NEW YORK, Feb. 19, 2025 — Today, Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy unveils major pioneering findings in a new report on small-format plastic packaging recovery. The report builds on over two years of market research and comprehensive recycling tests in partnership with Maybelline New York and its parent company, L’Oréal Groupe, bolstered by the support of additional partners Kraft Heinz, P&G and Target.

The findings reveal a viable pathway to recover tens of thousands of tons of valuable small materials––including plastics like polypropylene––from materials recovery facilities (MRFs) and glass recycling plants across the U.S. With the right equipment upgrades and reconfigurations, significant volumes of these materials can be successfully recycled instead of being lost to waste. For example, upgrading the glass screen—a type of material sorting equipment—at a MRF resulted in a 67% relative reduction in mid-to-large-sized “small” plastics contaminating the glass stream. Materials that would have otherwise been considered contaminants and discarded at the glass recycling plant are now effectively sorted and directed into appropriate bales for sale in the recycled materials market. These promising findings demonstrate the positive economic and environmental impact of recovering small-format packaging, catalyzing the launch of a new industry collaboration managed by Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy: the Consortium to Recover Small-Format Packaging.

Each year, consumers buy billions of products—beauty items, medications and food—packaged in small-format plastic that is difficult to recycle due to its size and other factors. Currently, most of this is discarded into trash bins, ending up in landfills or incinerators. The small fraction that does end up at recycling facilities often slips through sorting equipment due to its size, contaminating the glass stream and ultimately being sent to landfills. As brands work to meet waste reduction goals and achieve compliance with Extended Producer Responsibility legislation, the opportunity to capture previously unrecovered small-format plastic packaging can have a significant positive impact.

The Center for the Circular Economy conducted its research in collaboration with Circular Services, a Closed Loop Partners company. Circular Services operates over 20 MRFs across the U.S. and manages municipal contracts in major and rapidly growing cities, including New York City, Austin, San Antonio and Phoenix. With support from partners Maybelline New York and its parent company, L’Oréal Groupe, Kraft Heinz, P&G and Target, the Center conducted an extensive, in-field process to identify solutions for small-format packaging recovery. This included evaluating glass stream contamination at more than half a dozen MRFs across the U.S. The Center collected samples from two MRFs’ glass streams and one glass recycling plant’s residue streams; trialed equipment configurations to sort plastics from these streams; sent samples to reclaimers to test their processability and market value; and iterated this process multiple times.

The report highlights five key insights critical to the recovery of small-format packaging:

• Many small format plastic materials hold significant market value
• Logistical solutions already exist to handle them
• Current technologies can be adapted to effectively recover portions of them at MRFs and glass recycling plants
• Market demand for these materials is strong—especially from mechanical recyclers
• Targeted investment at recycling facilities is essential to build a compelling, scalable business case to recover smaller materials

These findings can apply to recycling facilities across the country, meaning tens of thousands of tons of plastics could be recovered annually, avoiding landfill and generating market value.

The Center for the Circular Economy’s new findings lay the necessary groundwork and provide the rigorous diligence needed for the creation of a new industry consortium, the Consortium for Small-Format Packaging Recovery. The Consortium is focused on advancing the recovery of small-format packaging by testing the Center’s latest findings in real-world scenarios across the U.S. The Center is inviting research-phase partners to join, while also expanding participation to brands across various sectors. This is a cross-industry challenge, as small-format packaging is used in beauty, pharmacy, foodservice, beverage, retail and beyond.

One next step to build upon the findings is investment in equipment and infrastructure upgrades for rigid small plastics recovery in the field. The Center for the Circular Economy anticipates a quantifiable tonnage of materials diverted from landfill, carbon emissions avoided and post-consumer recycled content generated. The Consortium will lead the establishment and engagement of a robust value chain for recovery of small materials, from recyclers, reclaimers, policymakers and more.

If your company is part of the small-format packaging value chain—whether as a manufacturer, brand owner or other stakeholder—and is interested in joining the Consortium to Recover Small-Format Packaging to advance collaboration, recycling infrastructure investments and policy for nationwide recovery, contact the Center for the Circular Economy here.

“We’re eager to put our findings to the test and, through the Consortium to Recover Small-Format Packaging, deploy equipment and infrastructure upgrades to drive real-world proof-of-concepts in the field. It’s critical that we advance solutions to recover valuable small-format materials, like polypropylene, that otherwise typically end up in landfill. This is inherently a cross-industry challenge, as small-format packaging is used in beauty, pharmacy, foodservice, beverage, retail and beyond. We’re inviting our research-phase partners and brands across various sectors to join the Consortium and help address an urgent waste challenge.” Kate Daly, Managing Partner, Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy

“L’Oréal is excited to partner with Closed Loop Partners to develop innovative solutions for recovering packaging materials, reducing waste and creating opportunities in a fragmented national recycling infrastructure. Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy provides practical and scalable approaches for recovering small-format plastics that end up in landfills. We believe scaling these innovations will improve the recyclability of plastic and create a viable end-market for our materials.” Marissa Pagnani McGowan – Chief Sustainability Officer, North America for L’Oréal Groupe

“As the number one makeup brand in the world, we have a responsibility to create the most sustainable makeup life cycle possible. Most makeup packaging is too small to be recycled, it literally falls through the cracks at recycling facilities. That’s why it was so important to partner with Closed Loop Partners’ Center for Circular Economy to pioneer solutions for small-format recycling and to help us and the beauty industry accelerate our sustainable transformation. We look forward to making progress together.” Trisha Ayyagari, Global Brand President, Maybelline New York

“At Kraft Heinz, we know collaboration is the key to unlocking solutions for the future of packaging. We are proud to partner with Closed Loop Partners on this groundbreaking research to advance packaging solutions, improve end-of-life recovery and enhance critical infrastructure. By working together, we can drive meaningful change and create a more sustainable future for food.” Linda Roman, Director of Packaging R&D and North America R&D Fellow, Kraft Heinz

About Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy

The Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners is a trusted innovation and research hub, partnering with the world’s most influential organizations to solve their toughest material challenges.

As part of Closed Loop Partners’ platform, the Center identifies solutions, tests them in real-world settings and scales what works—transforming bold ideas into actionable, scalable strategies. Over the past seven years, the Center has led groundbreaking projects that reshape industries and redefine sustainability.

Learn more about the Center at closedlooppartners.com/thecenter.

New York, NY, February 10, 2025 – Closed Loop Partners today announced that mission-aligned investor, Capricorn Investment Group (“Capricorn”) made a growth investment in its asset management business, Closed Loop Capital Management. Capricorn joins existing shareholders, JS Capital, Schusterman Family Investments and majority owner, Closed Loop Partners Founder & CEO, Ron Gonen. The investment strengthens Closed Loop Capital Management’s position as a leading private investment firm dedicated to accelerating the transition to a circular economy across private equity, venture capital and catalytic private credit strategies.

Closed Loop Partners was founded in 2014 to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. The firm’s three businesses include its investment group, Closed Loop Capital Management, led by Tazia Smith; its innovation center, the Center for the Circular Economy, led by Kate Daly; and Circular Services, one of the largest private recycling and circular economy services providers in the U.S., led by Jessica Long.

The original investors in Closed Loop Partners’ funds are many of the world’s largest global corporations. Today, Closed Loop Capital Management manages capital on behalf of corporations, financial institutions, foundation endowments and family offices. Over the past decade, it has made 85 investments in emerging circular solutions across plastics & packaging, food & agriculture, electronics, the built environment, textiles & apparel and more. Its portfolio has kept over 6 million tons of materials out of landfills, maintaining their circulation in domestic supply chains, and avoided over 17.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions to date.

Capricorn’s strategic investment into Closed Loop Capital Management marks a significant milestone and market signal for scaling the circular economy, which drives security of natural resources and optimization of supply chains through waste mitigation, from product design to advanced remanufacturing. The partnership is grounded in Closed Loop Partners’ and Capricorn’s shared view of the critical need and opportunity for private investment firms with deep expertise in building solutions enabling a more sustainable and resilient global economy. Capricorn’s investment will provide growth capital to enhance Closed Loop Capital Management’s infrastructure and resources as the investment firm continues to execute, and drive value and positive impact on behalf of its corporate, institutional and family office partners.

One of the earliest and most respected climate-focused investment firms in the world, Capricorn manages $12 billion in assets for investors who strive for extraordinary investment results by leveraging market forces to accelerate large-scale environmental and social impact. The investment in Closed Loop Capital Management is part of Capricorn’s continued efforts to provide long-term capital to support the growth of leading asset management firms in the sustainability and climate space.

“Closed Loop Partners has built an impressive platform dedicated to the circular economy. Through its investment group, Closed Loop Capital Management, the team has considerable expertise building and profitably investing in businesses which advance environmental and economic resiliency. We believe their exceptional leadership and strong existing partnerships will provide an excellent foundation for scaling mission-aligned investment strategies which will continue to align capitalism with environmental and social impact,” said Capricorn Partner, William Orum. “We are excited to partner with Closed Loop Partners and look forward to working with their team as they further expand the asset management business over the coming years.”

“Capricorn Investment Group’s partnership with Closed Loop Capital Management signals continued, market-driven tailwinds behind the circular economy. We are proud to join forces with a leading investor driving sustainable change,” said Tazia Smith, Managing Partner and CEO of Closed Loop Capital Management. “Together, we are positioned to expand our proven ability to identify and scale innovations, business models and infrastructure that perpetuate circularity with resilient profitability and net-positive social and environmental outcomes.”

“Capricorn Investment Group is one of the original leaders in sustainable investing. They have built an impressive track record investing in leading fund managers who produce strong financial returns with tangible impact,” said Ron Gonen, Founder & CEO of Closed Loop Partners. “Capricorn’s partnership with Closed Loop Capital Management demonstrates the proven value and investment opportunity in the transition towards a waste-free world.”

Dentons was legal counsel to Closed Loop Partners. Sidley LLP served as legal advisor to Capricorn SIF.

About Closed Loop Partners

Closed Loop Partners is at the forefront of building the circular economy. The firm is comprised of three key businesses that create a platform for systems change. Closed Loop Capital Management is the firm’s investment group, managing venture capital, lower mid-market buyout private equity and catalytic private credit investment strategies on behalf of global corporations, financial institutions and family offices. To date, Closed Loop Capital Management has made 85 investments ranging from emerging innovations to established businesses.

Closed Loop Builders is the firm’s operating group, incubating, building and scaling circular economy infrastructure and services. The Center for the Circular Economy is the firm’s innovation center, uniting organizations to tackle complex material challenges and implementing systemic change that advances the circular economy. Closed Loop Partners is based in New York City and is a registered B Corp. Learn more at www.closedlooppartners.com.

About Capricorn Investment Group

Capricorn Investment Group is a leading mission-aligned investment firm managing $12 billion for families, foundations, and institutional investors. Capricorn leverages over 20 years of sustainable investing experience to deliver comprehensive Outsourced CIO services and innovative fund solutions to its global client base. Their Sustainable Investors Fund (SIF) is a private equity partnership whose investment objective is to create significant value through GP strategic capital investments in asset managers which incorporate sustainability as a key driver of investment returns.

The firm was born from a belief that sustainable investment practices can enhance risk-adjusted returns. Underlying this investment approach is a deep desire to demonstrate the huge investment potential that resides in breakthrough commercial solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. More information is available at www.capricornllc.com

Contacts

Closed Loop Partners
Bea Miñana
[email protected]

Capricorn Investment Group
Julia Mattox

[email protected]

Disclosure

This publication is for informational purposes only, and nothing contained herein constitutes an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any interest in any investment vehicle managed by Closed Loop Capital Management or any company in which Closed Loop Capital Management or its affiliates have invested. An offer or solicitation will be made only through a final private placement memorandum, subscription agreement and other related documents with respect to a particular investment opportunity and will be subject to the terms and conditions contained in such documents, including the qualifications necessary to become an investor. Closed Loop Capital Management does not utilize its website to provide investment or other advice, and nothing contained herein constitutes a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto. Information provided reflects Closed Loop Capital Management’s views as of a particular time and are subject to change without notice. You should obtain relevant and specific professional advice before making any investment decision.

Executive endorsements of Closed Loop Capital Management are for illustrative purposes, designed to attract business development contacts, and should not be construed as a client or investor testimonial of Closed Loop Capital Management’s investment advisory services. All such endorsements are from current or former portfolio company leadership about Closed Loop Capital Management’s ability to provide services to their companies. Closed Loop Capital Management has not, directly or indirectly, paid any compensation to such individuals for their endorsements.

The Case Studies described on the Website are included as representative transactions to demonstrate assets to which Closed Loop Capital Management provides capital, however, are not representative of all Closed Loop Capital Management investments and are not necessarily reflective of overall results of any of Closed Loop Capital Management’s businesses. Investments in other businesses may have materially different results. Not all Closed Loop Capital Management investments had or will have similar characteristics or experiences as those included herein.

Certain information on this Website may contain forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks and uncertainties and speak only as of the date on which they are made. The words “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “optimistic”, “intend”, “aim”, “will” or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Closed Loop Capital Management undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Past performance is not indicative of future results; no representation is being made that any investment or transaction will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those achieved in the past, or that significant losses will be avoided.

Colorado, United States, January 28 2025 –– LAIIER, an innovative liquid leak detection solution provider for commercial and industrial buildings, announced today that it has raised US$4M in seed extension funding. Closed Loop Partners’ Ventures Group, the venture capital arm of the circular economy-focused firm, led the financing round, with participation from six other funds.

Existing investors Burnt Island Ventures and Mundi Ventures participated in the round, and were joined by new investors Bonaventure Capital, Carlisle Ventures, One Small Planet, and Virta Ventures.

 LAIIER focuses on solving the $19B+ annual problem of damage and downtime caused by liquid leaks in commercial buildings and industrial equipment. Traditional leak detection methods are inefficient, relying on manual inspections and resulting in slow response times of over 80 hours. This leads to significant financial losses, with properties experiencing between one and four large leak events annually. The severity of these leaks can vary widely, with costs escalating rapidly for severe cases and risks of expensive insurance claims and water loss increasing.

As real estate owner operators continue to seek more reliable leak detection that has a positive impact on both financial and environmental metrics, LAIIER’s technology offers scale, precision, and ROI that few other solutions on the market can match.

First launched in 2022, the company’s flagship water leak detection product, Severn WLD™, is currently protecting assets in a range of commercial and industrial buildings in North America and Europe, including those of Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 companies. The technology detects as little as two drops of water, offers flexible installation, precise sensitivity control, and utilizes long-range, low-power communication.

These advanced sensors, and the company’s cloud platform, LAIIER Cloud™, enable early detection of leaks and real-time monitoring, contributing to substantial water savings by alerting customers to issues before they escalate. By identifying leaks in their initial stages, LAIIER’s technology plays a crucial role in preventing extensive water damage to buildings and equipment, and helps mitigate the loss of water––an increasingly scarce and valuable commodity.

“This funding round represents a pivotal moment for LAIIER as we continue to accelerate our growth across North America and Europe,” said Matt Johnson, CEO & Co-founder of LAIIER. “Closed Loop Partners’ Ventures Group is renowned for its leadership in sustainable innovation and its deep expertise in scaling transformative technologies. Their prestigious reputation and proven track record in advancing successful businesses align perfectly with our mission to redefine leak detection in industrial and commercial markets. We are honored to have their support and partnership.”

The primary focus of the funding is to support the acceleration of LAIIER’s commercial growth globally, with a particular focus on North American expansion. The funds will also support the company’s continued investment in the development of its patented liquid leak detection technologies––both the commercially available water leak detection product, Severn WLD™; and the development of further liquid leak detection products for specific commercial and industrial applications.

“In an escalating climate crisis marked by increasing water scarcity and frequency of extreme weather events––from fires to flooding––solutions like LAIIER’s drive awareness and action around our relationship with water and industrial lubricants, and represent a crucial step toward less damage and a better experience with insurers when damages occur. LAIIER’s technology not only minimizes the risk of significant financial losses for asset owners, it can also prevent minor leaks from developing into major events, potentially conserving millions of gallons annually,” said Aly Bryan, Investor on Closed Loop Partners’ Ventures Group team. “We are proud to support LAIIER’s continued growth in North America, and look forward to working with their team to advance circularity across industrial applications and in the built world at scale.” 

About LAIIER

LAIIER solves the $19B+ annual problem of damage and downtime caused by liquid leaks in commercial buildings and industrial equipment. The company’s patented technologies deploy digital intelligence to detect and alert customers to leaking water, hydrocarbons, and more. Customers subscribe to the full-stack solution, which includes a unique sensor technology, connectivity and cloud services; providing a scale, precision, capability, and return on investment that competitors cannot match. LAIIER’s technologies are deployed with insurers, real estate owner operators, and system integrators in North America and Europe.

About the Closed Loop Ventures Group at Closed Loop Partners

Closed Loop Partners is at the forefront of building the circular economy. The firm is comprised of three key businesses that create a platform for systems change: an investment group managing venture capital, buyout private equity and catalytic private credit investment strategies, Closed Loop Capital Management; an innovation center, the Center for the Circular Economy; and an operating group, Closed Loop Builders.

The firm’s venture capital strategy, the Closed Loop Ventures Group, has been investing early-stage capital into companies developing breakthrough circular solutions for foundational materials that underpin and significantly influence a wide array of vital sectors of the economy. These materials include organics, minerals, polymers and water. Closed Loop Ventures Group partners with founders and companies who rethink how products are designed, manufactured, consumed and recovered, with the shared vision of reimagining supply chains and eliminating waste. Closed Loop Partners is based in New York City and is a registered B Corp.

To learn about the Closed Loop Ventures Group and apply for funding, visit www.closedlooppartners.com.

PRESS CONTACTS

LAIIER

Laura Lilienthal, VP of Marketing, [email protected]

Closed Loop Partners

Bea Miñana, Communications Director, [email protected]

Disclosure

This publication is for informational purposes only, and nothing contained herein constitutes an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any interest in any investment vehicle managed by Closed Loop Capital Management or any company in which Closed Loop Capital Management or its affiliates have invested. An offer or solicitation will be made only through a final private placement memorandum, subscription agreement and other related documents with respect to a particular investment opportunity and will be subject to the terms and conditions contained in such documents, including the qualifications necessary to become an investor. Closed Loop Capital Management does not utilize its website to provide investment or other advice, and nothing contained herein constitutes a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto. Information provided reflects Closed Loop Capital Management’s views as of a particular time and are subject to change without notice. You should obtain relevant and specific professional advice before making any investment decision.

Executive endorsements of Closed Loop Capital Management are for illustrative purposes, designed to attract business development contacts, and should not be construed as a client or investor testimonial of Closed Loop Capital Management’s investment advisory services. All such endorsements are from current or former portfolio company leadership about Closed Loop Capital Management’s ability to provide services to their companies. Closed Loop Capital Management has not, directly or indirectly, paid any compensation to such individuals for their endorsements.

The Case Studies described on the Website are included as representative transactions to demonstrate assets to which Closed Loop Capital Management provides capital, however, are not representative of all Closed Loop Capital Management investments and are not necessarily reflective of overall results of any of Closed Loop Capital Management’s businesses. Investments in other businesses may have materially different results. Not all Closed Loop Capital Management investments had or will have similar characteristics or experiences as those included herein.

Certain information on this Website may contain forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks and uncertainties and speak only as of the date on which they are made. The words “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “optimistic”, “intend”, “aim”, “will” or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Closed Loop Capital Management undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Past performance is not indicative of future results; no representation is being made that any investment or transaction will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those achieved in the past, or that significant losses will be avoided.

November 13, 2024, New York, NY — Closed Loop Partners‘ Ventures Group announces its follow-on investment in Earthodic, a Brisbane-based biotechnology company creating recyclable bio-based coatings for paper packaging. This is Closed Loop Ventures Group’s second investment in Earthodic, supporting the company’s expansion into the U.S. The $4 million seed funding round was led by FTW Ventures, with participation from existing investors Closed Loop Partners’ Ventures Group, Tenacious Ventures and Investible, and new investors Circulate Capital, Queensland Investment Corporation, UniQuest Fund, Significant Capital Ventures, Branch Venture Group and Redstick Ventures.

The investment is taking place as more corporations demand packaging alternatives that reduce waste while maintaining performance. Today, most paper packaging uses petroleum-based plastic liners that help prevent leakage and maintain temperature but are typically discarded as waste. Closed Loop Ventures Group saw an opportunity to advance bio-based coatings that can enable better performance of existing paper packaging or products and unlock opportunities to switch from non-recoverable single-use plastics to recoverable bio-based alternatives.

Earthodic’s Biobarc™ is a water-resistant, repulpable and recyclable coating for paper packaging, offering a solution for brands and packaging manufacturers looking to transition away from wax and polymer film coatings to reduce plastic waste. Earthodic uses lignin––a byproduct of paper manufacturing that is often discarded or burned for energy––and reintegrates it into Biobarc™ to create a recyclable solution for paper packaging. The company is also pursuing third party certifications to ensure Biobarc™’s compostability at industrial composting facilities in the U.S., creating more potential end-of-life pathways for the material.

“This is a key milestone for Earthodic as we expand our reach into new geographic markets, and new paper packaging applications. Advancing a bio-based coating for paperboard can have a significant impact on plastic waste reduction,” says Anthony Musumeci, Co-founder and CEO of Earthodic. “Closed Loop Partners’ Ventures Group has been a key partner in our growth since they first invested in Earthodic. We are thrilled to continue our partnership with their team as we scale our solution and advance the circularity of packaging.”

Closed Loop Ventures Group’s investment in Earthodic advances the group’s mandate to deploy early-stage capital to founders and companies who rethink how products are designed, manufactured, consumed and recovered. Since Closed Loop Partners’ venture capital group launched in 2016, it has invested in over 40 companies advancing solutions that optimize supply chains and reduce reliance on fossil fuel extraction and landfilling. These range from packaging & plastic alternatives to safer chemistry and supply chain transparency to waste reduction solutions for food & agriculture, retail logistics, renewable energy, water reclamation, built environment and distributed manufacturing.

“Packaging waste comprises 30 percent of materials sent to landfill today, creating a significant challenge for brands and packaging manufactures looking to meet zero waste goals. Earthodic’s coating offers a circular solution for paper packaging that can help divert materials from landfill while maintaining the same performance capabilities brands have come to expect from their packaging solutions,” said Aly Bryan, Investor on the Closed Loop Ventures Group team at Closed Loop Partners. “Closed Loop Ventures Group is proud to have been among the first investors in Earthodic and we look forward to supporting their growth as they scale throughout the United States with their solution.”

With capital from its seed funding round, Earthodic will establish a second headquarters at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine Innovation Center, situated near a pilot coating plant and testing facilities used extensively by the paper industry. Their main research & development hub will stay in Queensland, Australia. The company will deepen existing research & development partnerships with global leaders in paper packaging while continuing to sell Biobarc™ into non-food contact packaging at scale, as a superior solution to traditional wax and petroleum-based coatings.

This will create more opportunities for circularity across the packaging, food and consumer goods industries.
If you are interested in learning more about Closed Loop Partners’ Ventures Group, please visit www.closedlooppartners.com.

If you are interested in learning more about Earthodic, please visit www.earthodic.com.

About Earthodic
Earthodic is on a mission to advance the global transition to a circular economy. We help companies within the paper industry and their customers adopt sustainable packaging solutions, mitigating packaging waste that ends up in landfill. Earthodic has created sustainable function barrier coatings that are certified 100% biobased carbon, to offer liquid water barrier and oil and grease resistance to paper-based packaging. Earthodic coatings utilize lignin, a by-product of the pulp and paper industry, and are a drop-in solution for existing coating infrastructure. Established in 2022, Earthodic has operations across Australia and the USA.

To learn more, visit www.earthodic.com.

About Closed Loop Partners
Closed Loop Partners is at the forefront of building the circular economy. The firm is comprised of three key businesses that create a platform for systems change: an investment group, Closed Loop Capital Management; an innovation center, the Center for the Circular Economy; and an operating group, Closed Loop Builders. Closed Loop Capital Management manages venture capital, buyout private equity and catalytic private credit investment strategies.
The firm’s venture capital strategy, the Closed Loop Ventures Group, has been investing early-stage capital into companies developing breakthrough solutions for the circular economy since 2016. Closed Loop Ventures Group’s portfolio includes companies developing leading innovations in material science, robotics, agritech, sustainable consumer products and advanced technologies that further the circular economy. Closed Loop Partners is based in New York City and is a registered B Corp.

To learn about Closed Loop Ventures Group, visit www.closedlooppartners.com.

Disclosure

This publication is for informational purposes only, and nothing contained herein constitutes an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any interest in any investment vehicle managed by Closed Loop Capital Management or any company in which Closed Loop Capital Management or its affiliates have invested. An offer or solicitation will be made only through a final private placement memorandum, subscription agreement and other related documents with respect to a particular investment opportunity and will be subject to the terms and conditions contained in such documents, including the qualifications necessary to become an investor. Closed Loop Capital Management does not utilize its website to provide investment or other advice, and nothing contained herein constitutes a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto. Information provided reflects Closed Loop Capital Management’s views as of a particular time and are subject to change without notice. You should obtain relevant and specific professional advice before making any investment decision. Certain information on this Website may contain forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks and uncertainties and speak only as of the date on which they are made. The words “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “optimistic”, “intend”, “aim”, “will” or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Closed Loop Capital Management undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Past performance is not indicative of future results; no representation is being made that any investment or transaction will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those achieved in the past, or that significant losses will be avoided.

USA & CANADA, October 21, 2024: The Compostable Field Testing Program (CFTP) and Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy are pleased to announce the launch of the CFTP’s much-anticipated data-sharing website, offering public access to detailed results from compostable packaging field testing over the last decade, through a dynamic interactive dashboard.

The CFTP’s new platform allows users to explore compostable product disintegration data with an unprecedented level of detail, helping composters, policymakers, regulatory agencies, brands, packaging manufacturers, researchers and consumers evaluate the potential of and opportunities for compostable packaging, and advance the practice of field testing.

The launch of the database is made possible through data donated from the Composting Consortium, an industry collaboration managed by Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy. This data comes from the Consortium’s groundbreaking study in 2023 which analyzed the disintegration of over 23,000 units of compostable packaging in the largest known field test of certified, food-contact compostable packaging conducted in North America. The CFTP provided support on field testing methodology, logistics and data analysis for this study. They also provided test items from their baseline sample kit, unlocking a larger sample set for data collection.

Data donated from the Consortium allowed CFTP to hit its critical anonymization threshold to open-source field testing data collected over the last decade. This marks a milestone for the composting industry, filling a historical data gap on compostable packaging disintegration in-field and providing access to a necessary baseline to inform improved recovery.

“The Composting Consortium’s goal is to support the recovery of compostable packaging, ensuring that the material disintegrates in real world conditions and brings value to composters and the organics stream. Field testing compostable packaging plays a key role in achieving this goal, and was a top priority for the Consortium in 2023, alongside characterizing contamination at compost sites,” says Caroline Barry, Program Manager at Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy. “CFTP played an instrumental role in the success of our disintegration study, and we’re thrilled to share data for their platform, providing the industry with insights that help move the needle on compostable packaging recovery.”

“We had to hit a critical threshold of data and repeated testing under certain conditions to be able to publish the data we’ve been collecting over the last 10 years,” says Emily McGill, Program Director of the Compostable Field Testing Program. “Now, with the data from the Composting Consortium’s disintegration study, we have not only more product disintegration data, but more results on the composters’ operating conditions that provide a crucial link to understanding product breakdown and refining field test methods.”

The collaboration between the organizations has enabled both to share valuable insights into the factors that affect compostable product breakdown, offering practical data to support better product design, composting practices and regulatory standards. The impacts of the Composting Consortium’s disintegration study extend beyond this initial data release. The Composting Consortium recently launched its Composter Innovator Program and Municipal Partner Platform, sharing insights and enabling collaboration to advance the circularity of food waste composting and food-contact compostable packaging.

Later this year, the CFTP will be releasing its refined methods for field testing and a field report, providing more valuable analysis and insights to inform thoughtful compostable packaging development and recovery in the U.S. and Canada.

Explore the Website

Visit the new website for key takeaways of the field testing results and to explore the interactive dashboard at compostabletesting.org.

Media Contacts:

Emily McGill, Program Director, Compostable Field Testing Program

[email protected]

Bea Miñana, Communications Director, Closed Loop Partners

[email protected]

About the Compostable Field Testing Program

The Compostable Field Testing Program is a non-profit research initiative dedicated to providing methods and materials to conduct field testing to composters across North America and beyond. Operating since 2016 as a collaborative venture between Compost Research & Education Foundation and its partner BSIbio, the CFTP provides a standard test kit and a customizable protocol for the common ‘mesh bag method’. When participating facilities share back their results, this data is collected by the CFTP, aggregated and anonymized for eventual public release in an online database. By helping composters evaluate and report on the real-world performance of compostable products, the program provides valuable data to support sustainable product development and composting practices.

About the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners

Closed Loop Partners is a firm at the forefront of building the circular economy. The company is comprised of three key business segments. Closed Loop Capital Management manages venture capital, buyout and catalytic private credit investment strategies on behalf of global corporations, financial institutions and family offices. Closed Loop Builders is an operating group that incubates, builds and scales circular economy infrastructure and services. The Center for the Circular Economy (‘the Center’) is the innovation arm of Closed Loop Partners. The Center executes research and analytics, unites organizations to tackle complex material challenges and implement systemic change that advances the circular economy. The Center’s expertise spans circularity across the full lifecycle of materials, connecting upstream innovation to downstream recovery infrastructure and end markets. Learn more about the Center’s work at https://www.closedlooppartners.com/the-center/

About the Composting Consortium

The Composting Consortium, managed by the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners, is a multi-year industry collaboration on a mission to build a world where organics are kept in circulation. The Consortium advances composting infrastructure and the recovery and processing of food-contact compostable packaging and food scraps in the U.S., to reduce food waste and mitigate climate impact. The Consortium brings together leading voices across the composting and compostable packaging value chain––from the world’s leading brands to best-in-class composters running the operations on the ground. Through in-market tests, deep research and industry-wide collaboration, the Consortium is laying the groundwork for a more robust, resilient composting system that can keep food waste and compostable packaging in circulation. For more information, please visit www.closedlooppartners.com/composting-consortium/

October 23, 2024, New York, NY — Today, the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag, an industry collaboration managed by Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy, announced a renewed collaboration with many of the world’s leading retailers, expanding its groundbreaking work to eliminate single-use bag waste.

Retailers Target, CVS Health, The Kroger Co., Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Meijer and Walmart are renewing their long-standing commitment in the Consortium, focusing on implementing more sustainable and convenient solutions to eliminate single-use retail bag waste. Building on four years of collaborative work and extensive in-market tests and research, this strengthened commitment will allow the Consortium to continue scaling proven bag waste reduction strategies.

Highlighting the successes of the last four years and charting a path forward for potential impact, the Consortium is also releasing a new report, Sparking a National Culture Shift to Reduce Plastic Bag Waste. The report shares findings from the Consortium’s largest in-market reusable bag tests in 2023, which spanned 160 retailers and 375+ stores of all sizes across Denver, Colorado and Tucson, Arizona. Through the tests, retail stores encouraged consumers to develop the habit of bringing their bag or opting to go without one, resulting in nearly 5% fewer single-use plastic bag transactions. This equated to the potential elimination of up to 9.5 million bags annually across the two test geographies, demonstrating the impact of supporting customers at different stages of their journey to reuse a bag or go without one.

Read the full report

The findings from the Consortium’s 2023 in-market tests serve as a blueprint for the Consortium’s upcoming work to scale bag waste reduction strategies. By acting together to advance solutions that support customers and avoid waste, the Consortium aims to achieve positive environmental impact and minimize unintended consequences.

“100 billion single-use plastic bags are used in the U.S. every year. From the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag’s work over the last four years, we know that retailer collaboration and customer engagement are critical to making single-use bag waste a thing of the past. The Consortium is proud to bring retail industry leaders together in a renewed commitment to making circular strategies a reality on the ground. As we expand from ideation to implementation of solutions that support customers and reduce single-use bag waste, we aim to drive a cultural change toward reduction and reuse,” says Kate Daly, Managing Director and Head of the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners.

The Consortium’s continued collaboration signals the collective commitment of many retail industry leaders to implement tested solutions that move the needle toward zero waste goals and the importance of working together to achieve these. As policy around bags gains momentum in the U.S. and new solutions are needed to address the single-use bag waste crisis, the Consortium will share legislative best practices gathered from its holistic assessment and continue identifying, testing and implementing new innovative solutions.

“We are proud of the shared progress achieved with the Consortium and across the retail industry over the past four years, meeting shoppers where they are with accessible, adoptable alternatives to single-use plastic bags,” said Agata Ramallo Garcia, vice president, head of enterprise sustainability at Target. “The partnerships we continue to forge through the Consortium demonstrate the power and need for collaboration in order to innovate and scale solutions that will meaningfully reduce single-use plastic bag waste.”

“Reducing single-use bag impacts is a positive step for both the environment and our health,” said Jenny McColloch, vice president of sustainability and community impact at CVS Health. “We are excited to move forward with the next phase of work with the Consortium and come together to drive innovation across our sectors, especially as packaging policies continue to evolve and consumer experiences vary from retailer to retailer.”

“We believe that learning and working collaboratively is the best way to reduce the number of single-use plastic bags in the U.S.,” said Lisa Zwack, Head of Sustainability at The Kroger Co. “By assembling a number of major retailers in the initial phase of this work, the Consortium laid a foundation for innovation and systems change. We look forward to extending this collective effort to create more circular, waste-free systems that support our customers and our stores.”

With deepened collaboration and reach across the retail industry, the Consortium is poised to scale bag waste reduction and reuse strategies that enable behavior change and support a broader cultural shift to eliminate single-use bag waste.

Retailers of all sizes are invited to join the Consortium’s multi-year collaboration to engage their customers and communities, advance their sustainability goals and co-create a waste-free retail future.

Interested in learning more about the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag? Learn more here.

Interested in reading the Consortium’s latest report? Visit here.

About the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners

The Center for the Circular Economy is the innovation arm of Closed Loop Partners, a firm at the forefront of building the circular economy. The Center executes research and analytics, unites organizations to tackle complex material challenges and implements systemic change that advances the circular economy. The Center for the Circular Economy’s expertise spans circularity across the full lifecycle of materials, connecting upstream innovation to downstream recovery infrastructure and end markets. Learn more about the Center for the Circular Economy at closedlooppartners.com/the-center/

About the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag

The Beyond the Bag Initiative, launched by the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag, aims to identify, pilot and implement viable design solutions and models that more sustainably serve the purpose of the current retail bag. Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy manages the Consortium, with Target, CVS Health and The Kroger Co. as Strategic Leads, and Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Meijer and Walmart as Supporting Partners. Learn more about the Consortium here.

October 21, 2024, New York, NY – Today, Closed Loop Partners’ portfolio company, Sage Sustainable Electronics (“Sage”), announces their acquisition of Relectro, a national provider of electronics repair, refurbishment and logistics services. The acquisition expands Sage’s offerings into repair services, bolstering the company’s existing IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) services. The acquisition was completed through a follow-on investment from Closed Loop Partners’ buyout private equity group focused on acquiring and growing platforms to advance a circular economy.

Closed Loop Partners first joined forces with Sage in 2023 as a majority shareholder in the company, aiming to accelerate the company’s growth and strengthen its position as a leading provider of sustainable ITAD services in North America. Since then, Sage has been at the forefront of advancing a circular economy for electronics, providing secure reuse and recovery solutions to businesses seeking to sustainably dispose of their IT assets.

Today, Sage faces an evolving IT industry. Devices are being replaced much more often, with an average refresh cycle by IT departments of two years for smart phones, four years for laptops and five years for printers. Amidst increasing demand for repair services to extend the lifecycle of electronic devices, Sage completed its acquisition of Relectro to provide a comprehensive suite of solutions that can keep more devices in circulation.

Since 2011, Relectro has specialized in electronics repair, focused on refurbishing products for continued use before disposal. The company provides repair-on-demand services to leading warranty repair firms, insurance firms, mobile device providers and more. With a repair rate of over 25,000 assets per year across wireless handsets, laptops, tablets and other devices, Relectro is positioned to add significant capacity for advanced repair services to Sage’s platform.

“This marks an important milestone for Sage as we expand our platform with Relectro. Their wide-ranging partner network and deep technical expertise are key assets to our growth, adding strategic expertise to our platform,” said Bob Houghton, CEO of Sage Sustainable Electronics. “Relectro enables us to expand depot repair services for enterprise clients––extending lifecycles, reducing costs and increasing sustainability.”

The geographical proximity of the two companies creates more opportunity for a fully integrated platform of repair services, asset management, reverse logistics and recycling services for the wireless and smart device technology industry. Sage recently announced their fourth national repurposing center in Montgomeryville, PA, which is located less than 10 miles away from Relectro’s 40,000 square foot facility in Telford, PA.

“We look forward to this next phase of growth as a part of Sage Sustainable Electronics’ platform,” said Brian Itterly, Founder & CEO of Relectro. “For over a decade, Relectro has provided critical repair services for electronics––a key part of keeping devices in circulation for longer. Today, our repair and refurbishment services complement and build on Sage’s reuse and recovery services, offering a wider range of solutions for businesses across the country.”

This is the seventh investment to date from Closed Loop Partners’ buyout private equity group, employing a buy-and-build strategy to partner with companies and scale platforms and enabling technologies across plastics & packaging, organics, circular technology and textiles to develop, accelerate and modernize circular supply chains and recycling & reuse infrastructure.

The investment to support Sage’s acquisition of Relectro builds on Closed Loop Partners’ robust portfolio of investments to advance circularity for electronics––one of the key focus areas of the firm, alongside packaging, textiles, organics and more. Closed Loop Partners’ broader portfolio of investments in electronics circularity spans IT asset management and disposition, disassembly and remanufacturing, collection and reuse, and end-of-life electronics recycling.

“Closed Loop Partners is proud to back Sage Sustainable Electronics’ acquisition of Relectro, laying the foundation for an expanded platform with strong operational processes, complementary geographical locations and continued progress toward electronics circularity,” said Jackson Pei, Co-head of Closed Loop Partners’ buyout private equity strategy. “We look forward to supporting Sage’s continued growth with their now expanded IT Asset Disposition and repair services.”

Following the acquisition, Sage will continue to grow its services and geographical footprint, positioning the company for wider reach to keep more electronics in circulation and out of landfills.

To learn more about Closed Loop Partners, please visit here.

To learn more about Sage Sustainable Electronics, please visit here.

To learn more about Relectro, please visit here.

About Closed Loop Partners

Closed Loop Partners is at the forefront of building the circular economy. The company is comprised of three key business segments: its investment arm, Closed Loop Capital Management; its innovation center, the Center for the Circular Economy; and its operating group, Closed Loop Builders. Closed Loop Capital Management manages venture capital, buyout private equity and catalytic private credit investment strategies.

Closed Loop Partners’ buyout private equity strategy captures this market opportunity for the circular economy by identifying solutions, originating innovative opportunities, and building and scaling platforms and enabling technologies across plastics & packaging, organics, circular technology and textiles to develop, accelerate and modernize circular supply chains and recycling & reuse infrastructure.

About Sage Sustainable Electronics

Sage Sustainable Electronics, based in Columbus, Ohio is a leading provider of IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) services, safely and securely refurbishing used IT assets for another life. Founded in 2014 by Bob Houghton, Sage’s platform has expanded to include four national repurposing facilities across three states, processing nearly one million assets annually. Sage extends the useful life and increases the recovery value of IT assets for its clients, which include Fortune 100 companies across various industries, including finance, healthcare and defense.

About Relectro

Relectro is a national leader in electronics repair, refurbishment, asset management and electronics recycling. Founded in 2011, Relectro handles the entire device lifecycle of electronic mobile devices consisting of smartphones, computers, laptops, tablets, smartwatches, gaming, IoT and various other mobile electronics. It operates a R2V3 certified state of the art and full-service depot facility working with many insurance, extended warranty, EDU, enterprise and asset disposition partners in the U.S.

 Disclosure

This publication is for informational purposes only, and nothing contained herein constitutes an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any interest in any investment vehicle managed by Closed Loop Capital Management or any company in which Closed Loop Capital Management or its affiliates have invested. An offer or solicitation will be made only through a final private placement memorandum, subscription agreement and other related documents with respect to a particular investment opportunity and will be subject to the terms and conditions contained in such documents, including the qualifications necessary to become an investor. Closed Loop Capital Management does not utilize its website to provide investment or other advice, and nothing contained herein constitutes a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto. Information provided reflects Closed Loop Capital Management’s views as of a particular time and are subject to change without notice. You should obtain relevant and specific professional advice before making any investment decision. Certain information on this Website may contain forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks and uncertainties and speak only as of the date on which they are made. The words “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “optimistic”, “intend”, “aim”, “will” or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Closed Loop Capital Management undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Past performance is not indicative of future results; no representation is being made that any investment or transaction will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those achieved in the past, or that significant losses will be avoided.

STERLING, Va., Oct. 9, 2024 — Molg Inc. (“Molg”) announces the closing of $5.5 million in seed funding to scale the company’s circular manufacturing processes for electronics and electrical components. Closed Loop Partners’ Ventures Group led the round, with participation from Amazon Climate Pledge Fund, ABB Robotics & Automation Ventures, Overture, Elemental Impact and Techstars. The company plans to use funding to scale production capacity and meet growing customer demand for circularity and automation.

The funding round is closing at a pivotal time, amidst growing urgency to keep electronics in circulation and recover the critical minerals needed to support the clean energy transition. Today, tens of millions of tonnes of electronic devices are discarded or become obsolete each year. In 2022, only 22.3 percent of e-waste was recycled, according to data from the UN Global E-waste Monitor, resulting in the vast majority of electronics being sent to landfill, where they release greenhouse gasses and chemical substances into the environment. Over $62 billion worth of critical minerals and precious metals are also left unrecovered within electronics waste, missing the opportunity for reuse and remanufacturing for clean energy supply chains. As these materials grow increasingly scarce, expensive and geopolitically sensitive, more solutions are needed to ensure they are kept in circulation.

“After a decade in consumer electronics manufacturing, we founded Molg because we saw firsthand how current design, production and recovery processes—or the absence thereof—contribute to the massive problem of e-waste,” said Molg cofounder and CEO Rob Lawson-Shanks. “Achieving true circularity requires a fundamental shift in the underlying systems that support demanufacturing. It starts with better design and is enabled by dynamic automation. This funding allows us to accelerate our work at both ends of a product’s life, designing for circularity from the start and recovering valuable devices, components and materials through automated disassembly.”

Molg is tackling the e-waste challenge through a comprehensive circular manufacturing process powered by robotics and design. Its robotic microfactories can autonomously disassemble complex electronic products to recover valuable components for reuse, remanufacturing or recycling. The team also partners with leading manufacturers to design electronics with circularity in mind—ensuring one product’s end is another’s new beginning.

“We invested in Molg because they are rethinking how critical materials can be recovered from electronics, addressing a historically overlooked source of valuable resources. Their process maximizes the value of recovered materials and allows for local recovery where materials are most needed––important parts of advancing the circular economy,” said Aly Bryan, Investor on the Ventures Group team of Closed Loop Partners, a firm focused on building the circular economy. “They are helping to unlock a scalable solution that not only reduces environmental impact but also strengthens supply chains by recovering materials domestically.”

Molg has its headquarters and manufacturing facility in the heart of the data center industry in Northern Virginia. The company’s seed round of funding will be used primarily to scale production to meet customer demand for circular supply chains.

“Amazon remains committed to our decarbonization efforts and supporting technologies that aim to improve the circularity of our supply chains,” said Sam LaPierre, Investor at Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund. “Efforts to improve hardware demanufacturing and material recovery, such as those developed by Molg, are promising technologies that can help advance the recycling and material recovery industries at scale. We are excited to support the growth of Molg, a company at the forefront of unlocking circular supply chains for electronics.”

Molg has already installed robotic disassembly Microfactories at Sims Lifecycle Services and is rolling out to ITAD facilities of leading hyperscalers. The team also works on circular design with leading companies like HP, Dell and ABB Robotics & Automation Ventures to redesign products for the automated recovery of valuable components, remanufacturing and recycling.

“Our investment in Molg will open new possibilities for using industrial robots in the recovery and recycling of data center equipment,” said ABB Robotics Managing Director Business Line Industries, Craig McDonnell. “By helping to enable the automated disassembly and responsible disposal of disused electronics, we are excited to be playing our role in transforming the circularity and sustainability of the data center sector.”

“We invested in Molg to help solve two critical challenges: dealing with mountains of toxic waste that are growing every year, and meeting the rapidly increasing demand for critical minerals in batteries, data centers, and electronics,” said Elemental Impact CEO Dawn Lippert. “Molg is an example of how innovation in AI and robotics can be good for the planet and consumers: why would we landfill precious metals when we can recover them domestically and reuse them?”

“The AI boom and rapid expansion of data centers is coinciding with an energy transition that demands an immense supply of critical minerals. Molg helps hyperscalers and electronics manufacturers tap into the supply of retired servers and other e-waste that still contain immense material value,” said Overture Climate VC Managing Partner, Shomik Dutta. “Molg’s robotic solution not only moves the industry towards circularity; it presents a supply that is cheaper and more domestically secure.”

About Molg
Molg tackles the growing e-waste problem by making manufacturing circular. The company’s robotic microfactory can autonomously disassemble complex electronic products like laptops and servers, helping keep valuable components and materials within supply chains and out of landfills. Molg partners with leading electronics manufacturers to design the next generation of products with reuse in mind, ensuring that one product’s end is another’s beginning. To learn more, visit molg.ai.

About Closed Loop Partners
Closed Loop Partners is at the forefront of building the circular economy. The company is comprised of three key business segments: its investment arm, Closed Loop Capital Management; its innovation center, the Center for the Circular Economy; and its operating group, Closed Loop Builders. Closed Loop Capital Management manages venture capital, buyout private equity and catalytic private credit investment strategies. The firm’s venture capital group, the Closed Loop Ventures Group, has been investing early-stage capital into companies developing breakthrough solutions for the circular economy since 2016. The Closed Loop Ventures Group’s portfolio includes companies developing leading innovations in material science, robotics, agritech, sustainable consumer products and advanced technologies that further the circular economy. Closed Loop Partners is based in New York City and is a registered B Corp. To learn more, visit closedlooppartners.com

About ABB Robotics & Automation Ventures
ABB Robotics & Automation Ventures (ABB RA Ventures) is the business-led strategic venture capital unit of ABB Robotics & Discrete Automation, part of ABB’s corporate venture capital framework: ABB Ventures. Since its formation in 2009, ABB Ventures, formerly known as ABB Technology Ventures (ATV), has invested around $500 million into startups having a close fit to its electrification, robotics, automation, and motion portfolio. For more information, visit www.abb.com/ventures

About Elemental Impact
Elemental Impact is a non-profit investing platform that invests in climate companies and projects with deep local impact. Elemental has a 15-year history of investing in real world solutions that make neighborhoods and homes cleaner, healthier, safer, and more affordable. The investing platform scales climate technologies through a three-tiered approach: deploying catalytic capital, providing project expertise, and prioritizing community partnership. Elemental’s portfolio is active nationwide as well as in more than 100 countries and has raised over $10B in follow-on funding.

About Overture
Overture Climate VC is an early-stage climate tech fund with a focus on helping founders win government support and navigate regulatory complexity. For more information, visit https://www.overture.vc/

Disclaimer:

This publication is for informational purposes only, and nothing contained herein constitutes an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any interest in any investment vehicle managed by Closed Loop Capital Management or any company in which Closed Loop Capital Management or its affiliates have invested. An offer or solicitation will be made only through a final private placement memorandum, subscription agreement and other related documents with respect to a particular investment opportunity and will be subject to the terms and conditions contained in such documents, including the qualifications necessary to become an investor. Closed Loop Capital Management does not utilize its website to provide investment or other advice, and nothing contained herein constitutes a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto. Information provided reflects Closed Loop Capital Management’s views as of a particular time and are subject to change without notice. You should obtain relevant and specific professional advice before making any investment decision. Certain information on this Website may contain forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks and uncertainties and speak only as of the date on which they are made. The words “believe”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “optimistic”, “intend”, “aim”, “will” or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Closed Loop Capital Management undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Past performance is not indicative of future results; no representation is being made that any investment or transaction will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to those achieved in the past, or that significant losses will be avoided.

NEW YORK, Aug. 7, 2024 — Today, the Composting Consortium, a collaboration managed by the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners, released a new blueprint to guide municipal leaders in zero waste, solid waste and sustainability in establishing and scaling composting infrastructure and organics management programs across the country. How Organics Diversion Can Help Achieve Zero Waste Goals: A Blueprint for Action, co-authored with Eco-Cycle, based in Boulder, Colorado, is an essential guide for municipalities seeking to develop food scraps collection programs and to work with composters to meet zero waste and climate goals. Alongside the release of the blueprint, the Consortium invites U.S. municipalities and composters to join two newly launched platforms that support municipalities and composters in scaling organics infrastructure.

Today, food waste in landfills is a major source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that significantly contributes to climate change. Diverting food scraps and yard waste through municipal organics programs reduces methane emissions and provides environmental benefits such as improved soil health, water conservation, carbon sequestration, and support for local economies and ecosystems. To support this diversion, the U.S. composting industry is in an early stage of transformation. More composters are looking to accept and process more food waste; approximately 70% of composters who process food also accept and process some format of food-contact compostable packaging, with the understanding that accepting these materials helps bring in more food waste to their facilities. However, only 10% of U.S. households have access to organics recycling through drop-off and curbside organics collection programs, and only 4% of wasted food is sent to composters today.

“Since its launch in 2021, the Composting Consortium has been focused on moving the needle to change that statistic,” said Kate Daly, Managing Director and Head of the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners. “By creating this blueprint, we aim to equip municipal leaders with a basic ‘how-to’ manual to launch or scale successful organics programs that contribute to a zero-waste future, clean organics streams and a thriving composting industry.”

The blueprint, How Organics Diversion Can Help Achieve Zero Waste Goals, offers a clear and actionable framework, including:

• Policy and Program Expansion for Diverting Food Waste: This section does a deep dive into effective strategies for policy development. It explores methods to incentivize resident and business participation, while outlining pathways to maximize food waste diversion from landfills.
• Setting Up Programs and Infrastructure: This section provides a clear roadmap for establishing new organics programs. It details best practices for collection methods, explores various processing options (composting facilities, anaerobic digestion), and offers guidance on navigating the critical process of contracting with composters.
• Communication with Program Participants: Recognizing the importance of resident and business engagement, this section provides a comprehensive communications toolkit. It outlines strategies for educating participants on proper sorting techniques, maximizing program participation and fostering long-term program success.

To thoughtfully scale organics management, key stakeholders must collaborate. This helps ensure that composting programs and infrastructure are developed to meet the diverse needs of stakeholders across the organics value chain––from composters, to cities, residents, businesses and more. Alongside the release of the blueprint, the Composting Consortium is launching two new platforms to engage directly with municipalities and composters across the country to support the scale-up of robust composting infrastructure.

The Composting Consortium’s new Composter Innovator Program aims to bring composters across the U.S. to the table to play an active role in shaping the future of the composting industry on topics like contamination, policy and funding food waste composting infrastructure. The group will take on important questions, including identifying the cost of processing compostable packaging and offering recommendations on how to allocate Extended Producer Responsibility funds to support composting infrastructure development. The Consortium invites composters across the U.S. to sign up for the program and be involved in the growth of composting infrastructure across the U.S.

The Consortium is also launching its Municipal Partner Platform, a free-to-access platform for city officials focused on sustainability, zero waste and waste management. The platform connects officials with leaders nationwide to share and discuss best practices in starting and expanding organics collection and infrastructure programs. Municipalities of all sizes and stages of development are invited to reach out to the Composting Consortium to explore ways the network can help them achieve their goals of diverting food waste from landfills.

More information on the Composter Innovator Program and the Municipal Partner Platform can be found at www.closedlooppartners.com/composting-consortium/

About the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners

Closed Loop Partners is a firm at the forefront of building the circular economy. The company is comprised of three key business segments. Closed Loop Capital Management manages venture capital, buyout and catalytic private credit investment strategies on behalf of global corporations, financial institutions and family offices. Closed Loop Builders is an operating group that incubates, builds and scales circular economy infrastructure and services. The Center for the Circular Economy (‘the Center’) is the innovation arm of Closed Loop Partners. The Center executes research and analytics, unites organizations to tackle complex material challenges and implement systemic change that advances the circular economy. The Center’s expertise spans circularity across the full lifecycle of materials, connecting upstream innovation to downstream recovery infrastructure and end markets.

For more information, please visit www.closedlooppartners.com/the-center/

About the Composting Consortium

The Composting Consortium, managed by the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners, is a multi-year industry collaboration on a mission to build a world where organics are kept in circulation. The Consortium advances composting infrastructure and the recovery and processing of food-contact compostable packaging and food scraps in the U.S., to reduce food waste and mitigate climate impact.

The Consortium brings together leading voices across the composting and compostable packaging value chain––from the world’s leading brands to best-in-class composters running the operations on the ground. Through in-market tests, deep research and industry-wide collaboration, the Consortium is laying the groundwork for a more robust, resilient composting system that can keep food waste and compostable packaging in circulation.

For more information, please visit www.closedlooppartners.com/composting-consortium/