Author: Belma Biogradlija

At Japan’s Circular Economy Expo in Chiba Prefecture this week, Taiwan is presenting a tightly coordinated industrial push under the banner “Taiwan Ocean Circular Hub” that signals its intention to convert marine debris challenges into industrial and policy opportunities. With nine Taiwanese companies displaying innovations—from recycled marine-waste fibers in clothing to other material reutilizations—the Cabinet-level Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) aims to demonstrate concrete advances in sustainability, while simultaneously exposing a series of structural and regulatory hurdles. Taiwan’s presence at the expo underscores growing momentum in marine waste recycling technology and industrial design. The OAC has expanded its marine debris governance…

Global EV sales topped 14 million units in 2023, according to the IEA, putting mounting pressure on automakers to manage end-of-life batteries responsibly. Stellantis is positioning its SUSTAINera business as a response, expanding applications for high-voltage batteries beyond energy storage and into accessibility technology. Its latest project, the AVATHOR ONE electric mobility device, illustrates how second-life batteries can intersect with inclusive design while extending asset value. Developed by Turin-based startup Avathor, AVATHOR ONE is aimed at people who use wheelchairs or have limited mobility in non-road settings. The device runs on repurposed 15 kWh battery modules from Stellantis EVs, reconfigured…

MOL Group has completed its first certified production trial using post-consumer plastic waste as feedstock at the company’s flagship petrochemical site in Tiszaújváros, Hungary, marking a notable step toward integrating circular economy principles into large-scale polymer manufacturing. The pilot demonstrated that polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) can be produced from recycled materials under a verified sustainability framework. The trial was conducted under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS standard, which verifies the traceability and sustainability of bio-based and circular raw materials along complex supply chains. MOL introduced the recycled feedstock into its naphtha-based steam cracker, generating ethylene and…

ATOME Energy has finalized a decade-long offtake agreement with Yara International for the entire output of its planned low-carbon fertilizer facility in Villeta, Paraguay, marking the last commercial step before a final investment decision (FID) on the $630 million project. Under the deal, Yara will purchase all 260,000 tonnes per year of calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) fertilizer produced using renewable hydropower, providing ATOME with guaranteed demand and access to Yara’s established distribution channels across South America. Positioned near key agricultural markets in Argentina and Brazil, the Villeta plant aims to replace imported, fossil-based fertilizers with a product manufactured from green…

Venture capital firm Una Terra has raised €50 million ($54.5 million) for its Circular Economy Growth Fund, positioning itself as a catalyst for technologies designed to curb waste and cut greenhouse gas emissions. The fund, launched in 2021, targets growth-stage companies in Europe, North America, and the Middle East that can re-engineer sectors such as packaging, food, fashion, waste management, and the blue economy toward circular models. The capital injection comes amid rising investor interest in circularity as a lever for decarbonization and resource efficiency. While governments in the EU and beyond are tightening regulations on single-use plastics and industrial…

Sarawak is preparing to overhaul its waste management strategy with a master plan designed to guide policy and infrastructure through 2050, signaling a shift from landfill dependence toward resource recovery and circular economy practices. Due for completion by the end of 2025, the plan will set long-term priorities for waste reduction, recycling, and energy conversion, according to Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datuk Len Talif Salleh. Speaking at the launch of the 12th Sarawak Premier Environmental Award (PSEA) 2025/2026, Len Talif emphasized that the framework aims to “minimise environmental impact while maximising resource recovery.” The state’s…

The market for products derived from food waste in Western Europe is projected to expand from $10.5 billion in 2025 to $16 billion by 2035, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 4.3%, according to recent estimates. The growth trajectory is underpinned by regulatory pressure to reduce waste, consumer demand for sustainable alternatives, and advances in valorization technologies that convert byproducts into high-value inputs for food, cosmetics, nutraceuticals, and animal feed. The expansion aligns closely with Europe’s circular economy policies, which increasingly target the transformation of waste streams into usable raw materials. Manufacturers are moving beyond disposal toward recovery, employing…

Plastics recycling in Canada is gaining renewed momentum as PlasCred Circular Innovations Inc. has secured a non-binding term sheet from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) for up to $8.5 million in senior debt financing. The move follows a $5 million grant from Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) and $500,000 in R&D support from Alberta Innovates, marking steady progress toward construction of the company’s first commercial-scale facility. PlasCred’s planned Neos facility in Fort Saskatchewan is designed to process 100 metric tonnes of post-consumer plastic waste per day, converting it into about 500 barrels of Renewable Green Condensate. This low-sulphur, low-carbon…

Six critical proposals on climate finance for African growth have been provided.

Woodside Energy has secured $10 million in in-kind financing from the Western Australian Government for its @H2Perth project, which will provide hydrogen vehicles for commercial use in the Rockingham Industry Zone. Total expenditures on hydrogen fuel cell trucks and hydrogen refueling, production, and storage infrastructure will amount to $20 million. BGC and Centurion, who are cooperating with Woodside Energy, will encourage the early uptake of hydrogen vehicles via this project. BGC will acquire and run between five and ten hydrogen fuel cell concrete agitator trucks, whereas Centurion will acquire and operate two hydrogen prime movers. In addition, Woodside Energy intends…