Radar · Industry landscape · the United States
Recycling and the Circular Economy Landscape of the United States
1,405 Recycling and the Circular Economy companies in the United States, in one picture: who is hiring, who is raising money, who founded them, where they are based, what the news is about, which skills employers want and where the research is going. Updated August 2026.
1,405companies tracked
$36.7Bdisclosed funding
137hiring right now
1,044events · 24 months
2,479,288news articles · 12 months
Who leads Recycling and the Circular Economy in the United States
Shows 1,405 U.S. recycling and circular‑economy firms, highlighting the most‑hired companies such as Clean Harbors, top‑funded firms like Redwood Materials, and the 137 firms currently hiring.
open roles
Hiring now
ranked by live open roles
- 01
Clean Harbors13last posted Aug 2026
- 02
Water Technologies11last posted Jun 2026
- 03
Koch Engineered Solutions11last posted Jun 2026
- 04
WestRock11last posted Jun 2026
- 05
Culligan11last posted Jun 2026
- 06
Tangent Technologies10last posted Jun 2026
- 07
Graham Packaging10last posted Jun 2026
- 08
Fidelity10last posted May 2026
137 companies hiring · 2 posted in the last 30 days
disclosed funding
Most funded
disclosed totals, all rounds
- 01
Redwood Materials$4.5BSeries E · Jan 2026
- 02
View$4.2BPost IPO · Oct 2022
- 03
Ascend Elements$2.1BGrant (prize money) · Feb 2025
- 04
- 05
Summit Carbon$1.3BSeries A · Mar 2022
- 06
Footprint$1.3BSeries E · Apr 2023
- 07
Divert$1BSeries B · Jan 2026
- 08
LanzaTech$953.2MPost IPO · Jan 2026
537 companies with disclosed rounds · $36.7B total
revenue
Revenue leaders
official filings first, else latest snapshot
- 01
Graphic Packaging$2.1BFY2026 filing
- 02
Xylem Water Solutions$2.1BFY2023 filing
- 03
- 04
Trex$343.4MFY2022 filing
- 05
Aemetis$54.6MFY2025 filing
- 06
- 07
Energy Recovery$9.7MFY2024 filing
- 08
Gradiant$7.9MFY2024 filing
19 companies with a revenue figure
headcount
Largest teams
ranked by tracked headcount
- 01
Orbia24,736tracked employees
- 02
- 03
- 04
- 05
- 06
- 07
- 08
166 companies with headcount data
share of events
Share of voice
share of all tracked sector news events, 24 months
- 01
- 02
ABTC5.8%84 tracked events
- 03
- 04
Aqua Metals3.6%52 tracked events
- 05
- 06
- 07
Origin Materials2.8%40 tracked events
- 08
374Water2.5%36 tracked events
1,441 tracked events across 167 companies
web reach
Most-used apps
the sites in this sector the web visits most
- 01
OSMO Technology Solutionstop 50ksec.gov
- 02
ecoATMtop 100kecoatm.com
- 03
- 04
Project Repattop 500kprojectrepat.com
- 05
ServiceCoretop 500kservicecore.com
- 06
LifeStrawtop 500klifestraw.com
- 07
Ridwelltop 500kridwell.com
- 08
Soft-Pak Waste Softwaretop 500ksoft-pak.com
387 companies here run a site with a measured audience · 20 of them sit inside the web’s top million
articles
In the news
Prism news coverage, last 12 months
- 01
RTS752articles in the window
- 02
- 03
- 04
- 05
- 06
- 07
- 08
164 of these companies drew sector coverage in the window
Radar
See all 1,405 Recycling and the Circular Economy companies in the United States
Filter by funding, headcount, hiring and location, and export the list.
How the Recycling and the Circular Economy ecosystem in the United States grew, 2016–2025
Displays the number of firms founded each year from 2016 to 2025, with a peak of 98 new companies in 2021 and only 8 founded in 2025.
Companies founded / year
new Recycling and the Circular Economy companies in the United States
20162025
peak 98 in 2021
Companies raising / year
with a disclosed round that year
20162025
peak 130 in 2021
Disclosed funding / year
sum of disclosed rounds (USD)
20162025
peak $7.9B in 2023
Where Recycling and the Circular Economy companies in the United States are based
Lists the cities with the highest concentration of sector firms, led by New York City (62 firms) followed by San Francisco (48) and Houston (38).
Hub 01
New York City
62 Recycling and the Circular Economy companies
24% of the Recycling and the Circular Economy companies across these hubs
62companies
$777Mdisclosed funding
6hiring now
Hub 02
San Francisco
48 Recycling and the Circular Economy companies
18% of the Recycling and the Circular Economy companies across these hubs
48companies
$740.6Mdisclosed funding
4hiring now
Hub 03
Houston
38 Recycling and the Circular Economy companies
15% of the Recycling and the Circular Economy companies across these hubs
38companies
$971.9Mdisclosed funding
7hiring now
Hub 04
Los Angeles
36 Recycling and the Circular Economy companies
14% of the Recycling and the Circular Economy companies across these hubs
36companies
$471.5Mdisclosed funding
4hiring now
Hub 05
Boston
21 Recycling and the Circular Economy companies
8% of the Recycling and the Circular Economy companies across these hubs
21companies
$542.4Mdisclosed funding
4hiring now
Hub 06
San Diego
20 Recycling and the Circular Economy companies
8% of the Recycling and the Circular Economy companies across these hubs
20companies
$781.5Mdisclosed funding
1hiring now
Hub 07
Atlanta
20 Recycling and the Circular Economy companies
8% of the Recycling and the Circular Economy companies across these hubs
20companies
$2Bdisclosed funding
4hiring now
Hub 08
Austin
17 Recycling and the Circular Economy companies
6% of the Recycling and the Circular Economy companies across these hubs
17companies
$35.6Mdisclosed funding
generated artwork
The Recycling and the Circular Economy market map of the United States: what these companies actually do
Breaks down product sub‑categories, showing enterprise tech (1,159 firms) as the largest, and notes the most common revenue models, including physical commerce (818 firms).
- Enterprise Tech1,159 companies · $34.8B raised · 120 hiring
- Deep Tech474 companies · $17.9B raised · 49 hiring
- Water Treatment Technologies286 companies · $2.5B raised · 25 hiring
- Consumer Digital253 companies · $3.4B raised · 18 hiring
- Carbon Capture and Offset212 companies · $6.9B raised · 30 hiring
- Geoengineering211 companies · $6.9B raised · 30 hiring
- Enterprise Software184 companies · $2B raised · 22 hiring
- Co2 to Fuel144 companies · $5.3B raised · 15 hiring
- Biomaterials109 companies · $2.1B raised · 8 hiring
- Biodegradable Polymers98 companies · $1.9B raised · 7 hiring
- Novel Polymers98 companies · $1.9B raised · 7 hiring
- SaaS81 companies · $4.7B raised · 9 hiring
Monetization
How Recycling and the Circular Economy companies make money
How many companies earn revenue each way. Plenty use more than one model, so the counts add up to more than the sector.
Physical Commerce818
E-Commerce - Product442
Subscription265
Fee-For-Service238
Commission on Transaction119
E-Commerce - Service45
Advertising31
Freemium3
Funding, M&A and the deals moving Recycling and the Circular Economy in the United States
Counts 1,044 corporate events over the past two years, of which 197 are funding rounds, 169 involve key people, and 147 relate to earnings releases.
Funding 197Leadership 169Earnings 147Announcement 144Contracts 116Capital 54Lawsuit 50M&A 48Assets 40Jobs 24
- M&ANew York-based GreenSpark Software and Los Angeles-based ReMatter, two software platforms serving the metal recycling industry, have merged, creating a single company known as ReSpark.2026-05-04
- FundingTimberHP, the first U.S.-based manufacturer of wood fiber insulation, today announced a strategic investment from FTAI Infrastructure Inc.2026-04-28
- FundingAce Green Recycling, Inc., a leading provider of sustainable battery recycling technology solutions, and Athena Technology Acquisition Corp. II, a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, announced that they have entered into securities purchase agreements with certain investors for an aggregate $32 million private investment in public equity (PIPE) financing to support their previously-announced proposed business combination, with the common stock of the combined company expected to be listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker “AGXI” following the consummation of the Proposed Business Combination.2026-04-28
- FundingWestborough, Massachusetts-based Ascend, which specializes in reprocessing old batteries into cathode material at a factory in Georgia, has raised more than $1.1 billion in equity and grants since its founding in 2015.2026-04-10
- M&ARouteware has announced the acquisition of PermiServ as part of its strategy to expand its presence in the United Kingdom.2026-04-07
- FundingRubi, the company pioneering the next era of manufacturing with technology that transforms carbon into essential materials, today announces a $7.5 million funding round and significant commercial traction, including multi-year offtake term sheets worth over $60M with leading fashion brands and manufacturers, eight new commercial partnerships, and moving pilots into larger-scale production testing.2026-04-06
- FundingARQ — Raised: $70M About: ARQ develops a financial gateway for Latin America. Key Investors: Sequoia, Founders Fund2026-04-06
- FundingIn early 2026, Lummus Technology announced a strategic investment in InnoVent Renewables, aiming to accelerate the deployment of its proprietary tyre recycling technology.2026-03-30
- M&AThe acquisition of OnStream advances our strategy to invest in high-quality, resilient, and critical infrastructure assets with compelling growth opportunities.2026-03-24
- FundingPhoenix Tailings closed an oversubscribed $40.2 million B-3 amplification round, bringing total Series B funding to $116.6 million.2026-03-09
Mergers and acquisitions
Deals from the last 24 months where a Recycling and the Circular Economy company in the United States was the buyer or the one bought, newest first. “Undisclosed” means the price was never published — not that the deal was worth nothing.
| Acquirer | Target | Deal value | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| undisclosed | Announced | 2026-06-13 | ||
| undisclosed | Completed | 2026-05-04 | ||
| undisclosed | Announced | 2026-04-07 | ||
| undisclosed | Announced | 2026-03-24 | ||
| undisclosed | Announced | 2026-02-12 | ||
| undisclosed | Announced | 2026-02-12 |
Who is listing, hiring leaders, launching and winning work
Provides details on notable events such as leadership changes and new customer contracts within the sector.
Leadership moves
69 tracked people moves · last 12 months
RoutewareKristy McKnight · Appointment → Chief Product OfficerApr 2026
Renew BiomassDustin Dover · Appointment → Board chairApr 2026
Contract wins
79 customer wins · last 24 months
Living Carbonwon Octopus Energy GenerationApr 2026
Graphytewon JPMorganChaseApr 2026
Infiniumwon sabaApr 2026
Workforce actions
8 companies cutting roles · last 24 months
Pixelle~800 roles reported · business decisionApr 2025
Danimer Scientific~82 roles reported · liquidity shortageMar 2025
Regulatory & litigation
13 regulatory events · 39 tracked suits · 24 months
NanoH2Oregulatory approvals satisfiedDec 2025
CETYregained full compliance — NasdaqOct 2025
- as you sow v secShareholder proposal regulationMar 2026
- investor advocacy groups v secshareholder rights and corporate accountability · FiledMar 2026
Earnings pulse
companies reporting results · last 24 months
21 companies reporting151 company-quarters trackedbeat 19miss 23in line 6
Half of these companies grew revenue faster than +3.0%, half slower.
Who is building Recycling and the Circular Economy in the United States
Profiles 1,079 founders and CEOs across 725 firms, noting MIT (45 alumni) and Stanford (31) as the most frequent alma maters and McKinsey (5) as a common prior employer.
Founders and chief executives12 of 1,079, from the best-funded companies on this page
repeat founder
Summit Agricultural Group, FS Fueling Sustainability, Amber Wave. University of Iowa
Ex-Conagra Brands, Greater Phoenix Economic Council. Michigan State University Master of Science - MS, Packaging Engineering 1993…
Ex-Raytheon. Clarkson University BS 2001, MEng 2004
Lanzatech, ex-Uop, ex-Uop A Honeywell, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, 2006
University of Delaware BS 2011, Massachusetts Institute of Technology MS 2013, PhD 2016
Phononic Devices, MEGE Associates, ex-CEO Siva Power, QuantumScape. MIT 1983
Franklin W Olin College of Engineering BS 2006, Stanford University MS 2011, PhD 2015
Ecoatm Gazelle, ex-Shutterstock, ex-Meredith, City University of Seattle, 2000
EX- Canadian Space Agency. MIT PhD 2010
Where the founders studied
alma mater on record for 246 of 1,079 founders
Massachusetts Institute of Technology45
Stanford University31
University of California (Berkeley)24
Cornell University23
Harvard University18
University of Pennsylvania18
Columbia University17
Yale University13
Where they worked before
a previous employer on record for 27 of 1,079 founders
McKinsey5
Microsoft5
Apple4
Cisco2
Intel2
Amazon2
Google2
Bain2
Founders flagged as repeat founders
of 970 founders with a profile on this page
7
carry a repeat-founder flag
- flagged as repeat founders7
- no repeat-founder flag963
Women and men among the founders
first names matched for 991 of 1,079 founders
18%
of matched founders are women
- women176
- men815
Inferred from first names, using 119 million people who state their own gender: a first name counts only where at least 20 of them share it and at least 90% of those share the same gender. The other 88 founders go in neither column.
Radar
Look up the people behind Recycling and the Circular Economy companies in the United States
Search founders, executives and operators by company, role and location.
Who funds Recycling and the Circular Economy in the United States
Records 1,547 funding rounds since 2016 from 1,164 investors, with a typical round size of about $2 million.
| Investor · most active investors since 2016 | Rounds | Led | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| OSTI | 124 | — | Nov 2025 |
| National Science Foundation | 76 | — | Aug 2025 |
| DOE | 39 | — | Apr 2025 |
| America’s Seed Fund | 36 | — | Dec 2024 |
| HHS | 31 | — | Jul 2025 |
| United States Department of Agriculture | 25 | — | Mar 2025 |
| Climate Capital | 22 | 11 | Jan 2024 |
| Breakthrough Energy | 20 | 11 | Jul 2025 |
| Lowercarbon Capital | 17 | 8 | Dec 2024 |
| SOSV | 17 | 7 | Apr 2025 |
Stage mix · rounds since 2016
Seed & Angel436
Series A–B419
Series C+ / PE132
Grants, debt & other560
The typical round is $2M — half were bigger, half smaller.
The biggest Recycling and the Circular Economy funding rounds in the United States
Highlights the ten largest disclosed rounds, including View’s $1.1 billion Series H funding.
| Company | Round | Size | When | Backers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series Hmega-round | $1.1B | Nov 2018 | SoftBank Vision Fund | |
| Series Amega-round | $1.1B | Oct 2021 | The Rise Fund | |
| Series Bmega-round | $1B | Mar 2023 | Ara Partners, Enbridge | |
| Series Dmega-round | $1B | Aug 2023 | Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Capricorn, OMERS +4 more | |
| Series Emega-round | $829.5M | Apr 2023 | — | |
| Series Hmega-round | $800M | Dec 2018 | — | |
| Series Cmega-round | $776.6M | May 2021 | T. Rowe Price, Baillie Gifford, Fidelity Investments +10 more | |
| Series Fmega-round | $500M | Nov 2022 | Brookfield Renewable U.S. | |
| Series Dmega-round | $460.1M | Sep 2023 | BlackRock, Temasek, Qatar Investment Authority +10 more | |
| Series Cmega-round | $357M | Sep 2021 | Baillie Gifford, Temasek, BlackRock +6 more |
Venture round sizes · 2023–2025
<$1M48
$1–10M123
$10–50M71
$50–250M33
>$250M5
280 venture rounds with a disclosed amount in the window.
Fresh cheques · last 6 months
Series B$22MMay 2026
Series B$13MMay 2026
Seed$3MMay 2026
Series B$5.5MApr 2026
Series A$3.2MApr 2026
Grant (prize money)undisclosedApr 2026
What the news says about Recycling and the Circular Economy in the United States
Counts 2,479,288 news articles in the last year, most often covering administrative and political topics and geopolitical disputes.
News volume
Recycling and the Circular Economy coverage across United States · articles per quarter
2021Q22026Q2
peak 1,397,267 in 2025Q3 · 2,479,288 articles in the last 12 tracked months
Tone of coverage
share of articles by dominant sentiment (positive / neutral / negative)
202120232025
Positive-tone share moved 23% → 25%, negative 22% → 31% across 2021–2025.
What the coverage is about
The subjects that dominate Recycling and the Circular Economy news in United States. The arrow shows whether each one is being written about more or less than a year ago.
- Administrative and political subdivisions4,324,463▲+17%
- Geopolitical disputes and contested areas319,969▲+30%
- International and transnational geographic entities319,800▲+30%
- International political relations208,762→+4%
- Security and defense policies146,683▲+20%
- Trade policies and agreements105,907▼-27%
- International relations and diplomacy96,579→-6%
- Geographic naming conventions and etymology81,589▲+384%
- Human rights advocacy reports70,514▼-26%
- Cryptocurrency impact on forex markets62,632→-8%
Most-covered companies · last 12 months
- 752
- 243
- 191
- 184
- 172
- 123
- 111
- 106
- 64
- 59
164 Recycling and the Circular Economy companies here were named in the news over this period.
Prism
Watch Recycling and the Circular Economy coverage in United States as it happens
Prism follows these subjects story by story — which companies are named, what is said about them and how the tone moves.
Momentum
The words getting louder — and quieter
Which terms are showing up in more stories than a year ago, and which are fading. The percentage is the change in how many articles mention them.
conceptual rock albums+8805%countries+100%oil price volatility+86%long-term unemployment+40%stablecoin fx impact+68%etf trading+131%commodity trading+111%export sanctions+171%theatrical rock personas+15647%forex liquidity+108%
tariff negotiations-40%free trade deals-39%stock performance-34%economic slowdown-42%trade enforcement-40%
The pressures the press keeps returning to
Three recurring angles in United States Recycling and the Circular Economy coverage, and whether each is getting more attention year on year (through 2025).
Regulatory Risk ▲ rising
2,009,216 articles touch this dimension · 46.2% critical tone
20212025
signals: territories, disputed islands, monetary easing
Funding Momentum ▲ rising
339,179 articles touch this dimension · 46.1% critical tone
20212025
signals: inflation reports fx, currency intervention policies, trade deficits fx
Growth ▲ rising
561,165 articles touch this dimension · 47.0% critical tone
20212025
signals: gdp growth rate, monetary easing, gdp acceleration
Recycling and the Circular Economy jobs in the United States: who is hiring and what they ask for
Shows 4,716 job postings from 179 employers in the past year, with the most requested skills like Excel and a median advertised salary of $56 k per year.
4,716postings · last 12 months
6,404postings tracked overall
179employers advertising
$56kmedian advertised salary/yr (n=651)
Demand
The Skills Employers Ask For
What Recycling and the Circular Economy employers in the United States put in their job ads. The bar is how many postings ask for it; the arrow shows whether demand grew or shrank against the year before.
- excel74▲
- hazmat endorsement36▲
- computer software33▲
- mobile applications33→
- microsoft office31▲
- forklift operation31▲
- tanker endorsement30▲
- hazmat30▲
- sql29▲
- class a cdl28▲
What level are these roles?
Entry143
Intern59
Senior391
Lead147
Manager950
What they pay, by level
- Manager$94k/yr (n=75)
- Senior$126k/yr (n=42)
Most advertised titles
- 94
- 58
- 51
- 44
- 34
- 33
What Recycling and the Circular Economy research in the United States is working on
Lists 2,687 U.S. research papers, of which 1,300 identify opportunities, 851 describe common problems, and 110 issue cautions.
How this field talks about itself
United States-affiliated Recycling and the Circular Economy papers (gold) against all published research (grey)
Promising35.3% · 37.0%≈ par
Problem-identifying30.1% · 9.9%3.0×
Breakthrough13.1% · 26.2%0.5×
Descriptive12.5% · 17.4%0.7×
Cautionary4.1% · 4.8%0.9×
Comparative3.3% · 3.7%≈ par
How the work is done
Empirical32.1%
Methods-led29.4%
Reviews21.9%
Position pieces14.1%
Theoretical2.5%
How the research reads
94% positive · 2% neutral · 5% negative, across 2,687 papers.
The institutions doing the work · United States
- 2k
- 2k
- 2k
- 2k
- 2k
- 1k
ranked by how often their work is cited
Leading researchers · United States-affiliated work
Joseph Sarkis · Usama Awan · Eugene Y.‐X. Chen · Vasileios Rizos · Arno Behrens · Wytze van der Gaast · Erwin Hofman · Αναστασία Ιωάννου
The most-cited breakthroughs
- Barriers to circular food supply chains in China · 283 cites
- Green supply chain management and the circular economy · 272 cites
- Efficient Attention: Attention with Linear Complexities · 255 cites
- The Circular Economy · 245 cites
- At the Nexus of Blockchain Technology, the Circular Economy, and Product Deletion · 212 cites
Common problems researchers identify789 papers · 7 recurring themes
Problems · theme 01
Systemic Barriers to Circular Economy
200 papers · 25.3% of this block
▲ +34% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Researchers highlight fundamental challenges in adopting circular economic models within India's broader sustainability agenda.
Circular economy · Sustainability · Sustainable development · Economic system
“Circular economy business models in developing economies: Lessons from India on reduce, recycle, and reuse paradigms”
200 of these papers raise it as a problem
Problems · theme 02
Resource and Energy Efficiency Gaps
140 papers · 17.7% of this block
▲ +45% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Studies point to shortcomings in material and energy use that hinder industrial decarbonisation and sustainable construction.
Sustainability · Resource efficiency · Resource · Efficient energy use
“Energy, material, and resource efficiency for industrial decarbonization: A systematic review of sociotechnical systems, technological innov”
140 of these papers raise it as a problem
Problems · theme 03
Circular Supply‑Chain Constraints
136 papers · 17.2% of this block
▲ +14% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Authors examine difficulties in designing product life‑cycles and supply networks that meet circular and sustainability goals.
Circular economy · Supply chain · Product · Sustainability
“Sustainability in the Circular Economy: Insights and Dynamics of Designing Circular Business Models”
136 of these papers raise it as a problem
Problems · theme 04
Battery and EV Recycling Obstacles
116 papers · 14.7% of this block
▼ -5% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Literature flags technical and policy issues surrounding lithium‑ion battery reuse and carbon‑capture integration.
Circular economy · Battery · Lithium · Electric vehicle
“Lithium-ion batteries towards circular economy: A literature review of opportunities and issues of recycling treatments”
116 of these papers raise it as a problem
Problems · theme 05
Construction Sector Reuse Barriers
87 papers · 11.0% of this block
▼ -24% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Research identifies economic and environmental hurdles to implementing circular practices in demolition and building projects.
Circular economy · Demolition · Economic geography · Reuse
“Circular economy implementation in the construction industry: an examination of the barriers in a developing country”
87 of these papers raise it as a problem
Problems · theme 06
Raw Material Scarcity Concerns
77 papers · 9.8% of this block
▼ -12% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Papers discuss limited access to critical resources and the need for solvent recovery and waste reduction.
Raw material · Resource · Rare earth · Production
“Systems level roadmap for solvent recovery and reuse in industries”
77 of these papers raise it as a problem
Problems · theme 07
Pollution and Hazardous Waste Risks
33 papers · 4.2% of this block
▼ -22% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Analyses focus on the health and environmental threats posed by municipal solid and hazardous waste streams.
Pollution · Hazardous waste · Municipal solid waste · Scope
“Solid Waste”
33 of these papers raise it as a problem
Cautions105 papers · 4 recurring themes
Cautions · theme 01
Model Viability and Systemic Risks
46 papers · 43.8% of this block
▼ -47% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Authors urge careful assessment of circular business models and material‑recycling systems before large‑scale rollout.
Circular economy · Reuse · Sustainability · Economic system
“Circular Economy Business Models—Supply Chain Perspectives”
46 of these papers raise it as a problem
Cautions · theme 02
Efficiency Strategies and Unintended Impacts
33 papers · 31.4% of this block
▲ +45% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Studies caution that resource‑efficiency measures may produce hidden emissions or ecological side effects.
Resource · Resource efficiency · Sustainability · Efficient energy use
“Material efficiency strategies to reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with buildings, vehicles, and electronics—a review”
33 of these papers raise it as a problem
Cautions · theme 03
Digital Tool Limitations in Circularity
17 papers · 16.2% of this block
▲ +49% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Research warns that software‑driven circular strategies can overlook practical risks and low‑impact opportunities.
Circular economy · Software deployment · Scrap · Visualization
“Prioritising low-risk and high-potential circular economy strategies for decarbonisation: A meta-analysis on consumer-oriented product-servi”
17 of these papers raise it as a problem
Cautions · theme 04
Life‑Cycle Assessment Uncertainties
9 papers · 8.6% of this block
▼ -9% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Works highlight gaps in LCA data for nutrients, compost, and biocomposites that affect sustainability conclusions.
Life-cycle assessment · Nutrient · Manure · Fossil fuel
“Compost Quality and Markets Are Pivotal for Sustainability in Circular Food-Nutrient Systems: A Case Study of Sri Lanka”
9 of these papers raise it as a problem
Opportunities1,150 papers · 7 recurring themes
Opportunities · theme 01
Economic Benefits of Circular Practices
267 papers · 23.2% of this block
▲ +3% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Analyses reveal how waste management and circular models can generate sustainable growth and market advantages.
Circular economy · Sustainability · Sustainable development · Industrial organization
“Waste management and circular economy: A review of sustainable practices and economic benefits”
Opportunities · theme 02
Resource Efficiency for Climate Mitigation
234 papers · 20.3% of this block
▲ +66% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Papers explore material‑efficiency pathways and digital tools that support low‑carbon transitions.
Sustainability · Resource efficiency · Resource · Sustainable development
“Resource Efficiency and Climate Change: Material Efficiency Strategies for a Low-Carbon Future”
Opportunities · theme 03
Remanufacturing and Product Reuse
211 papers · 18.3% of this block
▼ -29% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Research showcases how remanufacturing and waste‑as‑resource approaches can reshape consumer behavior and supply chains.
Circular economy · Reuse · Remanufacturing · Product
“Remanufacturing for the Circular Economy: An Examination of Consumer Switching Behavior”
Opportunities · theme 04
Green Computing and Cloud Resource Allocation
195 papers · 17.0% of this block
▲ +42% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Studies propose energy‑aware scheduling and multi‑cloud strategies to reduce computing footprints.
Resource allocation · Cloud computing · Scheduling · Resource
“An energy-efficiency-aware resource allocation strategy in multi-granularity provision for green computing”
Opportunities · theme 05
Biomass and Waste‑to‑Energy Innovations
132 papers · 11.5% of this block
▼ -14% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Works highlight emerging technologies that turn agricultural waste into energy and valuable circular inputs.
Biomass · Waste management · Agriculture · Circular economy
“Metal organic frameworks for wastewater treatment, renewable energy and circular economy contributions”
Opportunities · theme 06
Life‑Cycle Assessment for Product Design
69 papers · 6.0% of this block
▲ +18% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Research emphasizes using LCA metrics to guide sustainable product development and reduce environmental impacts.
Life-cycle assessment · Environmental impact assessment · Sustainability · Circular economy
“Seeking opportunities to reduce life cycle impacts of consumer goods-An economy-wide assessment”
Opportunities · theme 07
Industrial Symbiosis and Eco‑Economics
42 papers · 3.7% of this block
▼ -60% share2022→2025 share of research on this subject
Papers discuss collaborative industrial ecosystems that enhance resource sharing and align with sustainability goals.
Industrial symbiosis · Industrial ecology · Environmental economics · Sustainability
“Championing processes and the emergence of industrial symbiosis”
Which of these themes are growing fastest
Tracks how the share of different research themes has shifted globally between 2022 and 2025.
Problems
how much more (or less) of the world’s research on this subject each theme took up, 2022→2025
gaining sharelosing share
Resource and Energy Efficiency Gaps▲+45%
Systemic Barriers to Circular Economy▲+34%
Circular Supply‑Chain Constraints▲+14%
Battery and EV Recycling Obstacles▼-5%
Raw Material Scarcity Concerns▼-12%
Pollution and Hazardous Waste Risks▼-22%
Construction Sector Reuse Barriers▼-24%
Cautions
how much more (or less) of the world’s research on this subject each theme took up, 2022→2025
gaining sharelosing share
Digital Tool Limitations in Circularity▲+49%
Efficiency Strategies and Unintended Impacts▲+45%
Life‑Cycle Assessment Uncertainties▼-9%
Model Viability and Systemic Risks▼-47%
Opportunities
how much more (or less) of the world’s research on this subject each theme took up, 2022→2025
gaining sharelosing share
Resource Efficiency for Climate Mitigation▲+66%
Green Computing and Cloud Resource Allocation▲+42%
Life‑Cycle Assessment for Product Design▲+18%
Economic Benefits of Circular Practices▲+3%
Biomass and Waste‑to‑Energy Innovations▼-14%
Remanufacturing and Product Reuse▼-29%
Industrial Symbiosis and Eco‑Economics▼-60%
Prism
Go deeper on Recycling and the Circular Economy research and innovation
Research themes, patent activity and the companies commercialising them, in one place.
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About this data: built from Fliar's company, founder, funding, hiring, jobs, news and research trackers, covering the United States. Counts are of companies we track, not of every company that exists. Updated August 2026.
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