Leading companies in circular economy and sustainability

Schneider Electric is consistently recognized as a global leader in sustainability, topping the Corporate Knights Global 100 ranking for 2025. The company excels in digital transformation for energy management and automation, actively lowering CO2 emissions and investing in renewable disruptors.

IKEA is committed to becoming fully circular by 2030, implementing strategies like using recycled materials, furniture leasing, and second-hand stores. The company emphasizes sustainable sourcing and product design for extended lifecycles, phasing out non-recyclable plastics.

Adidas is actively pursuing circularity in the fashion industry through initiatives like product rentals, repairs, and resale, alongside using recycled materials. Its 'Circular Fashion Fast Forward' project and participation in 'Behind the Break' highlight its commitment to closing the loop.

Apple is actively reducing its carbon footprint and waste by using 100% recycled aluminum in many new products and transitioning its data centers to green energy. The company has achieved carbon neutrality, showcasing its commitment to environmental responsibility.

Ørsted is a leading energy company that has successfully transitioned from fossil fuels to renewable energy, making it a key player in combating climate change. It is the only energy enterprise globally with a net-zero emissions target, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2025.

Unilever is a leader in sustainable packaging, with its 'Less Plastic, Better Plastic' program and investments in refillable systems. The company is actively advocating for a global plastics treaty, aiming for all its plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025.

PepsiCo's 'pep+' initiative targets 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging by 2030, backed by significant investments in recycling infrastructure. The company is actively advocating for stronger, legally binding rules to curb plastic pollution.

P&G is committed to circularity through innovative recycling technologies and sustainable packaging models, including partnerships like the HolyGrail project. The company is also actively working on converting industrial CO2 into materials for detergents, plastics, and apparel.

Patagonia is a leader in sustainable fashion, actively reducing its environmental impact by eliminating petrochemical-based nylon from many products. The company uses organic cotton or recycled polyester for most of its clothing, with over 60% of its fabrics made from recycled materials.

JYP Entertainment is a pioneer in sustainable practices within the entertainment industry, being the first domestic company to achieve RE100 (100% renewable energy). It is pursuing a '2050 Carbon Neutrality Roadmap,' monitoring energy use and waste reduction for sustainable concert culture.

TOMRA is a leading innovator in recycling technology, providing sensor-based sorting solutions that enhance circularity and resource productivity. Its use of AI-enabled optical sensors and deep-learning algorithms optimizes material recovery across various industries.

NextEra Energy is the largest clean energy company globally, committed to sharply reducing carbon emissions by 2025 and achieving net-zero by 2045. It owns and operates extensive wind farms, solar fields, and battery storage systems, investing in green hydrogen and smart grid systems.

Circ offers a patented hydrothermal process to separate and recover polyester and cotton from blended polycotton textiles, addressing a major textile waste problem. It is the only textile-to-textile recycler for polycotton blends and is building the world's first industrial-scale facility.

Greyparrot uses AI-powered camera systems to identify and track over 111 waste materials in real time, revolutionizing waste sorting and material recovery. Its platforms, Analyzer and Deepnest, help recycling facilities and brands improve recycling rates and identify valuable materials.

SOLARCYCLE addresses the growing challenge of decommissioned solar panels by providing a crucial service for material recovery. The company is expected to recycle nearly one million panels by the end of 2025, promoting circularity in the renewable energy sector.

PulpaTronics creates paper tags for RFID production, eliminating the need for metal mining and reducing e-waste in packaging. The company won the 2024 Green Alley Award and the Santander X Global Challenge Circular Economy Revolution, highlighting its innovative solution.

Protein Evolution is developing an enzyme-based recycling process for textiles that uses little energy and produces no emissions. This promising technology could significantly impact the recycling of difficult-to-process clothing waste, as highlighted in the 2025 Circular Economy Report.

Circularise provides crucial transparency and traceability solutions for supply chains, helping plastic manufacturers, brands, and OEMs track raw materials using blockchain and other technologies. This enables better material management and supports circular economy principles in the plastics industry.

Newlight Technologies is a pioneer in carbon sequestration and bioplastics, capturing carbon from greenhouse emissions to produce valuable bioplastics. This innovative approach contributes to both climate change mitigation and circular material flows.