As the Festival of Circular Economy returns for its fourth year, Circular Online brings you live updates from it’s two jam-packed virtual days. Day 1 will look at the future of the design landscape, current business model challenges and practical use-cases of circular economy models in operation. Day 2 takes us through the design lifecycle, from materials and products, to infrastructures and supply chains for a circular economy. Day 2  EPR: Cost, Compliance, and a Circular Future Packaging designers and producers are facing a seismic shift as new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations begin rolling out this year. In a session titled EPR Packaging Laws: Designing for New Legislation,…

  Fabrizio Leonforte, Associate Professor at Politecnico di Milano, explains how RE-SKIN is using circular renovations to improve energy efficiency in the built environment. Our buildings need a serious upgrade to keep up with our changing planet. Winters are colder, summers are hotter, and outdated housing just can’t keep up. The future of sustainable living demands smarter designs, cutting-edge materials, and game-changing technologies to make buildings more energy-efficient, comfortable, and resilient.  But what if the solution to this pressing problem lies not in the new, but in the sustainable renovation of existing buildings? What is at stake? With climate change driving increasingly extreme temperatures, energy poverty is becoming a year-round…

  The circular economy is no longer a theory, there are many examples of how it is changing the world right now. Below are six fascinating examples of the circular economy in action. The concept of a circular economy has rapidly moved from the margins to the mainstream, becoming essential to addressing global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion.  As Europe and the UK position themselves at the forefront of this transformation, practical examples are emerging across various sectors, demonstrating significant environmental and economic benefits. In March 2020, the European Commission adopted the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP), an integral component of the European Green Deal. This…

  Associate Member of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management Nick Noble, DanuRobotics, explains how thinking smaller can acheive bigger results in the circular economy. Too much domestic and commercial waste is burned or landfilled, while consumers stubbornly recycle less than 50%. The waste industry is getting more efficient and there are successes but are we making the progress to a circular economy fast enough? 2025 is a big year for regulatory disruption so perhaps our industry should also think differently by looking outside the sector for inspiration. What is the problem? Most MRFs employ manual workers for quality control picking, Noble writes. Most materials recovery facilities (MRFs) employ manual…

  Viridor announces £75,000 in funding for Library of Things, Reuse Network, and Sheltersuit UK. Through its We Share Community Fund, Viridor will provide £75,000 to the three organisations over the next financial year. Commenting on the funding announcement, Kevin Bradshaw, CEO of Viridor, said: “These organisations reflect Viridor’s mission to create a world where nothing goes to waste and I am delighted that Viridor is supporting this important sector – as we work together to drive meaningful impact on people, the planet, and the way we think about resource use.” Viridor has allocated £35,000 of the funding to Reuse Network, which it says will use the funding to provide digital…

  Over 350 million people across the globe have access to a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), according to new analysis from Reloop. The analysis comes from Reloop’s new interactive Global Deposit Dashboard, which aims to provide comparable, transparent information on DRS policies and system performance across regions. The dashboard shows the continued growth of DRS programmes including in British Columbia’s scheme, which launched in 1970 and covers around 2 million people. The latest data from 2024 showing what Reloop calls a “record level” of over 350 million people globally had access to a DRS. The total population of Europeans with access to DRSs reached 185 million in 2024, up from…

  AI material identification scanner manufacturer Matoha, a UK-based startup that enables textile sorting, has completed the first phase of a £1.5m seed round. Archipelago Ventures and Circular Plastics Accelerator led the seed round – the initial funding stage for a start-up – for Matoha. Other investors include Conduit Connect, British Design Fund, Fashion for Good, and angel investors. Co-founder of Archipelago Ventures Lucy Mortimer is appearing at this year’s Festival of Circular Economy in May. Last week, it was announced that Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh is giving a keynote presentation at the Festival. Hans Chan, Matoha’s CTO and Co-founder, said the investment will enable Matoha to take the…

  Ian Thomas, managing director of Turquoise International, speaks to Jiva Materials’s founder Jack Herring about how his innovative new product could revolutionise how we deal with e-waste. In a world increasingly dependent on electronics, the disposal of electronic waste (e-waste) is one of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. I sat down with Jiva Materials to discuss the company’s innovative PCB substrate designed to tackle e-waste head on. E-waste is among the fastest-growing solid waste streams globally. Approximately 62 million tonnes of e-waste is generated worldwide on an annual basis, projected to reach 82m tonnes by 2030. Of this, a mere 22.3% was formally documented as collected and recycled.…

  Warren Fothergill, Health, Safety, Environment and Quality Manager at offsite manufacturer Premier Modular, explains the role of net zero in reducing construction waste. The construction industry contributes 21% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the UN Environment Programme’s Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction, making it one of the most significant industry contributors. Waste and emissions reduction must be at the forefront of construction strategies to align with Net Zero targets, but achieving this goal is a complex challenge requiring systemic shifts. While lean manufacturing, circular economy principles, offsite construction, and high-performance materials provide potential solutions, their implementation can be hindered by financial constraints, resistance to…

    CIWM Early Careers Ambassador Dr Nadine Leder explains how a recent research project showcases the untapped potential of repair cafés. As part of the Hodge Foundation Public Value Research Internship, Cardiff Business School student Yasmine Digby conducted a small-scale study on the role of repair cafés in communities and the challenges they face. Supervised by myself and Professor Jin Hooi Chan at Greenwich Business School, the research involved interviews with repair café organisers across Wales and England. The project was supported by Cardiff Business School’s RemakerSpace and repair café Wales. What were the findings? Findings revealed that repair cafés provide more than just repair services within a circular…