, circular design focuses on repairability, recyclability, and readily available spare parts. This allows existing products to be redesigned for a circular economy, minimizing waste throughout the value chain. design for repair and recycling; including availability of spare parts, and removing barriers to reuse and repair, so that current products and services can be redesigned with circularity at their core. Furthermore, circular design plays an important role in enabling producers to design out waste and pollution. It also features prominently in the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) measures contained in the Government of Ireland’s Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy, which recognises the importance of eco and smart design. The Circular Design Thematic Working Group, designed and delivered by CIRUCLÉIRE in collaboration with Dr Simon O’Rafferty of M-CO guided participants through a series of meetings, ideation workshops and webinars that shared circular innovation opportunities, highlighting major barriers that hold back circular design in Ireland and what’s needed to overcome them. Moreover, it provided an incentive to producers to design products that contribute to waste prevention and facilitate recycling by considering their durability, reparability, reusability, recyclability and the presence of hazardous substances. Expert Co- Facilitators: Dr Simon O’Rafferty M-CO End-of-Waste, By-Products & Waste Licensing Pathfinder End-of-waste and by-product notifications play a key role in fostering circular economy in Ireland. They establish a marketplace for diverse secondary raw materials, improve resource management, encourage symbiotic industrial practices, and divert resources from landfills. By keeping valuable materials circulating within the economy, successful end-of-waste and by-product applications can significantly reduce the environmental burden of waste disposal. However, a lack of understanding around policy regulation of end-of-waste and by-products is a barrier to engagement and successful applications in Irish Industries. To address this, CIRCULÉIRE and expert facilitator Karl Hylands of Re-Mine Limited, guided participants through a series of meetings, including two ideation workshops, a policy roundtable and a webinar. These sessions aimed to unlock the potential of using end-of-waste and by-products & waste licensing to advance circular economy in Ireland. Expert Co-Facilitators: Karl Hylands Re-Mine Ltd Financing the Circular Economy The transition to a circular economy hinges on increased access to circular finance and funding. Yet for both industry and the financial sectors significant hurdles still exist. Current regulations, markets, and financing practices are geared towards linear economic models. Risk assessments fail to account for the positive externalities of circular business models, often perceiving them as risky and not bankable, hindering access to funding. While an increasing number of circular finance instruments are coming on stream, there is a need to take a holistic, pipeline approach to developing the funding and financial landscape that caters to the diverse needs of circular businesses. Additionally, developing financial instruments and risk assessment tools specifically designed for circular innovations is essential to raise awareness and educate the financial sector is essential for transition to occur. In this Thematic Working Group, CIRCULÉIRE in collaboration with expert facilitators Elizabeth Gavin and Kate Van Der Merwe, brought together key stakeholders together from industry and the financial, funding and enterprise support ecosystem to jointly explore what opportunities there are to optimise the circular finance & funding landscape, so that it best supports Irish industry’s transition to a circular economy. Expert Co- Facilitators: Elizabeth Gavin NuaFund (previously known as Eur Digital Village)/Kilpatrick Innovation Kate Van Der Merwe Circular Bioeconomy The terms "bioeconomy" and "circular economy" have become hot topics in recent years, offering promising solutions to environmental challenges like climate change and pollution, while fostering economic and regional development. The European Bioeconomy Strategy defines it as "the production of renewable biological resources and their conversion into food, feed, bio-based products, and bioenergy" (2012). This encompasses a wide range of sectors, including agriculture, forestry, and even parts of the chemical and energy industries. Ireland has abundant bioresources that presents immense opportunities for the development of a circular bioeconomy. To explore these opportunities, the CIRCULÉIRE Circular Bioeconomy Thematic Working Group collaborated with the Irish Bioeconomy Foundation to guide participants through a series of meetings, ideation workshops and webinars to explore the opportunities available in Ireland and the broader EU. Expert Co- Facilitators: Irish Bioeconomy Foundation Industrial Symbiosis Industrial Symbiosis – one company or sector using the underutilised resources from another to keep the resources in productive use for longer – can boost economic, environmental, and social benefits, while accelerating the transition to a circular economy. To promote the uptake of industrial symbiosis in Ireland, CIRCULÉIRE in collaboration with Internation Synergies, introduced participants to the concept and implementation of industrial symbiosis in Ireland. This was done through guided meetings, ideation workshops, and webinars that included examples of industry best practice and an exploration of innovative opportunities. Expert Co- Facilitators: International Synergies Circular Procurement Circular procurement goes beyond simply buying products and services. It's a strategic process where organisations source works, goods, or services that contribute to closed-loop supply chains. Minimising negative environmental impacts and waste throughout the entire life cycle, from acquisition to disposal. While the public sector has embraced procurement as policy tool to drive sustainability, many private sector organisations are unknowingly implementing circular procurement in their purchasing practices. Market collaboration, life-cycle assessments, total cost of ownership (TCO) and total costs of usership (TCU) models, green and circular criteria in specifications, and end-of-life product management are all examples of circular procurement in action. In this Thematic Working Group, CIRCULÉIRE and expert facilitators, IDDEA, guided participants through a series of meetings, ideation workshops and webinars that shared circular innovation opportunities and understanding the current and future circular procurement opportunities in Ireland. Expert Co- Facilitators: IDDEA Remanufacturing & Recirculation Strategies The theme for this conversation was “Remanufacturing” and the Recirculation Strategies,” and it focused on innovative approaches to extend the lifecycle of products and materials through the Recirculation Strategies. This TWG offered foundational knowledge on Remanufacturing, highlighted industry-specific opportunities and potential challenges, while showcasing best practices and case studies, and discussed regulatory frameworks and policy recommendations. Contributors: Prof.Winifred Ijomah Scottish Institute for Remanufacturing, University of Strathclyde Dr David Peck TU Delft Dr Damian Coughlan University of Limerick David Fitzsimons European Remanufacturing Council Case Studies Our collection of case studies present inspirational examples of how our members in Ireland, and businesses from all over the world, are leading the charge in transforming our economy to one that minimises environmental damage while maximising economic value. Our case studies cover some of the actions taken by organisations who are only beginning their journey to circularity, right the way up to global leaders well advanced on the path. Wherever you are on your own journey, there is inspiration here for everyone. AUTOMOTIVE BUILT ENVIRONMENT FOOD & BEVERAGE ELECTRONICS PLASTICS TEXTILES MEDTECH WASTE CLEAN TECHNOLOGY PACKAGING Circular Explorer The Circular Explorer i s an interactive infographic that maps circular economy strategies across the full product value chain, from raw material sourcing and design through manufacturing, distribution, use, and end of life. At each stage, it highlights circular opportunities, key enablers, and common barriers, alongside real‑world examples of companies already putting circular practices into action. The Explorer includes eight sector‑specific versions covering Food and Drink, Electronics, the Built Environment, Textiles, Plastics, Agri‑Bio, Pharma and Chemicals, and Transport. Go to Circular Explorer Knowledge Library CIRCULÉIRE's open-access knowledge library is the central hosting spot for a wide range of circular economy resources, including: Case Studies Best Practice Guides Key Design Guides Circular Economy Policy Documents National & EU Circular Economy Action Plans and Strategies And much more… Whether you are a captain of industry, an entrepreneur with a great idea, or a policy maker signposting the way, there is something useful here for you. Go to Library
- Rebox
a641fb38-9002-4d00-8a08-bac23ba47f86 CIRCULÉIRE MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: RE-BOX WEBSITE: RE-BOX.IE SECTOR : PACKAGING PUBLISHED: 04 FEBRUARY 2026 TAGS: PACKAGING, CARDBOARD REUSE, WASTE PREVENTION, RESOURCE EFFICIENCY, CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODELS, REUSE SYSTEMS, SME SOLUTIONS, GREEN SUPPLY CHAINS, REUSED PACKAGING The Problem Packaging plays a significant role in how materials are used and discarded, contributing to both waste management pressures and the depletion of natural resources. Cardboard is often considered a more sustainable option than plastic packaging because it is made from renewable, plant-based materials ( Merchant Boxes, 2024 ). It can break down naturally under the right conditions and is widely collected and recycled through established systems ( Merchant Boxes, 2024 ), reducing the need for new raw materials. However, its overall environmental footprint remains substantial. Globally, around 405 million tonnes of paper and paperboard are produced each year ( WWF, n.d. ). This level of production requires large amounts of raw materials, water, and energy. Paper and paperboard account for an estimated 13–15% of total global wood consumption ( WWF, n.d. ). Water use is also significant, with most paper mills using 20,000 litres of water to make one tonne of paper ( Esmaeeli et al. ). In Ireland, more than 1.2 million tonnes of packaging waste were generated in 2023 ( EPA, 2025 ). Paper and cardboard made up the largest share, at 483 thousand tonnes ( EPA, 2025 ). The national recycling rate for cardboard is relatively high at 75% ( EPA, 2025 ). However, much of this recycling occurs abroad. Across all packaging types, which include cardboard as well as plastic, glass, etc., only 18% is recycled within Ireland, mainly glass and wood ( EPA, 2023 ). This means that cardboard is exported to be recycled, adding transport-related emissions and increasing its overall carbon footprint. There are also limits on how many times cardboard can be recycled; the fibres break down and no longer cling together after 5-7 cycles ( SL Recycling, 2023 ). Together, these factors underscore the limitations of recycling alone and emphasise the importance of upstream measures, such as reuse, in mitigating environmental impacts. The Circular Solution Re-box is a Dublin-based company that provides a circular approach to cardboard packaging by prioritising reuse over recycling. Established in 2010, the company collects used but reusable cardboard boxes from businesses in sectors such as food, beverages, and pharmaceuticals. These include large manufacturers such as Diageo and Glenpatrick Spring. Once collected, the boxes are sorted, cleaned, and graded to check their condition and suitability for reuse. Larger pieces of cardboard are die-cut and reshaped to create boxes in standard sizes. The refurbished boxes are sold mainly to small and medium-sized enterprises, offering a lower-cost packaging option while reducing demand for new cardboard. By keeping cardboard in use for longer, Rebox avoids the energy and water consumption of the recycling processes. This approach reduces material loss and helps prevent waste at source, supporting circular economy principles focused on extending product lifetimes and improving resource efficiency. Climate Impact Re-box’s cardboard reuse model has several important environmental impacts. By keeping boxes in use for longer, it avoids many of the carbon-intensive steps required in recycling, such as transport emissions to export them, as well as pulping and manufacturing. These stages consume significant amounts of fuel, energy and water while producing greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, each reused box avoids the emissions and materials needed to produce a new one, making it a more sustainable option. Preventing boxes from becoming waste after a single use, the model reduces overall waste generation and supports circular economy goals focused on resource efficiency, waste prevention, and longer product lifetimes. Replicability Duffy Box buys used cardboard boxes from manufacturing facilities for reuse, sells them at discounted prices from multiple warehouses, and provides industrial recycling services to minimise waste. Rebox Corp buys and sells once-used cardboard boxes, along with new boxes, totes, pallets, and slip sheets, to optimise supply chains for suppliers and retailers across North America. Usedcardboardboxes buys used totes and shipping boxes from large companies at above recycling prices, then inspects, sorts, and resells them cheaper than new boxes to reduce waste. Reuseabox diverts used cardboard boxes from recycling by buying surplus from manufacturers and reselling them to businesses for storage and shipping to promote a circular economy. IFCO ’s reusable packaging pooling system enables the sharing of reusable packaging containers (RPCs) in a closed loop, delivering clean ones to producers, collecting used ones from retailers, and washing them for reuse up to 120 times. These companies facilitate cardboard and packaging reuse, extending product life cycles and reducing environmental impact through circular models. ALL CASE STUDIES










