Transform your sustainability strategy with proven circular economy practices from across industries.
Best practice
From a company’s perspective, a circular practice is a way of designing and fabricating products and services that reduce resource use and waste. Circular practices are usually described around the 10Rs: Refuse, Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Refurbish, Remanufacture, Repurpose, Recycle, and Recover.
Our repository showcases real implementations spanning building, mobility, and manufacturing sectors—from refuse and rethink approaches to advanced remanufacturing and recovery solutions. Filter by sector, practice type, or specific circular strategy to discover actionable examples that align with your business context. Whether you're exploring waste reduction, product lifecycle extension, or resource recovery opportunities, find the practical examples and inspiration needed to accelerate your circular transformation. We also feature and reference existing databases and resources to provide you with the most comprehensive resource landscape available.
Want to be featured in our repository? Submit your circular practice to circular.reboundary@cmcc.it by May 31st, 2026. Please include a description of your circular practice, key success factors and challenges faced, your industry sector, and which R-strategy (refuse, reduce, reuse, etc.) best describes your approach.
Disclaimer: Companies and initiatives listed here are provided for informational purposes only. Their inclusion does not imply endorsement, consultation, or participation in the Circular Reboundary project.
Circulaire Maakindustrie (set of tools)
What can this database do for you?
Circulaire Maakindustrie (in Dutch) offers a full set of tools—from initial orientation to hands-on implementation—for companies looking to adopt circular entrepreneurship in the manufacturing sector. For example, the residual value calculation model helps you assess both the reuse value of your product and the recycling value of its materials. You’ll also find the Circulaire Database, the CESI supply tool, the remanufacturing roadmap, the Circular Maturity Measurement (available in English), and many other resources.
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Swapfiet (bicycles)
Why should you learn about this initiative?
If you want to discover a 'bicycle as a service' company which aims to become fully circular through long term rentals with unlimited on-demand repairs and free replacement parts.
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Circular Buildings Coalition
Why should you learn about this initiative?
If you are looking for brainstorming with peers. This initiative provides a collective working space where different stakeholders come together in a bid to understand and overcome the challenges to transitioning to a circular economy for the built environment.
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Auping (circular mattresses)
Why should you learn about this initiative?
It is designed for companies interested in Cradle to Cradle bed production. You will learn about the Auping Take Back System and the foam mattress recycling process. Discover a successful case study from an industry peer.
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Circulaire Database (in Dutch)
What can this database do for you?
The Circulaire Database (available in Dutch) features hundreds of examples of companies that have taken steps toward circular business practices. Developed and managed by Saxion University of Applied Sciences, it can be searched by sector, postal code, and business model type.
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REUSE project (railways)
Why should you learn about this initiative?
International Union of Railway-led initiative equips railway companies with sustainable resource management strategies for high-volume materials like ballast, steel rails, and concrete sleepers, identifying reuse and recycling opportunities while preparing for resource scarcity and price volatility.
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Minimum occupancy requirements (Zürich Housing Cooperatives)
Why should you learn about this initiative?
To combat the housing shortage and optimize the use of their assets, real estate companies and cooperatives in Zürich have introduced minimum occupancy requirements for their residential units. If the number of people in a dwelling falls below the requirement, the household gets offered an alternative smaller dwelling and a deadline for either moving or increasing the household size. This helps reducing the amount of material needed to house everyone, as well as making the most of existing buildings.
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I Fix It: Repair Community
Why should you learn about this initiative?
If you want to discover a global online community and e-commerce platform dedicated to helping individuals repair their own devices. Free, step-by-step repair guides for a wide range of products, including smartphones, laptops, appliances, and more. Replacement parts and tools available for purchase.
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CircularX database
What can this database do for you?
This database showcases circular practices from mobility, clothing, food, construction and other sectors. Use it to explore cross-industry practices and find inspiration for your sustainability projects.
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On-site retrofit consultation (Energy Caravan)
Why should you learn about this initiative?
While retrofitting can help save energy and maintain existing buildings, renovation rates are still low. On-site consultation on retrofits aim to speed up retrofit decisions by providing expert knowledge to homeowners customized to the specific building at play. Various municipalities have piloted this type of consultation in South-Western Germany under the label Energy Caravan, and it could also make an effective case for renovation businesses.
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Renault Circular Refactory
Why should you learn about this initiative?
Renault’s Circular Factory focuses on the repair, refurbishment, and recycling of vehicles and batteries. Visit their website to learn more about their expertise in vehicle refurbishment, wheel rim refurbishment, commercial vehicle retrofitting, battery repair, and the repurposing of used batteries for stationary energy storage.
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Apparel Redefined (fashion)
Why should you learn about this initiative?
This website features an interview about just-in-time manufacturing, showing how fashion brands can close the gap between demand and production, adapt to consumer needs, avoid overstock issues. It discusses some production benefits of this method such as reduced inventory costs and improved cash flow.
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Ellen MacArthur Foundation
What can this database do for you?
This database presents circular economy case studies from businesses, governments, and cities worldwide. Organized by topic (e.g., built environment, cities, fashion, finance, plastics) and collections (e.g., geographic regions). Find relevant case studies to understand examples in depth for your company.
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Sufficiency Policy Database
What can this database do for you?
Designed primarily for policymakers, this database also benefits companies wanting to stay ahead of sufficiency regulations and discover pilot projects supporting residents in downsizing floor space, flat exchanges, or finding vacant properties.
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Toyota Circular Factory
Why should you learn about this initiative?
Toyota Circular Factory processes end-of-life vehicles at the Burnaston facility to recover reusable parts, remanufacture components, and recycle materials like steel and plastic.
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One-stop shop for optimized housing (Göttingen Housing Agency)
Why should you learn about this initiative?
The Housing Agency of the Municipalicy of Göttingen delivers comprehensive consultation on housing construction and existing housing optimization for sustainable urban development. This demonstrates how municipal leadership can guide building companies into sustainable practices and how you can propose to your local municipality to collaboration with you.
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Scottish Mountain Gear
Why should you learn about this initiative?
If you are interested in the success story of a company that specialises in repairing clothes for big brands, a behind the scenes solution provider.
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The Circular Car - RI.SE
Why should you learn about this project?
If you want to discover a project supporting new and established actors in accelerating the circular transition of the automotive industry and a testbed for future-proof technologies, products and services.
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Centre for Circular Building
What can this database do for you?
Access a repository of examples showcasing re-use and circularity in Sweden's building and real estate sector. Connect with building industry networks and discover digital tools for circular construction practices.
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Upway (electrice bikes)
Why should you learn about this initiative?
If you want to discover insights from experts in refurbished e-bikes. Upway is a sales platform for refurbished electric e-bikes. You can learn about their refurbishing process and get inspired by their business model.
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Schawlbe: Bike tire and tube recycling system
Why should you learn about this initiative?
Schwalbe operates a recycling system that collects used inner tubes and tires to manufacture new products. They have recycled close to 2 millions tires since 2022 and 15 millions tubes since January 2015.
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Knowledge Hub
What can this database do for you?
This database provides circular economy case studies, policy frameworks, and circular economy indicators. Use it to understand regulatory requirements and track your organization's circular economy performance.
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Second Cycle: Refurbishing used electric bike fleets
Why should you learn about this initiative?
This is useful for companies wanting to discover sustainable mobility solutions, and for organizations seeking professional services for acquiring or maintaining their bicycle fleets.
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Circularise
Why should you learn about this initiative?
This is useful for companies wanting to learn about product traceability platforms and digital product passports for supply chain transparency. Discover 8 case studies on tracking environmental impacts throughout the value chain.
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Igus Bike
Why should you learn about this initiative?
If you want to discover a supplier of recycled plastic bikes for sustainable mobility as well high-performance motion plastics more generally with a strong technological focus.
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Rotor Deconstruction
Why should you learn about this initiative?
If you are looking for end-of-life solutions from demolition waste, this cooperative in Belgium specialises in harvesting and reselling reusable building parts from demolition sites.
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