f4128287-c8f8-408b-aff4-a8e3615f0fb2 Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Copy link 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

a2ad675a-3d2a-4cc8-a7c1-5ea94d4f5d0d Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Copy link CIRCULÉIRE NON-MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: IKEA WEBSITE: IKEA.COM SECTOR : BUILT ENVIRONMENT PUBLISHED: 14 JULY 2025 TAGS: RETURN, REUSE, RECYCLE, TAKE-BACK, SECOND LIFE, FURNITURE About IKEA IKEA is a home furnishing retailer founded in Sweden in 1943. As of July 2025, there were 486 stores worldwide, serving millions of customers. IKEA has been measuring their climate footprint and setting goals to minimise their environmental impact since the 2016 financial year (FY). The Challenge Every year, 10 million tonnes of furniture is thrown away by businesses and consumers across Europe, and most of this either ends up in landfill or is incinerated ( Forrest et al., 2017 ). The fast furniture industry is wasteful, resource-intensive and polluting. In the EU, furniture waste accounts for more than 4% of the total municipal solid waste (MSW) stream ( Forrest et al., 2017 ). According to IKEA’s FY24 Sustainability Report, their climate footprint is estimated to be equivalent to 21.3 million tonnes CO2 (IKEA, 2024 ). This represents a decrease of 5% compared to their FY23 report and 28% compared to their FY16 baseline but it’s still equivalent to approx. 5.6 coal-fired power plants’ emissions in a year ( EPA.gov, 2025 ). IKEA’s report also highlights that the majority of their climate footprint comes from raw material extraction and processing (52%) and their product use in customers’ homes (17%), which includes the energy consumption of lighting and appliances over the product’s lifetime (IKEA, 2024 ). The Circular Solution in Practice IKEA’s Buy Back & Resell Programme is designed to increase the number of times a piece of furniture is used before being recycled or sent to the landfill. IKEA buys back eligible preloved items from customers and resells these good quality second-hand pieces in the store’s Circular Hub section. Aside from second-hand items, the Circular Hub also offers ex-display products and discontinued furniture. To avail of this service, customers can fill out a form on IKEA’s website, to estimate the furniture’s buy-back value. Then they must bring their assembled IKEA furniture, together with the estimate, to an IKEA store. An IKEA worker will inspect the furniture before accepting it and giving the final agreed value as an IKEA gift card. The Buy Back Program is available in 28 countries, including Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, Japan and Italy. Impact The Buy-back scheme helps IKEA in cutting their carbon footprint by reducing the amount of virgin raw material inputs required for their products. This can be fulfilled through closing the product loop by facilitating appropriate recycling after multiple uses. In addition, this scheme can contribute to promote the repair concept, by making all the different components of furniture available for purchase separately. Sometimes, the smaller parts (such as dowels, screws, washers, etc.) can be obtained free of charge at the stores. Furthermore, through this scheme, accessible and affordable furniture will be available for low-income households. During IKEA's 2024 Buyback Friday campaign alone - an alternative to Black Friday - almost 55,000 IKEA products were returned to stores for resale (IKEA, 2024 ) . Replicability The European Union (EU) manufactures almost one-quarter of the world’s furniture, constituting an €84 billion market ( Forrest et al., 2017 ). Consumers are becoming more concerned about the environmental impact of the goods they buy. Moreover, government regulations such as the EU Eco-design for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR ) are pushing for eco-design criteria for products to greatly enhance their circularity, energy performance, and other aspects of environmental sustainability. Businesses will be required to provide product information from conception to end-of-life for almost all physical goods placed on the EU market. IKEA is serving as an industry pioneer in circular concepts by offering its Buy Back Programme. Businesses can be drawn to this scheme because it can increase profitability by decreasing the cost of production. Furthermore, it can be replicated to a variety of industries such as home appliances, electronics, and textiles. Among the Irish stores in the circular furniture industry are: Finline Furniture , take back old Finline sofas and give them a makeover. reducing the number of sofas going into landfill. Their upcycled sofas are striped down, re-padded, re-sprung, re-foamed and re-upholstered before being resold good-as-ne w. for a fraction of the price. Rediscover Furniture , is a furniture restoration and upcycling social enterprise housed at the Rediscovery Centre in Ballymun, Dublin. Walsh’s Furniture Repair & Assembly specialises in in repair of upholstery, leather, timber, and furniture assembly. ALL CASE STUDIES

c2335540-de0d-4945-9aa7-0eca21459228 Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Copy link 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

c3f8f22c-0828-41fe-bae5-e9412a9a3f5b Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Copy link CIRCULÉIRE NON-MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: NIBSETC WEBSITE: NIBSETC.COM SECTOR: FOOD AND BEVERAGE MANUFACTURING PUBLISHED: 9 th OCTOBER 2026 TAGS: CIRCULAR MANUFACTURING, FOOD UPCYCLING, BY-PRODUCT VALORISATION, SIDE STREAMS, FOOD WASTE PREVENTION, APPLE POMACE, VALUE RETENTION, CIRCULAR FOOD SYSTEMS, SUSTAINABLE NUTRITION The Challenge Agrifood systems produce about one-third of all human-made greenhouse gas emissions, reaching 16.5 billion tonnes of CO₂-equivalent in 2023 ( FAO, 2025 ). In 2022, retail, food services and households wasted 1.05 billion tonnes of food, almost one-fifth of all food available to consumers ( UNEP, 2024a ). Food loss and waste generate 8-10% of global emissions, almost five times as much as aviation ( UNEP, 2024a ), and take up 28% of the world's farmland ( UNEP, 2024b ). Food waste contributes to climate change and environmental degradation in two ways: its decomposition in landfill releases methane, a gas 84 times more potent than CO₂ over a 20-year period ( UNEP, 2025 ), and it wastes the energy and resources used to produce the food in the first place ( UK Parliament, 2024 ). Manufacturers are a significant source. The EU generated 57.9 million tonnes of food waste in 2024, 19% of it from food and drink manufacturing ( Eurostat, 2026 ). In the UK, manufacturing produced 13% of the 10.7 million tonnes of food wasted in 2021 ( UK Parliament, 2024 ). When apples are pressed for juice, about a quarter of the fruit's weight is left as pulp, or "pomace", which is mostly used as animal feed or discarded ( Zaky, Witrowa-Rajchert and Nowacka, 2024 ). The EU's food use hierarchy ranks preventing food waste at source first, followed by redistributing surplus food for human consumption, then using food no longer intended for people as animal feed, with industrial use, recycling and nutrient recovery, energy recovery and disposal ranked lower ( De Laurentiis et al., 2024 ). New rules also require Member States to cut food waste in processing and manufacturing by 10% by 2030 ( European Commission, 2025 ). A Circular Solution Nibs Etc is a UK brand that makes granola and crackers from upcycled apple pomace ( Nibs Etc, n.d.a ). When apples are pressed for juice or cider, the liquid is bottled. Everything else (skins, cores, stems and pips) becomes pomace. According to the company, most of it ends up as animal feed, in anaerobic digestion or waste-to-energy plants, or at worst in landfill ( Nibs Etc, n.d.b ). When pomace is landfilled, the energy, water and land used to grow the apples are lost with it ( Nibs Etc, n.d.b ). Nibs Etc keeps this material in the human food chain. It collects pomace from a family-run juice and cider presser in Kent, under food-safe conditions, with quality controls from collection through to baking ( Nibs Etc, n.d.b ). The pomace is mixed with selected ingredients and slow roasted in small batches in England ( Nibs Etc, n.d.a ). Because most of the fruit's sugar leaves with the juice, the pomace is high in fibre and low in sugar. It also adds a natural fruity sweetness, so no refined sugar is needed ( Nibs Etc, n.d.b ). This is upcycling rather than recycling. Instead of breaking the by-product down, Nibs Etc turns it into a product of greater value than it started as ( Nibs Etc, n.d.b ). Nibs Etc’s range now includes three granolas, and three cracker options. Its products are sold through Whole Foods Market, Ocado, Selfridges and online ( Nibs Etc, n.d.a ). Because the apple pomace changes with the seasons, no two batches are quite the same ( Nibs Etc, n.d.a ). The model has also had to adapt. When Covid wiped out its juice-pulp supply overnight, the company launched "Emergency Mixes", reformulated its products and rebuilt its range ( Nibs Etc, n.d.a ). Environmental, Social and Economic Impact Nibs Etc's environmental benefits come from both its ingredients and how its products are made. Its apple pulp is grown, pressed and collected in England ( Nibs Etc, n.d.b ), and its products contain no palm oil ( Nibs Etc, n.d.b ). Its cracker packaging is free of petrochemical plastic, with a certified home-compostable film and a recyclable card box printed with water-based inks ( Nibs Etc, n.d.c ). The same by-product brings benefits for the people who eat it. UK adults aged 19–64 eat around 16 g of fibre a day, far below the recommended 30 g, and only 3–4% of people aged 11 and over meet the target ( Derbyshire, 2026 ). Apple pomace is naturally rich in dietary fibre ( Zaky, Witrowa-Rajchert and Nowacka, 2024 ), and Nibs Etc's crackers contain 8 g of fibre per 100 g ( Nibs Etc, n.d.c ). While the company does not suggest that its products can address the fibre gap on their own, it presents them as one way to help consumers increase their fibre intake ( Nibs Etc, n.d.b ). The brand won Cotswold Fayre's Young Food and Drink Entrepreneur of the Year and the first WeWork Creator Award ( Nibs Etc, n.d.a ). Replicability Nibs Etc's model of turning food-processing by-products into new food is already being applied to other side streams, including: Toast Brewing (UK), brews beer with surplus loaves from bakeries and bread ends from sandwich makers, replacing about 25% of its malted barley. It has saved more than 4.1 million slices of bread, and because it gives all its profits to charity, it has donated £127,468 to date. In 2023, using surplus bread avoided 5.3 tonnes of CO₂e. BiaSol (Ireland), has rescued 450 tonnes of spent barley from Irish breweries, turning it into granola, oat bites and baking ingredients. Kern Tec (Austria), turns discarded apricot, plum, cherry and peach pits into ingredients used in plant-based dairy alternatives, confectionery, spreads and specialty oils. EIT reports that life cycle assessments show its kernel ingredients use up to 95% less water and produce about 50% lower CO₂ emissions than conventional nut ingredients (EIT, n.d.) . Arla Foods Ingredients (Denmark) has developed three concepts that upcycle acid whey: a drinking yoghurt, a creamy dessert and a protein beverage. Acid whey is the main side stream of Greek yoghurt production, in which two-thirds of the milk ends up as waste. It makes up 50–73% of each product, combined with Arla's own whey protein ingredients, and the recipes can be processed on a standard dairy line ( Arla Foods Ingredients, 2024 ). ALL CASE STUDIES

35baa048-ee0d-45bc-8725-03cc682c3bb5 Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Copy link 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

d40f2141-868e-4e7d-bad4-c47dc8c4b28a Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Copy link CIRCULÉIRE MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: DELTAQ WEBSITE: DELTAQ.IE SECTOR : PLASTICS PUBLISHED: 24 APRIL 2024 TAGS: PLASTICS, CIRCULAR MANUFACTURING About DeltaQ DeltaQ is a leading supply partner to the plastic manufacturing industry in Ireland. They work with their industry clients to analyse the technical needs of their products and then provide additives and compounds that give those products a wide variety of special properties, such as colour, strength, flexibility, temperature resistance etc. Their customers come from all sectors ranging from medical supplies to the construction industry. DeltaQ prioritises sustainability and strives to assist Ireland in reaching its climate targets. Restructuring their shipments of materials from suppliers and product delivery processes was one of the steps they implemented to lessen their environmental impacts. Tackling Pallet & Packaging Waste In the past, when DeltaQ received their supplies, they arrived on a range of different sized wooden pallets. The size of these pallets frequently differed from the standard sizes that DeltaQ uses to ship their own finished products. Moreover, the supplies were individually packaged in 20kg plastic bags which were then wrapped in another layer of plastic for protection during transportation and delivery. In between the pallet and the supplies was a thick custom branded cardboard skirt. All this single use packaging created significant waste. DeltaQ’s sustainability team saw value in addressing the financial and environmental costs associated with their disposal. Impact To Date DeltaQ identified products that they manufacture for which their supplier pallets could be re-used. This allowed the pallets to be redistributed to their customers rather than being thrown away. Previously, non-standard pallets were disposed of through a waste recycling provider. Through this initiative, DeltaQ has prevented the waste of 213 pallets since the beginning of 2023.A EUR sized wooden pallet has a partial carbon footprint equivalent to 5kg of CO2 ( Deviatkin, 2019 ). Meaning that DeltaQ has prevented approximately 1065kg of carbon emissions, or 2730 miles driven by an average petrol powered passenger vehicle ( epa.gov 2023 ). DeltaQ also initiated a broader packaging review. They shifted to semi-bulk deliveries for key ingredients, which reduced the net number of pallets received and incurred more standard sizes. The transition to semi-bulk containers also resulted in a net reduction in plastic packaging waste as supplies are now shipped in one large container instead of packaged individually and there is no need for external plastic wrapping. Where possible, DeltaQ requests that supplies are delivered in large unbranded cardboard boxes. Cardboard and un- branded packaging is easier to recycle and re-use. Also, the semi-bulk packaging either has a thin cardboard skirt or has none. The removal of pallet skirts has had an initial 30% reduction in cardboard use. To further reduce cardboard waste, DeltaQ identified finished products for which they can reuse stock cardboard arriving with supplies. Furthermore, shifting to semi- bulk packaging allowed them to automate the material handling process, reducing manual labour and creating a better work environment for employees. Replicability DeltaQ has already begun to explore other avenues for re-use of their packaging. This process means engaging with and educating their own clients on the value of semi-bulk packaging and the use of packaging from recycled streams. Starting conversations like these, with customers and suppliers, can have a ripple effect further up and down the supply chain, encouraging others to look at their own sustainability and environmental impacts. Reusing packaging and packing materials is one of the simplest ways for businesses to reduce their environmental impact, and is easily replicable. A noteworthy example is Freefoam , another Circuléire member that reuses pallet hoods and liners. ALL CASE STUDIES

63d81167-45f8-4294-8bc6-b8095f5b3584 Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Copy link CIRCULÉIRE NON-MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: KALUNBORG SYMBIOSIS WEBSITE: SYMBIOSIS.DK SECTOR : ENERGY, CONSTRUCTION, PHARMACEUTICALS, MEDTECH, ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, AGRICULTURE, AQUACULTURE PUBLISHED: 04 JULY 2025 TAGS: INDUSTRIAL SYMBIOSIS, WASTE VALORISATION, RESOURCE EFFICIENCY, HEAT EXCHANGE About Kalunborg Symbiosis Kalundborg is a city in Denmark where big industrial companies work together across sectors to share excess energy, water, and materials, so less goes to waste. As public and private companies are physically connected, one company’s surplus of resources adds value to another. Today, more than 30 different streams of excess resources flow between the companies, creating a symbiosis of resource exchange, adding more resilience and profit to the partners. The Challenge The world population is growing, and urbanisation is spreading, hence industry is expanding. Every year, 100 billion tonnes of raw material are extracted from the earth, which is comparable to demolishing two-thirds of Mount Everest every year ( Miller, 2021). However, increased industrialisation is driving increased waste generation. The World Bank estimates that the world generates 2.01 billion tonnes of waste each year, with that figure anticipated to rise to 3.4 billion tonnes by 2050 ( Kaza et al., 2021 ). But, amongst the discarded waste are treasures for certain industries and Kalundborg Symbiosis is an example of an initiative capitalising on that potential. The Circular Solution in Practice Kalundborg Symbiosis is the world’s first industrial symbiosis (IS) initiative that has evolved over the past 50 years, with a partnership of 17 public and private companies. IS is a form of circular economy that connects businesses from various industries to increase waste valorisation, improve resource efficiency, and reduce environmental impact ( Trokanas et al., 2014 ). The Kalundborg network began in 1961 with a project to use surface water from Lake Tissø for a new oil refinery ( UNEP ). To preserve the limited ground water supply, the city of Kalundborg built the pipeline using funding from the refinery ( UNEP ). Following that, many other collaborative initiatives were established, with the number of partners gradually increasing ( UNEP ). By the end of the 1980’s, the partners realised that they had developed an IS ( UNEP ). IS provides mutual economic and environmental benefits for the partners. Some valuable initiatives include the elimination of 3500 oil-fired domestic furnaces since 1981 and distribution of heat from the Asnaes Power Station, Denmark’s largest power plant, via an underground pipe network ( Doty, 2023 ). Homeowners pay for the piping but receive affordable, dependable heat in exchange ( Doty, 2023 ). The power plant supplies cooling water to an on-site fish farm that produces roughly 200 tonnes of trout per year ( Doty, 2023 ). Asnaes also provides process steam to neighbouring companies, Novo Nordisk and Statoil ( Doty, 2023 ). Climate Impact Currently, every year, the symbiosis saves the partners and environment: 4 billion litres of groundwater by using surface water instead 586.000 tonnes of CO2 62.000 tonnes of residual materials recycled including waste, gypsum, fly ash, sulphur, bioethanol, sand, sludge, C5/C6 sugars, lignin, NovoGro 30, ethanol waste and biomass. In addition, 80% of the emissions in the Symbiosis has been reduced since 2015, and the local energy supply is now carbon neutral. While the fossil fuel industry is at the heart of the Kalunborg network, and that industry is by far the largest contributor to global climate change ( UN, 2023 ), there is still a lot to be learned from Kalundborg’s decades of experience in industrial symbiosis. Replicability The European Union has 6656 industrial facilities, with approximately 43 million alternatives for collaboration ( Quintana, Chamkhi, and Bredimas, 2020 ). As a result, there are numerous opportunities for IS, however; there are a few factors to consider for a successful project. The SCALER (SCALing European Resources with industrial symbiosis) Project 2018 report on lessons learnt and best practices for enhancing industrial symbiosis in the process industry makes three main recommendations to the business community involved in or considering IS: Leadership : There must be strong leadership and commitment from top management to shift the organisational mindset away from linear processes and towards IS. Long-term commitment is vital to under-pin IS for economic, social, and environmental benefits to be realised. Initially, synergistic initiatives need to be small scale to build capability, capacity and most importantly confidence before attempting bolder steps. Internal organisational IS structure : A dedicated organisational structure to explore and drive synergistic opportunities is required because it will deliver more rapid progress than project-based assignments. A noteworthy example of IS in Ireland is Well Spent Grain , a CIRCULEIRE New Venture, they collect brewer’s spent grain from brewers like Rascals Brewing Company and transform it into Born- Again Bites, a healthy and delicious snack. ALL CASE STUDIES

a641fb38-9002-4d00-8a08-bac23ba47f86 Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Copy link 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

627efed7-ef6a-4a14-ba3c-f06944ff4f80 Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Copy link CIRCULÉIRE NON-MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: ASBETER WEBSITE: ASBETER.COM SECTOR : BUILT ENVIRONMENT PUBLISHED: 26 NOVEMBER 2025 TAGS: CIRCULARECONOMY, ASBESTOS, SUSTAINABLECONSTRUCTION, HAZARDOUSWASTE, CIRCULARMANUFACTURING, BUILTENVIRONMENT, GREENBUILDING, WASTEMANAGEMENT, CLEANTECH, INNOVATION, CONSTRUCTION, MATERIALRECOVERY The Challenge Asbestos-cement products are one of the most persistent legacy hazards in the built environment, combining high health risks with difficult end‑of‑life management. Asbestos refers to a group of naturally occurring mineral fibres formerly prized for their durability and heat resistance. Throughout the twentieth century, these qualities led to the widespread use of asbestos in building materials for the likes of roofing, cladding, and pipes. ( World Health Organization, 2024 ). Exposure to airborne asbestos fibres causes fatal diseases, including lung and larynx cancer and mesothelioma, leading to over 200,000 deaths annually worldwide ( World Health Organization, 2024 ). Despite bans in many countries, global asbestos mining continues, with around 1.3 million tonnes produced in 2023 ( UNEP, 2024 ). Many countries still rely on landfilling asbestos-containing materials, which locks future liability into the ground and occupies scarce disposal capacity. Asbestos-cement products remain a persistent legacy issue in Ireland’s built environment, where many pre-2000 buildings still contain asbestos materials posing serious public health risks ( Health and Safety Authority, 2017 ). Despite being banned since 2004, asbestos fibres continue to threaten workers and residents during refurbishment or demolition activities unless tightly controlled ( OHSS, 2025 ). Ireland’s asbestos waste is classified as hazardous and requires special handling and disposal at EPA-licensed facilities. However, domestic landfill capacity for asbestos is limited, often requiring export or transfer to facilities overseas ( EPA, 2021 ). Ireland is currently preparing for the EU Asbestos Directive’s implementation in Dec 2025, which will further strengthen exposure limits, monitoring, and training requirements to improve worker safety ( EHS International, 2025 ) A Circular Solution Founded in 2018 in the Netherlands, Asbeter developed its AC Minerals process and commercialized it in 2022 to safely treat asbestos cement by alkaline dissolution ( Asbeter, 2024 ). The AC Minerals process involves breaking down asbestos cement waste by shredding and milling it into small fragments inside a sealed environment with water. The resulting slurry is then heated below 100C which creates a chemical reaction in which the asbestos fibres chemically transform until they are completely neutralized and no longer pose a hazard ( BBC Future, 2024 ). The process recovers valuable raw materials such as calcium silicate and calcium carbonate from the treated waste, which can then be reused in industries like cement and concrete manufacturing. This innovative technique aims to safely and effectively transform hazardous asbestos waste into reusable materials, addressing a major challenge in global asbestos disposal ( Asbeter, 2025 ). This approach offers a promising alternative to hazardous asbestos landfill, enabling recycling into circular construction inputs, reducing landfill reliance and health risks. Climate Impact Asbeter was issued an end-of-waste certificate by the Dutch Environment Agency ( DCMR, 2023 ) and the independent testing agency, Det Norske Veritas, also issued a verification statement confirming that their process completely dissolves asbestos fibres from asbestos-containing materials, resulting in an asbestos-free residue ( DNV, 2023 ). Asbeter plans to build a plant capable of processing 25,000 tonnes a year, growing to 75,000 tonnes a year ( BBC Future, 2024 ). By safely neutralizing asbestos fibres and producing a non-hazardous residue, the AC Minerals process eliminates the need for hazardous asbestos waste landfilling. If implemented in Ireland, a similar solution could significantly reduce the environmental risks associated with asbestos disposal while keeping valuable mineral materials in circulation. Moreover, by making the waste safe, it could substantially lower the high shipping and remediation costs currently required to transport hazardous asbestos waste off-island for disposal, leading to economic and environmental benefits through more local processing and circular reuse. Replicability The green building materials market was valued at USD 285.89 billion in 2024, projected to grow by 8.5% annually through 2030 ( Grand View Research, 2025 ). Asbeter’s method illustrates a replicable circular economy solution to manage legacy asbestos waste while producing low-carbon construction feedstock for the built environment’s transition ( Asbeter, 2024 ). Addressing asbestos is critical: asbestos exposure accounted for 78% of occupational cancers in the EU in 2019, with approximately 70,000 workers still exposed today ( European Commission, 2022 ). This underscores the urgent need for safe and scalable asbestos waste management solutions. Another company working on a circular solution for asbestos is Thermal Recycling in the UK. The company uses high-temperature processing to convert asbestos cement into inert mineral materials, achieving end-of-waste status and enabling reuse. ALL CASE STUDIES

ab3c131b-9a4d-445d-9548-2cf1fe494ca2 Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Copy link CIRCULÉIRE MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: KINSET WEBSITE: KINSET.COM SECTOR : CLEAN-TECHNOLOGY PUBLISHED: 21ST APRIL 2026 TAGS: DIGITAL PRODUCT PASSPORTS, SUPPLY CHAIN TRACEABILITY, DATA‑DRIVEN CIRCULARITY, PRODUCT LIFECYCLE TRANSPARENCY, REPAIR AND REUSE ENABLEMENT, COMPLIANCE BY DESIGN, VERIFIED SUSTAINABILITY DATA, CIRCULAR TEXTILES, RESPONSIBLE MATERIAL SOURCING, LIFESPAN EXTENSION The Challenge The fashion and apparel industry is one of the world's most environmentally intensive sectors. It accounts for approximately 2–8% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions — surpassing the combined emissions of the aviation and shipping sectors ( UNEP, 2019 ). Textile production is also responsible for around 20% of global clean water pollution, driven largely by dyeing and finishing processes ( European Parliament, 2025 ). Manufacturing more broadly adds to this burden. In 2022, the industrial sector emitted 9 gigatonnes of CO₂, representing 25% of total global emissions ( IEA, 2023 ) . Reducing these impacts requires action across the full product lifecycle - from how products are designed and sourced, to how they are used, repaired, and recovered at end of life. A key barrier is visibility: without reliable data on where emissions, waste, and hazardous materials occur across a supply chain, manufacturers struggle to act. The EU is responding with a suite of regulations designed to make that data mandatory. The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) will require a Digital Product Passport (DPP) for nearly all products sold in the EU - a digital record capturing a product's origin, materials, environmental impact, and end-of-life guidance ( European Commission, 2025 ). The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks add further reporting obligations. Together, these create both a compliance challenge and a significant opportunity for companies that can help manufacturers meet them. For many businesses - particularly SMEs - aggregating supply chain data, upgrading systems, and maintaining traceability across global suppliers is a substantial burden. Kinset was founded to address exactly this. Circular Solution Kinset 's origins are rooted in direct experience of the problem it now solves. The company was co-founded by Katie O'Riordan, an entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in sustainable fashion design, manufacturing, and supply chain operations. While running her own sustainable fashion label, Katie found herself unable to determine with confidence whether her products were truly sustainable - and found that every tool available felt more like greenwashing than genuine transparency. Seeking a definitive, data-driven solution, she partnered with Alan Giles, a serial tech entrepreneur, to build Kinset. Kinset, a participant of the 2025 CIRCULÉIRE Venture Accelerator, is a green tech company specialising in apparel and consumer goods brands. Its core offering is a connected product platform that creates a digital ecosystem around each product - merging live supply chain data, materials information, certifications, and compliance requirements into a single connected record. This shifts sustainability from retrospective reporting to proactive design decisions. At the heart of the platform is a Digital Product Passport builder that gives each product a unique digital ID, built on GS1 Digital Link standards - the globally recognised system used for product identification and supply chain tracking across retail, healthcare, and logistics. This connects each product to structured data across its lifecycle, from raw materials through to end of life, and allows manufacturers to get started with simple data inputs, then integrate with ERP, PLM, and PIM systems as they scale. The platform automatically captures key sustainability metrics - carbon footprint, water usage, and material sourcing - through real-time lifecycle assessment (LCA) tools aligned with EU Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR). It generates compliance-ready reports and consumer-facing DPP features including repair guides, resale pathways, and disposal guidance - linking circular services directly into each product's digital record. Through strategic partnerships with advanced traceability providers, Kinset also supports verification of product origin and durability. Irish brands including Caroline Duffy Designs and McNutt of Donegal are already using the platform, with McNutt - a certified BCorp - describing it as a natural next step in their sustainability journey. Climate Impact A 2024 European Parliament study on DPPs in the textile sector found that a lack of comprehensive product information is one of the key barriers to circularity - preventing effective repair, reuse, sorting, and recycling at scale ( Legardeur and Ospital, 2024 ). DPPs directly address this barrier by making supply chain data visible and actionable for the first time. Kinset delivers impact through two connected mechanisms. First, by giving companies real-time, verifiable data on where emissions, waste, and inefficiency occur across their supply chains, it enables targeted action - refining product design, switching to lower-impact materials, and improving end-of-life routing. Second, consumer-facing features like repair guides, resale pathways, and disposal guidance embedded in each product's DPP directly extend product lifespans, reducing demand for new production and the resource extraction that comes with it. The European Parliament study concludes that a fully deployed circular DPP for textiles could promote circularity by improving repair, reuse, recycling, and end-of-life management, enable producers to reduce raw material consumption, and provide the data infrastructure needed to assess and progressively reduce a product's environmental footprint across its full lifecycle ( Legardeur and Ospital, 2024 ). Kinset's platform is designed to deliver exactly this kind of infrastructure for Irish and European apparel and consumer goods brands. Replicability EU regulations are rapidly expanding the market for DPP solutions. The global DPP market was valued at USD $275.1 million in 2025 and is forecast to reach USD $2,996.1 million by 2033, with Europe holding over 35% market share in 2025 ( Grand View Research, 2025 ). A number of companies are developing comparable DPP platforms: TrusTrace (Sweden) provides a supply chain traceability platform for fashion and textiles, enabling DPPs through data standardisation and compliance reporting. Circularise (Netherlands) offers a blockchain-powered traceability platform supporting DPPs for end-to-end supply chain visibility and secure data sharing. Kezzler (Norway) delivers a connected products platform using digital product identities to manage DPPs, lifecycle events, and circular business models at the item level. EON (New York) develops digital ID technology for product traceability from farm to end of life, powering DPPs to meet policy demands and enable circular business models. Avery Dennison (California) provides smart labelling and RFID solutions that support DPP implementation for supply chain transparency and sustainability tracking. ALL CASE STUDIES

5d2f185c-5482-4e4a-846f-d64c4ffe141b Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Copy link CIRCULÉIRE MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY: FINLINE FURNITURE WEBSITE: FINLINEFURNITURE.IE SECTOR : BUILT ENVIRONMENT PUBLISHED: 30 JULY 2025 TAGS: BUILT ENVIRONMENT, FURNITURE, CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODELS, REFURBISH, REUSE, RECYCLING About Finline Furniture Established in 1979, Finline Furniture is one of Ireland's leading manufacturers of high-end furniture. Every piece of Finline furniture is handcrafted in their headquarters in Emo, County Laois, and since their inception Finline have garnered an excellent reputation for designing and making high-quality, long-lasting sofas, chairs, and footstools both for residential customers and commercial projects. The company exports worldwide and has developed its network to include showrooms in Dublin, Cork, and Galway. The Challenge Ireland generates a substantial amount of municipal waste each year. Municipal waste is waste from households and other locations such as schools, shops, small businesses and commercial premises ( EPA, 2024 ). In 2022, Ireland generated 3.19 million tonnes of municipal waste ( CSO, 2024 ). That’s equivalent to the weight of more than 40 million adults, which is nearly eight times the entire population of Ireland, and only 41% of it was recycled ( EPA, 2024 ). Although exact figures are not isolated for furniture waste alone, it is part of the broader category of bulky waste, including but not limited to furniture, and mattresses. More than 1.2 million potentially reusable bulky items are going to landfill or incineration in Ireland every year ( EPA, 2020 ). The EUs Circular Material Use Rate (CMUR) measures how much of the consumed material (in tonnes) in a given country, is reused. Ireland recorded a CMUR rate of 2.8% in 2023 ( Eurostat, 2024 ). The average CMUR in Europe is 11.8% ( EEA, 2025 ). A key objective in Ireland’s Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy 2022 – 2023 is to raise Ireland’s CMUR so that the national rate is above the EU average by the end of this decade ( DCEE, 2021 ) that will require consumers and businesses alike to get much more comfortable with the concept of reuse. The Circular Opportunity Finline Furniture estimates that there are more than 500,000 pieces of their furniture in circulation and they don’t want to see them end up in landfill. To encourage customers not to throw away any worn-out sofas, Finline have partnered with the ‘Loved Back to Life’ team in Aiseiri to launch their REVIVE product line. Aiseiri provide community and residential services to help young people, adults and families overcome addiction and lead meaningful lives in recovery. Finline customers are incentivized with €100 vouchers to return their old sofas which are subsequently stripped back to their core frame by members of the ‘Loved Back to Life’ program. The quality sofa frames are then reupholstered by the Finline team and sold at more affordable prices - typically 20 per cent lower than the lowest price point in store. These re-manufactured pieces then come with a 20-year guarantee demonstrating to customers the confidence Finline have in their frames and workmanship. Finline and Aiseiri not only prevent sofas from ending up in landfill, thereby reducing waste and keeping valuable materials in circulation, but they also train people in recovery adding a valuable social element to the initiative. Climate Impact Finline Furniture aim to reduce waste and save resources by refurbishing 20 suites in the first year, with a target of 80 by year three. This will prevent the furniture from reaching landfills and save the need for new raw materials by using end-of-line and recycled fabrics. In contrast to manufacturing new furniture, refurbishment requires less processing and therefore generates lower greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, Finline uses FSC-certified timber and 100% recyclable packaging, further supporting sustainability ( Finline Furniture, 2023 ). These efforts put together enhance resource efficiency, extend the life cycle of materials, and show a strong commitment to environmental responsibility. Replicability REVIVE by Finline Furniture is a replicable model which other companies could adopt to promote sustainability, support local economies, and generate social value. The initiative's concentration on quality assurance, resource efficiency, and scalable processes promotes long-term success and market acceptance. This approach enables a company to realize several benefits that extend beyond environmental concerns: improved brand reputation and customer loyalty. Other examples of the circular economy in the furniture industry include: Ahrend who manufactures office furniture products with modularity, disassembly, and life extension as core design principles. They offer Furniture-As-A-Service (FAAS) models where customers pay a monthly fee and return the furniture when they no longer need it. Goldfinger is another example of a social enterprise using reclaimed materials to craft sustainable high-quality furniture for residential and business clients. They reinvest their profits into their Goldfinger Academy which teaches skills to marginalised young people and isolated community members plus their People’s Kitchen, where they make community meals from surplus food. ALL CASE STUDIES

2dc12c74-05af-4598-8972-bdd48e032415 Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Copy link CIRCULÉIRE NON-MEMBER CASE STUDY COMPANY : MONAGHAN MUSHROOMS WEBSITE: MONAGHAN.EU SECTOR : FOOD PUBLISHED : 21 OCTOBER 2025 TAGS: FOODWASTE, SUSTAINABLEAGRICULTURE, MUSHROOMS, PEATFREE, CIRCULARAGRI, INDUSTRIALSYMBIOSIS, AGRIFOOD, RESOURCEEFFICIENCY, SUSTAINABILITY, ZEROWASTE The Challenge The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that around one-third of all food produced globally is lost or wasted each year ( FAO, 2013 ). About 13% of food is lost in the supply chain from harvest to retail, with a further 19% wasted at the consumer, retail, and food service stages ( FAO 2022 ). In Ireland, approximately 835,000 tonnes of food waste were generated in 2023 ( EPA, 2023 ) Reducing food waste is critical, especially given that between 638 and 720 million people faced hunger in 2024. ( FAO, 2025) . Food waste not only represents wasted food but it also contributes significantly to resource depletion and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, generating 8–10% of GHGs globally ( UNEP 2024 ). If food waste were counted as a country, it would be the third-largest emitter in the world ( EDGAR 2024 ). A Circular Solution Monaghan Mushrooms, a family-owned Irish business with over 40 years’ experience, is one of the largest mushroom producers worldwide. The company operates farms, packhouses, substrate production sites, and offices across Ireland, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany and Canada. Monaghan addresses food waste and resource efficiency through a comprehensive circular economy approach. They produce their own mushroom substrate (the growth medium in which mushrooms grow) from materials like straw, horse manure, poultry manure, and gypsum. These are by-products from other agri-industries such as cereal crop production, poultry production and the horse stable industry ( Monaghan, 2024 ). After harvest, the spent substrate is reused as a soil conditioner, closing the loop sustainably. Notably, Monaghan is the first UK and Ireland producer to cultivate peat-free mushrooms, eliminating virgin peat from their substrate mix, switching instead to fully recycled natural materials. Peat extraction for mushroom substrate damages peatlands, which are crucial natural carbon sinks and reservoirs of biodiversity. This innovative change reduces carbon footprint and improves product quality with firmer, longer-lasting mushrooms ( Monaghan, 2024 ). The company employs state-of-the-art environmental control systems to optimize growing conditions while maximizing energy and water efficiency. Their Irish sites purchase green electricity, with the Tyholland farm installing solar panels to further reduce reliance on the national grid ( Monaghan, 2024 ). Rainwater capture systems help alleviate pressure on water resources, and biodiversity is promoted with initiatives like insect hotels and wildflower areas integrated into farm lands ( Monaghan, 2024 ). Packaging innovations include a transition to recycled PET plastics, sustainable cardboard trays, removal of colourants to aid recyclability, and phasing out PVC films in favour of polyethylene alternatives ( Monaghan, 2024 ). Climate Impact Monaghan has achieved a 17% reduction in energy use per tonne of mushroom produced, aiming for further cuts in the upcoming years ( BIOrescue Consortium, 2019) . Over the past year, the company exceeded its energy-reduction target by 13% across its Irish sites by installing LED lighting and innovating cooling technologies that use fresh air rather than mechanical cooling ( Monaghan Mushrooms, 2024 ). These improvements contributed to an 8% decrease in direct carbon emissions. Through solar PV adoption and green power purchasing, Monaghan decreases its demand on carbon-intensive energy grids further supporting decarbonisation ( Monaghan Mushrooms, 2024 ). Alongside environmental gains, Monaghan’s partnership with UK food redistribution charity FareShare has provided over 1.3 million meals to people in need since 2017, preventing food waste and associated emissions, while reinforcing social impact ( Monaghan, 2024 ). Replicability The global mushroom market was valued at USD 54.9 billion in 2022 and is expected to surpass USD 115.8 billion by 2030 ( Kerry Group, 2023 ). Mushrooms require minimal space, energy, and water, making them well-suited to sustainable intensification in food production. Rich in vitamins, proteins, and antioxidants, mushrooms now serve growing consumer demand in health, wellness, pharmaceutical, and personal care sectors ( Kerry Group, 2023 ). Monaghan’s circular model—combining sustainable substrate production, resource-efficient farming, innovative packaging, and community engagement—offers a replicable blueprint for agricultural industries seeking to transition to circularity. Its reliance on agro-industrial by-products and smart energy systems demonstrates industrial symbiosis in practice. Additionally, Monaghan’s innovation division, mBio , exemplifies circular innovation by leveraging mushroom mycelium to develop bio-based materials and nutraceuticals, expanding mushroom-derived products beyond food into construction, packaging, and health supplements ( mBio, 2024 ) This diversification highlights the potential for circular research and development to create new economic and environmental value streams within agri-food ecosystems. Other companies tackling food waste include: Meade Farm (Ireland) valorises surplus and “non-table grade" potatoes by converting them into premium food-grade starch, significantly reducing food waste and creating a new revenue stream. Well Spent Grain (Ireland) divert brewers spent grain from landfill and turn it into ‘Honest, Delicious, Sustainable Snacks.’ Toast Ale (UK) produces beer brewed with leftover bread from bakeries to reduce food waste while fostering social enterprises. Winnow Solutions (Global) offers smart kitchen technology to monitor and reduce food waste in commercial kitchens by providing real-time data analytics. Renewal Mill (USA) recovers nutrient-rich by-products from food manufacturing, like okara from tofu production, and repurposes them into flour and baking ingredients. Full Harvest (USA) operates a platform to sell surplus and imperfect fruits and vegetables to food and beverage companies, reducing farm-level food waste. These companies demonstrate diverse approaches—waste valorization, ingredient upcycling, technological innovation, and marketplace solutions—showing the breadth of circular economy practice in food. They offer useful analogies and potential partners for Irish food and agri-business stakeholders aiming to scale circular solutions. A Note on By-Products & End of Waste A by-product is a residue left over from the production of another product. In Ireland, Regulation 27 of the Waste Directive sets out the circumstances in which a material can be considered a by-product and not a waste. It is essential you notify the EPA to determine if your material satisfies the criteria of a by-product. The EPA will confirm if it can be catogorised as a by-product or if it must be categorised as a waste. If the substance is classified as a waste then it may need to achieve End-of-Waste status via Article 28 of the Waste Directive to be kept in use as a resource. ALL CASE STUDIES