#Recycling / Circular Economy

2022-11-03

Circle Economy announces change of COO

Circle Economy announces that as of today, Maria Grazia Testa, Circle Economy’s current COO, will step down, handing over her responsibilities to Ivonne Bojoh, currently Director Digital and interim COO. Circle Economy wishes to thank Maria for her gracious and invaluable support to the organisation.

Robert-Jan van Ogtrop, Founder & Chairman of the Supervisory Board: “We thank Maria for her wonderful contribution. Under her guidance, the operations and strategy of our foundation have improved in stability, efficiency, and financial resilience. Great examples of Maria’s contribution are the set-up of a centralised PMO team, a robust reporting framework, and an expansive process library enabling operational efficiency. In addition, she has implemented solid end to end HR, financial and legal structures and processes. Maria leaves Circle Economy in a strong position – both from an operational and a project execution perspective. Together with the management team, Maria has taken Circle Economy to a more professional and stronger performance which ensures the foundation can continue to deliver on its impact goals. We are grateful to Maria and wish her all the best.”

Maria will continue to support and be engaged with Circle Economy as an ambassador for the organisation and as a valued member of its Alumni Community.

Maria Grazia Testa:

”I joined Circle Economy in 2018 when the organisation still felt like a little family on a mission on behalf of Mother Earth, with many trail blazing activities streaming relentlessly from its committed hearts and enviably talented minds. Today the organisation has grown its impact thanks to the scalability at the core of its systemic, scientifically savvy and technically elegant, approach to a theme as central as sustainability. I am very proud that my experience could help bolstering this work with the deserved Strategic and Operational Excellence, and that our strive for continuous improvement has in turn gained the confident collaboration of many partners and funders, gathered around the same mission.

I would like to thank Circle Economy’s team, for their dedication to the SDGs, to the circular economy, to our planet and to social justice. Let’s see together that the vision this planet deserves is accomplished.

My quest to be a multiplier for the good and the brave, leading organisations in transition, cultivating leadership, and magnifying human potential, will continue through my new project, The Best Journey Ever. If you would like to know more, keep in touch or be involved, follow me there.”

In January 2023, Circle Economy, along with its partners, will launch the “Circularity Gap Report" for the 6th time.

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.

How innovations drive BASF’s success

“Innovation has always been part of BASF’s DNA. Especially in these volatile times, it is crucial to leverage our innovative strength to develop competitive solutions that differentiate us as a company in our markets and give us a competitive edge,” said Dr. Stephan Kothrade, Member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF and Chief Technology Officer, at the company’s Research Press Briefing held today. To achieve this, BASF implemented its “Winning Ways” strategy about a year ago with the clear goal of becoming the preferred chemical company to enable its customers’ green transformation.

Textiles Recycling Expo announces collaboration with Future Fabrics Expo for 2026

The Textiles Recycling Expo has entered a major new collaboration with the Future Fabrics Expo which means that both events will run alongside each other at the Brussels Expo, Belgium on 24–25 June 2026. This co-location marks a significant step forward for the textile and fashion industries, bringing together two influential and complementary events under one roof.

SHIMA SEIKI returns to ShanghaiTex

Leading flat knitting solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Hong Kong and Chinese market subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI (HONG KONG) LTD., will exhibit at the ShanghaiTex 2025 exhibition (Booth No.: Hall N3, Booth A20) held in Shanghai, China this month. This marks the return of SHIMA SEIKI to ShanghaiTex after a 14-year hiatus, its last exhibit at the show having been in 2011.

Fraunhofer CCPE presents the “Monomaterial Design Set” – Innovative solutions for circular product design

Composite materials made from different types of plastic often extend the lifetime of products but make recycling more difficult in the circular economy. That is why Fraunhofer CCPE has developed the “Monomaterial Design Set”. This new approach helps to reduce the variety of plastics used in durable products and offers circular solutions for designers and product developers.

arena introduces renewable LYCRA® EcoMade fiber in its latest swimwear collection

Italian swimwear specialist arena has unveiled a new collection that brings sustainability and performance even closer together. Launched on December 4, the line features swimsuits made from recycled nylon and renewable LYCRA® EcoMade fiber — the first time the bio-based spandex has been used commercially in swimwear.