Circular Economy
As the world moves towards a more sustainable future, we are changing the demand profile on many materials. But at the same time, as the world population rises, resulting in an ever increasing demand for energy and products which puts increasing pressure on materials (and their supply chains), we are also generating more and more ‘waste’.
Circular Economy
|Experts
|Funding Opportunities
|Case Studies
|Events
|News
|Perspective
|Programmes
We believe that all sectors can play a role in enabling the transition to a more circular economy. Recent activity includes (among many others):
- Developing a Capability Map for the key process technologies required to convert alternative feedstocks into chemical products.
- An ongoing programme of workshops, awareness raising and scoping activity around Remanufacturing.
- UK Circular Plastics Network (UKCPN), a dedicated community around the sustainable use of plastics.
We are working with organisations across the UK, from large companies and SMEs to start-ups and researchers, up, down and across supply chains to accelerate this transition.
Get in touch if you have a circular economy challenge, or if you are a developer or provider of enabling technologies, solutions or expertise.
Our Experts
Related Opportunities
Global Business Innovation Programme: Critical materials and midstream processing and recycling, Australia
Opens: 13/10/2025 Closes: 23/11/2025
Innovate UK is inviting ambitious innovative companies to participate in its Global Business Innovation Programme (GBIP).
More Information
National Materials Innovation Programme: Feasibility Studies
Opens: 03/11/2025 Closes: 17/12/2025
Up to £100k per project for advanced materials innovations in energy, healthcare, structure, durability, electronics, polymers, and metamaterials/metasurfaces.
More Information
MSI: SME resource and energy efficiency – feasibility studies
Opens: 22/10/2025 Closes: 10/12/2025
Up to £105k grants per project to research and develop industrial digital technologies to improve resource or energy efficiencies in manufacturing.
More Information
Related Events and Recordings
Wed
30
Jul
2025
Thu
19
Sep
2024
Global Research and Innovation in Plastics Sustainability Conference 2024 (GRIPS 2024)
09.00 - 16.30 | Sheffield / Online
Watch now
Thu
13
Feb
2025
Related News
14/10/2024
Innovate UK hosts Roadshow & Workshop to foster circular fashion innovation between the UK and Nigeria
Innovate UK Global Alliance Africa has launched a groundbreaking initiative to promote sustainable practices in Nigeria’s vibrant fashion industry. The UK-Nigeria Circular Fashion Global Innovation Network aims to catalyse a revolutionary transformation by adopting circular fashion principles and innovations.
Read more
30/09/2024
UK innovators receive £3.5 million to support UK Rare Earth Minerals supply chain
A project to extract rare minerals and elements from the plumes of a volcano, and another to extract them from mining waste, are among 9 innovation partnerships that have been awarded £3.5 million of funding from Innovate UK.