Article
Journalist
Published
17.9.2026
The 2026 Circular Award winners were presented at the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) 2026 in Gandhinagar. The business awards went to Kijani Testing of Kenya in the Young Woman Entrepreneur category and Indústria Fox of Brazil in the Electronics & ICT category. The policy implementation award winner also came from Brazil: the State of Rio de Janeiro.
The Circular Awards by the European Union Circular Economy Resource Centre (EU CERC) is an annual recognition for public and private sector achievements in advancing the circular economy in EU partner countries. The Business Awards recognise and celebrate innovative circular economy companies, while the Policy Award goes to a public sector entity which effectively implemented a circular economy policy. Winners receive a support package worth up to EUR 10,000 as well as an opportunity to present their work at the World Circular Economy Forum WCEF.
“For the EU CERC Business Awards, we received over 100 applications, the majority of which came from Africa, with good proposals also from Asia and Latin America,” says Frederik van den Bosch, Circular Economy Expert at Enabel. “Assessing all these cases taught us how much is happening already, what wonderful examples within existing circular economic models. Some cases were more linear with a circular touch, whilst others were intrinsically very circular.”
The Electronics & ICT category attracted proposals about companies specialising in recycling, reuse, match-making of reusable parts, and lifetime-extension services. The 2026 winner of this category, Indústria Fox, is based in Cabreúva, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. They offer reverse logistics and recycling of household appliances such as refrigerators, as well as refurbishment of used appliances. When possible, they also recapture critical raw materials to sell as inputs to other manufacturers.
“Business leaders who do not consider the circular economy a strategic factor will end up disappearing because the circular economy, in our view, is the future of global industry,” says Marcelo Souza, CEO of Indústria Fox.
The 2026 winner of the Young Woman Entrepreneur category is Kijani Testing, a company in Kenya run by co-founder and managing director Kinya Kimathi.
“Our business model is such that it can be replicated all over Africa,” says Kimathi. “The end goal for us is to make everyone embrace the circular economy and more sustainable products.”
Kijani Testing offers services which help equipment and technologies last longer, perform better and generate less waste during their life cycle. Their business model brings together repair services, design-for-durability testing and capacity building for companies and communities. A core part of their circular offering is after-sale technical support for products such as solar power, energy storage and Internet of Things (IoT) systems. Many products in off-grid markets fail earlier than expected because users lack access to qualified technicians to maintain and service them.
“Both companies are great examples of successful entrepreneurs who developed companies and products that support and expand the circular economy,” van den Bosch says. “Both provide crucial services to other companies and end customers. Both have good potential to further grow and expand. These two examples can be a great inspiration to other entrepreneurs, financiers and even to regulators who can learn from their business practices.”
The EU CERC Policy Award aims to recognise great circular economy policy implementation from the public sector, including partner organisations such as NGOs.
“We received applications from Asia, Africa, Latin America and countries close to Europe, showing the circular economy is now a global policy priority that resonates well beyond Europe,” says Tim Forslund, Senior Lead, Global Circular Economy at Sitra. “We had a diverse set of applicants this year that demonstrates there need not be a one-size-fits-all approach to policy implementation. What matters is taking action and then measuring the results.”
The winner of the 2026 EU CERC Policy winner was the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for their industrial symbiosis programme.
“The idea is to use the residue from one industry in another industry, to turn a ‘waste’ into a new input or raw material,” explains Andressa Good, Superintendent of Industry, Commerce and Services for the State of Rio de Janeiro. “For example, the Brazilian mint uses ink residue from old ink cans to print our currency. Organic waste has become fertilizer for farms.”
The project started in 2022 with a small pilot with help from partners such as the Danish Energy Agency and the local business association and has since graduated to become public policy in the state.
“Companies are beginning to realise that industrial symbiosis is not just good for the environment, but can also be beneficial economically,” Good says. “We estimate that only three small projects have already created an additional EUR 300,000 in new economic value.”
The State of Rio’s next plan is to reuse waste heat from steel plants in different industrial processes. This is something they already do in Denmark, Good points out, so it is great to collaborate with experienced international partners.
“With the awards we want to promote and celebrate some of the greatest examples of companies and policies that have already been implemented with tangible results,” Forslund says. “More than that, we also want to motivate business leaders and policymakers to drive measurable circular economy outcomes by creating a bit of friendly competition in the run-up towards each WCEF.”
The next World Circular Economy Forum is 9 months away, but the time to submit an application for the Circular Awards by the EU CERC comes much sooner. The deadline for submitting an application for the 2027 Policy Implementation Award is 30 November 2026. The 2027 Business Awards will begin accepting applications in November 2026.