It’s been a busy week! Let’s get stuck in.

Industry News

Collaborations and Partnerships 🤝:

Miele is scaling its partnership with IFS to roll out IFS.ai globally. The appliance manufacturer is deploying IFS Cloud across 25+ countries after early success in Australia and New Zealand. The rollout is focused on improving field service performance, from scheduling to first-time fix rates. Read more.

Salzgitter and Volvo Cars launch a ScanLoop closed-loop recycling partnership. Salzgitter will collect steel and aluminium off-cuts from Volvo’s Swedish parts plant and remelt them into new high-quality steel, while carbon-neutral trains cut emissions on return trips to Germany. Read more.

MPG expands its retail logistics platform through a partnership with Reverse Solutions. The alliance integrates Reverse Solutions’ returns management, refurbishment and recovery services into MPG’s platform, helping brands and retailers recapture value from returns, overstocks and damaged goods. Read more.

Lummus and Sumitomo launch a highly efficient chemical recycling process for acrylic plastics. The technology converts waste PMMA back into high-quality raw material for reuse in new products across automotive, construction and consumer goods. Read more.

ePost Global and ShipWise expand support for cross-border returns. The partnership enhances the ShipWise platform with integrated outbound and returns logistics, helping merchants better manage international returns flows and reducing friction in reverse logistics. Read more.

SUEZ and PYREG develop a sewage sludge-to-biochar solution. The integrated process combines drying and pyrolysis in one unit, cutting sludge volumes while producing carbon-rich biochar. The partnership aims to scale resource recovery and long-term carbon storage from wastewater streams. Read more.

Company Updates 🔎:

Microsoft is reshaping how end-of-life data centre hardware is managed. Its Circular Centres programme hit a 90.9% reuse and recycling rate for servers and components in 2024, exceeding its own 2025 target a year early. The initiative relies on facilities that sort, repair, refurbish and redistribute retired equipment. Read more.

Assurant extends its profitable growth streak for the ninth consecutive year. The insurance and device protection specialist reported continued gains across its global operations, supported by expanded product offerings and risk management services. Read more.

Modern Milkman plans to add doorstep collection of unwanted electronics and toys to its delivery routes. Customers will be able to buy a collection bag and leave items out with their groceries for recycling via EMR Group. The service aims to make e-waste and toy recycling far more convenient for UK households. Read more.

Blancco expands data security and ITAD solutions with scalable enterprise offerings. The company says strong momentum in 2025 is driving growth across data sanitisation, secure recycling and reuse services for corporate and government clients. Read more.

Regional Developments 🌎️:

Global waste is projected to rise by more than 80% by 2050. A new report by WRAP warns that without systemic change, pressure on landfills and recycling systems will intensify across regions and waste streams. The projection reinforces the need for stronger circular policies, infrastructure and business models. Read more. 

Pre-owned smartphone demand is surging globally, new data shows. Circana and B-Stock report that trade-in supply is ageing and failing to keep pace with rising demand for refurbished devices. The growing mismatch is putting pressure on reverse supply chains and limiting the flow of high-quality inventory. Read more.

The EU moves to ban the destruction of unsold clothes and shoes. Measures will prohibit burning or landfilling unused apparel and footwear and introduce reporting obligations for excess stock. The update signals one of the strongest regulatory pushes yet to cut textile waste and shift fashion toward reuse and recycling. Read more.

Ireland collects 2.4 billion bottles and aluminium cans through its deposit return scheme. The milestone reflects growing public participation and highlights how DRS can drive high capture rates for beverage packaging. The success supports greater recycling efficiency and circular materials flows across the country. Read more.

UK waste service groups and designers are teaming up to accelerate circular product design. The new partnership, backed by CIWM, WRAP and the Design Council, will pair waste management professionals with designers to improve real-world circularity outcomes. Read more.

Investment News

M&A 💰️:

FedEx-led consortium agrees £6.8bn takeover of InPost. A group led by delivery giant FedEx and private equity partners has agreed to take the Polish parcel locker and logistics firm private in a £6.8bn deal. Network expansion is expected across the UK and wider Europe as e-commerce parcel flows grow. Read more. 

Redo acquires Returnbear to scale cross-border returns for e-commerce brands. The deal brings Returnbear’s international reverse logistics capabilities into Redo’s platform, helping merchants manage global returns more efficiently. Consolidation across returns tech continues as brands push for lower-cost international returns. Read more.

MarWynn Holdings signs letter of intent to acquire DJ Mex Corp. The acquisition would expand MarWynn’s EcoLoopX e-waste reverse supply chain platform by adding DJ Mex’s sourcing, logistics and recyclable materials trading capabilities, strengthening its position across e-waste sourcing and downstream materials recovery. Read more.

Platinum Equity is exiting Urbaser in a $6.6bn deal. The private equity firm has agreed to sell the Spanish waste management group to Blackstone and EQT. The buyers will take joint ownership of Urbaser’s global business, while Platinum will retain the company’s Argentina operations. Read more.

ARCOA Group reaches an agreement to acquire Southwest Equipment Brokers. The deal expands ARCOA’s footprint into Arizona and strengthens its national asset remarketing platform. The acquisition adds local expertise and broader service coverage across the US. Read more.

Venture and Growth Capital 📈:

R3 Robotics secures €20m to scale EV dismantling and critical material recovery in Europe. The Luxembourg-based startup plans to expand from battery upcycling to full vehicle teardown, unlocking supply of metals and components from end-of-life electric cars. Read more.

Startup Project Omega raises $12m to siphon value from spent nuclear fuel. The Rhode Island-based firm has raised seed capital to develop technology that converts spent nuclear fuel into compact power sources for military and civilian use. The company is already working with national labs on separation and refining. Read more.

PadCare Labs secures $3m to scale sanitary waste recycling in India. The clean-tech startup plans to use the funding to expand capacity, grow its collection and processing footprint, and accelerate deployment of its sanitary waste recycling technology. Read more.

Four projects have been awarded funding through the UK’s Circular Electricals Fund. The support will help scale reuse, repair and recycling initiatives across key electrical categories, strengthening infrastructure for longer product lifecycles and better material recovery. Read more.

OceanHub Africa and The Coca-Cola Foundation are putting $120,000 behind plastic circularity innovation across Africa. The new challenge invites startups and researchers to submit scalable ideas that tackle plastic waste and improve recovery outcomes. Read more.

Have a great weekend and we’ll see you again on Monday.

Cheers to circularity,

#TeamCircularConnect #ConnectingTheCircularEconomy