#Recycling / Circular Economy

2023-09-21

Circle Economy Foundation and Regeneration.VC partner to supercharge Dutch climate innovation

Circle Economy Foundation, an Amsterdam-based impact organisation, and Regeneration.VC, an early-stage venture fund, are launching a strategic partnership. This impact-oriented collaboration aims to uncover the most impactful Dutch Consumer ClimateTech businesses and scale them globally.

Global material consumption has tripled in the last 50 years, and the related extraction, handling and consumption of these materials generates 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Circle Economy Foundation’s Global Circularity Gap Report points out that only 7.2% of these resources are getting reused, creating a systems change opportunity to greatly improve circularity and lower resource extraction.

The Netherlands has established itself as one of the world’s leading circular innovation hubs, drawing support and engagement from policymakers, corporations, top-tier investors and world-class entrepreneurs. Circle Economy Foundation and Regeneration.VC are partnering to accelerate Dutch circular innovations ready for the global stage that can play a pivotal role in tackling the climate emergency. The initial investment strategy will source best-of-class early-stage Consumer ClimateTech businesses to build a concentrated Dutch portfolio.

‘Today, many large corporations are investing in reducing or offsetting their scope-3 emissions. We believe this funding is better used to fuel climate innovations in the supply chain. Over 50% of these emissions can be addressed with circular economy solutions. In the Circle Economy—Regeneration.VC partnership, we intend to do just that—invest in start-ups that can help corporations address the root cause of their scope-3 emissions.’ says Martijn Lopes Cardozo, CEO at Circle Economy Foundation.

Within the partnership, Circle Economy Foundation will provide state-of-the-art circularity impact measurement across the portfolio. In addition, the foundation will utilise its unique position within the Netherlands to locate and scale the most promising enterprises. Regeneration.VC will provide due diligence, go-to-market strategy and manage the investment process, while its advisory team of top materials, reuse and consumer experts will further accelerate portfolio opportunities globally.

‘In many ways, the Netherlands is leading the world in circularity. From before our inception, Circle Economy Foundation has inspired us to think more quantitatively and thoughtfully about the material flows of companies, cities and countries. It’s incredibly exciting for our team to actively collaborate to uncover the best technologies addressing consumer supply chain emissions in the epicentre of circularity. With upcoming EU regulations, there is tremendous innovation and investment happening in the region, and we look forward to bringing it to the US and beyond,’ according to Michael Smith, Regeneration.VC General Partner.

‘At Circle Economy Foundation, we are devoted to accomplishing real impact on the ground. As a circular entrepreneur, I believe the right partner can be a game-changer in these efforts. Together with Regeneration.VC, we are well-poised to empower entrepreneurs to address the climate challenge,’ adds Martijn Lopes Cardozo.

Between 121 and 142 million people are employed in the circular economy globally, new study finds

Between 121 and 142 million people worldwide are employed in sectors that contribute to the circular economy, such as repair, recycling, second-hand trade and waste management. This represents roughly between 5 and 5.8 percent of total global employment (excluding agriculture), according to a new joint report by Circle Economy, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Bank Group, in partnership with the UN Partnership for Action on Green Economy (UN-PAGE).

Circulose welcomes Sara Diez Jauregui and Kalyan Madabhushi to its Board of Directors

Circulose is proud to announce the appointment of Sara Diez Jauregui and Kalyan Madabhushi to further strengthen its Board of Directors, following the recent appointment of Chair Helena Helmersson. These additions bring world-class expertise across the value chain: Sara offers extensive experience with leading fashion and apparel brands, while Kalyan brings a notable career at Aditya Birla Group, a global leader in cellulosic fiber production.

Successful pilot: biodegradable plastic produced from textile waste

The 'Design for Transformation' (D4T) pilot project, led by Circle Economy and the Biomimicry Institute, has developed an innovative technology to produce bioplastics and gaseous products from textile waste. This set of technologies aims to enable companies to generate additional revenue streams from waste, whilst diverting it from landfills or incineration.

HKRITA signs MoU with Jeanologia and Looptworks to establish the Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem

The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) yesterday officially signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two key global partners, Jeanologia and Looptworks, to establish the Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem – a first-of-its-kind collaboration to accelerate the large-scale recycling of blended textiles.

Object Carpet tests production of rPET BCF yarn on Neumag BCF line

In a joint project with Object Carpet GmbH, Denkendorf; the Institute for Textile Technology (ITA), Augsburg; and Next Generation Recyclingmaschinen GmbH (NGR), Feldkirchen, Austria, Barmag investigated the processing of recycled polyester for BCF yarn. The goal was to evaluate the fundamental suitability of 100% recycled carpet material for reuse in carpet yarn production to create a closed-loop system in carpet manufacturing. To date, commercial rPET BCF processes have been based solely on rPET from bottle pellets.

The textile industry in transition

Recycling, traceability, eco-design and digitalisation are among the key future challenges facing the European textile industry. The Erasmus+ project Skills4Circularity, involving 21 partners from twelve countries, is investigating the skills required to address these challenges. As the German industry partner, the Industry Association for Finishing – Yarns – Fabrics – Technical Textiles (IVGT) is bringing the industry’s perspective to the project.

"We will become a recycling powerhouse"

The textile industry is now in its fourth consecutive year of crisis, while automation, artificial intelligence and recycling are reshaping the rules of the game. In this interview, Rieter CEO Thomas Oetterli discusses the first signs of a market recovery, reflects on his first three years at the helm of the company, explains the integration of Barmag, outlines Rieter’s vision of the fully automated spinning mill and highlights the strategic importance of recycling. In doing so, he explains why the new Rieter Group aims to play a leading role in transforming the textile value chain into a circular economy.

ITM 2026: Mayer & Cie. Global presents itself successfully at international industry trade fair

Mayer & Cie. Global has used ITM 2026 in Istanbul for its first major international appearance since the restart. Together with the Turkish representative Mayer Mümessillik, the company presented its premium circular knitting machines "Made in Germany", explained its future positioning within the group of companies and held talks with customers and representatives from numerous markets. The response to the restart was positive. The clear orientation of the company, the reliable worldwide network of representatives and the resumption of service and spare parts supply were welcomed by customers.

MEL Composites supports ELA Aviation with advanced composite materials

MEL Composites is supplying advanced composite materials and process consumables to ELA Aviation for the production of its next-generation gyroplanes. The collaboration underlines MEL Composites’ growing role in advanced aerospace mobility, providing lightweight materials designed to improve aircraft performance, manufacturing efficiency and structural reliability.