Welcome back to The Circular Economy Show and another episode of Circular Snapshots, where we unpack the headlines shaping the transition to a circular economy. This month, Seb explores the EU’s upcoming Circular Economy Act and its shift toward positioning circularity as industrial strategy, not just environmental policy. We look at new global data revealing rapid growth in national circular economy roadmaps, and why implementation is now the real test. We also dive into the growing link between circular economy and critical mineral supply chains — from insights at the World Economic Forum to new analysis on EV batteries and material security. Finally, we examine a major UK industry push for a mandatory textiles Extended Producer Responsibility scheme, and what it could mean for transforming one of the economy’s most linear sectors. From policy to supply chains to industry coalitions, this episode highlights one clear trend: the circular economy is becoming central to competitiveness.
Welcome back to The Circular Economy Show and another episode of Circular Snapshots, where we unpack the headlines shaping the transition to a circular economy.
This month, Seb explores the EU’s upcoming Circular Economy Act and its shift toward positioning circularity as industrial strategy, not just environmental policy. We look at new global data revealing rapid growth in national circular economy roadmaps, and why implementation is now the real test.
We also dive into the growing link between circular economy and critical mineral supply chains — from insights at the World Economic Forum to new analysis on EV batteries and material security. Finally, we examine a major UK industry push for a mandatory textiles Extended Producer Responsibility scheme, and what it could mean for transforming one of the economy’s most linear sectors.
From policy to supply chains to industry coalitions, this episode highlights one clear trend: the circular economy is becoming central to competitiveness.
Stories referenced in today’s episode:
EU Circular Economy Act
National Circular Economy Roadmaps
Critical minerals and the circular economy
Circular economy and EV batteries
Textiles and EPR
[00:00:00.000] - Seb Egerton-Read
Hello, and welcome back to the Circular Economy Show. Welcome to another episode of Circular Snapshots, where we unpack the latest circular economy headlines and the stories shaping how our systems, industries, and policies evolve.
[00:00:16.680] - Seb Egerton-Read
I'm Seb. This week, we're zeroing in on competitiveness, momentum, and real-world pressure from industry to embed circularity into policy and practice. I've got five stories for you from the start of 2026, so let's dive in.
[00:00:32.560] - Seb Egerton-Read
First up, the EU's upcoming Circular Economy Act, and a piece from the Brussels Times about what it signals about where circular policy is headed. Unlike past frameworks that frame circular economy, primarily as an environmental necessity, this new act explicitly situates circularity as a pillar of industrial competitiveness for the EU.
[00:00:56.260] - Seb Egerton-Read
Lawmakers are emphasising that getting the basics of waste prevention, material reuse, and secondary markets right is critical for European industry to remain resilient, innovative, and less dependent on volatile raw material imports. This marks a subtle but important shift. Circularity as strategic economic infrastructure, not just climate policy. The big takeaway here is that Europe is doubling down on the circular economy as a competitive advantage and that it could accelerate uptake so long as policy calibrates carefully with industrial realities.
[00:01:35.640] - Seb Egerton-Read
Our second story points to global momentum beyond Europe. A research team from Chatham House and UNIDO has conducted a stock take on national circular economy roadmaps and strategies, updating data that was previously collected in 2024. It analyses 99 adopted policy frameworks worldwide, encompassing over 4,000 policy actions across 16 sectors. 26 additional frameworks have been published since May 2024, with a further 15 under development, and 16 of the 26 new frameworks come from developing countries.
[00:02:13.500] - Seb Egerton-Read
The research does highlight that the depth of ambition varies. Many roadmaps lack clear financing mechanisms or policy alignment across government departments, which could slow real implementation. But even so, the sheer proliferation of these strategies is a signal to policymakers and markets alike. Circular economy isn't niche anymore. It's a global strategy.
[00:02:38.040] - Seb Egerton-Read
At this year's World Economic Forum, critical minerals were a hot topic. One theme with growing resonance is the connection between circular economy and critical mineral supply chains. As countries race to scale clean energy, from electric vehicles to renewable power installations, minerals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel are central. Analysis shared on the World Economic Forum agenda highlights that circular approaches could help alleviate supply pressure, diversify material streams, and support competitiveness in clean tech sectors.
[00:03:14.320] - Seb Egerton-Read
This refocuses the narrative. Circular supply chains aren't just waste solutions. They unlock new opportunities whilst reducing risk to price volatility, which ultimately makes the clean energy transition more resilient.
[00:03:29.260] - Seb Egerton-Read
On this topic, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's latest publication focuses on critical minerals and the circular economy through the lens of electric vehicle batteries. A piece by Forbes covering the report highlights that without circular systems in place, from design for longevity and reuse to robust recycling, EV production could face critical mineral bottlenecks that slow adoption and increased costs.
[00:03:55.120] - Seb Egerton-Read
But arguably, more importantly, there are significant scaling opportunities of building a circular economy into this sector today. The paper lays out five circular economy bright spots where industry and policy activity already holds promise and calls on further and deeper cross-value chain collaboration as a next step.
[00:04:17.560] - Seb Egerton-Read
Now to our final story. A coalition of UK textiles industry stakeholders, including major brands, trade associations, and recycling firms, has published a 10-point blueprint for a mandatory textiles extended producer responsibility scheme. From a circular economy perspective, this matters on multiple levels. EPR shifts the costs and responsibility of end-of-life management back to producers, creating economic incentives to design for your durability, reuse, and recyclability.
[00:04:52.320] - Seb Egerton-Read
It can help level a playing field where currently fast fashion flows and poor end-of-life economics undermine reuse markets. The industry's proactive blueprint shows cross-sector recognition that voluntary approaches aren't working at scale, which we've also seen previously in other sectors, for example, plastic packaging. If policymakers get this right, textiles' EPR could be a catalyst for transforming one of the most linear sectors in the economy.
[00:05:23.260] - Seb Egerton-Read
That wraps up today's episode. From strategic policy shifts in Europe to global roadmaps, critical minerals, batteries, and a significant industry push for textiles' EPR, these stories collectively show that the circular economy is less and less of a niche and increasingly critical to competitiveness. They also show increasing momentum behind specific policy action across the world and across sectors. Thanks for tuning in to the Circular Economy Show. Don't forget to hit that subscribe button if you haven't already, and share our show with your friends and colleagues. We'll see you next time.