New York, NY, Feb 14 – Hyran Technologies (Hyran), a collaborative, AI-driven fashion supply chain planning and production platform, announces investment from Closed Loop Partners’ Ventures Group. Through their platform, Hyran aims to optimize product development and manufacturing while reducing excess production and textile waste. The company envisions a future that disrupts traditional methods for inventory planning and enables collaboration between factories, suppliers and brands with value chain alignment and shorter design-to-shelf cycles.

Overproduction is one of the primary sources of waste in the fashion industry today, as waste has historically been seen as a cost of doing business in a globalized supply chain with strong competitive pressures that strained brand and supplier relationships. Orders are often overestimated and misaligned with demand signals, resulting in large volumes of overproduced apparel that are ultimately sent to landfill. Not only does this exacerbate the global waste crisis, but it also results in economic challenges for both fashion brands and suppliers. Rapid trend changes, increased geopolitical risk and pressures to adopt more sustainable practices have increased risk for those who continue to operate with legacy supply chain infrastructure.

Hyran’s platform intends to leverage real-time upstream and downstream supply chain data, providing brands and suppliers with visibility into raw material availability and manufacturing capacity, and connecting them with point-of-sale demand signal. This aims to better match production with customer demand by using artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to generate optimal, real-time production plans spanning multiple tiers in the supply chain. Led by co-founders Ahmed Zaidi, University of Cambridge Computer Science PhD with decades’-long family business in apparel manufacturing, and Jordan Zhang, software engineer who built robust machine learning platforms that scaled within leading tech ecosystems, Hyran is bringing together the best of fashion and computer science to build a solution for the industry and for the planet. Ultimately, they aim to help brands build data-driven supply chains, minimize unsold inventory and reduce waste.

“The fashion industry accounts for an estimated 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and is under increasing pressure to address its contribution to global waste,” said Caroline Brown, Managing Director at Closed Loop Partners and former CEO of global fashion houses. “In the face of a great need for new technologies to support a sustainable transition in the retail supply chain, the entrepreneurs at Hyran are envisioning the future of production.”

“Hyran Technologies’ vision is to reduce waste and excess inventory in the fashion industry by enabling speed and flexibility in the supply chain, rather than by trying to predict demand months ahead of time, as is standard practice now,” said Ahmed Zaidi, Co-Founder and CEO of Hyran Technologies. “By breaking down historical silos and strengthening connections between manufacturers and brands, we aim to tackle fashion’s overproduction problem with a fundamentally new approach. Our team of fashion industry and AI experts looks forward to working with manufacturers and brands across the industry, as we build the more transparent, connected, agile fashion supply chains of the future.”

“To build efficiencies and reduce waste in supply chains, we must first build connectivity across shared interests, and Hyran’s platform aims to make this possible,” said Danielle Joseph, Managing Director and Head of the Ventures Group at Closed Loop Partners. “Hyran’s focus on breaking down long-standing silos in the fashion supply chain can enable collaboration and unlock shared economic benefits, ultimately aiming to minimize waste generated through the supply chain. We look forward to working with the team to scale solutions advancing a waste-free future for the fashion industry.”

As Hyran takes flight in the coming months, they are seeking partnerships with manufacturers, brands and retailers with the interest and ability to explore data-driven supply chain management within their operations. Hyran has now begun discussions with brands and manufacturers to find partners keen to integrate these capabilities into their supply chains.

About Hyran Technologies

Hyran aims to help fashion brands minimize unsold inventory and waste and maximize profit by increasing the speed and flexibility of the supply chain. Emboldened through the challenges of a decades’-long family business in apparel manufacturing, combined with deep expertise in AI, the Hyran team brings novel technology to antiquated systems––helping fashion brands and suppliers collaborate toward a more agile, connected and waste-free future for fashion. This supplier-led, AI-optimized planning approach helps meet consumer demand while minimizing excess production and waste, and the costs that go with it, throughout the supply chain. Better for people, better for brands, better for the planet.

If you’re a supplier looking to differentiate your value proposition and better serve brands in your network, or a brand trying to get consumers the products they want when they want them, reach out here to explore if you could be a strong candidate for early product discussions with Hyran. 

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: an investment firm, innovation center and operating group. The investment firm invests in venture, growth equity, buyout and catalytic private credit strategies on behalf of global institutions, corporations and family offices. The innovation center, the Center for the Circular Economy, unites competitors and partners to tackle complex material challenges and implement systemic change to advance circularity. The operating group, Circular Services, has twelve recycling facilities in operation today, and provides holistic, circular materials management to close the loop on valuable materials for municipalities and businesses throughout the United States. Employing innovative technology within reuse, recycling, remanufacturing and re-commerce solutions, Circular Services improves regional economic and environmental outcomes by building resilient systems to keep food & organics, textiles, electronics, packaging and more, in circulation and out of landfill or the natural environment.

Closed Loop Partners is based in New York City and is a registered B Corp. For more information, please visit www.closedlooppartners.com.

About the Closed Loop Ventures Group at Closed Loop Partners 

Closed Loop Partners’ venture capital arm launched in 2017 with one of the first venture funds dedicated solely to investing in early-stage companies developing breakthrough solutions for the circular economy. The Closed Loop Ventures Group targets leading innovations in material science, robotics, agri-tech, sustainable consumer products and advanced technologies that further the circular economy. The Closed Loop Venture Fund II builds on the venture capital group’s first fund’s strategy, supported by an existing portfolio with strong financial performance, coupled with robust environmental and social impact. To learn more about the Closed Loop Ventures Group, visit the Closed Loop Partners’ website.

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, NY—January 23, 2023— The Composting Consortium, a collaboration of industry partners managed by Closed Loop Partners, announced Monday the launch of its Compostable Packaging Disintegration Pilot. The initiative is the most comprehensive collaborative study of real-world compostable packaging disintegration in the U.S. to date. The project marks a milestone for the Consortium, as it aims to improve available data on how certified, food-contact compostable foodware and packaging is currently breaking down at various types of composting facilities––from static piles to worms to GORE® covers. Participating facilities include Ag Choice; Atlas Organics; Black Earth Compost; The Foodbank, Inc. of Dayton, Ohio; Happy Trash Can Curbside Composting; Napa Recycling; Specialized Environmental Technologies, Inc.’s Empire Facility; Veteran Compost and Windham Solid Waste Management.

Working with these industrial composting facilities across the U.S., the Compostable Packaging Disintegration Pilot will evaluate the disintegration of more than 30 types of certified compostable products and packaging––including compostable cutlery, molded fiber bowls, bioplastic cups and snack packaging––across facilities operating with varying climates, composting methods and equipment. Data gathered from the assessment will inform the Consortium’s broader work to align the rapid growth of compostable packaging with on-the-ground operational and business needs of industrial composters.

Pilot development was informed by the expertise of the Consortium’s partners, including key industry collaborators such as the US Composting Council (USCC) and the Compost Research and Education Foundation (CREF), as well as the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI), BioCycle, Resource Recycling Systems (RRS) and consumer and packaging brand companies. These key stakeholders contributed technical knowledge to ensure that the pilot’s objectives, methodology and data align with the operational realities of composting facilities, as well as support circular and economically viable outcomes for composters.

Data collected from this pilot will be donated to the Compostable Field Testing Program (CFTP), a non-profit international research platform which facilitates field testing across North America. The CFTP is designed to develop comprehensive baseline data that correlates composting conditions with the disintegration of common compostable products and packaging. The Consortium’s donation of this data will accelerate the open-source publication timeline for the CFTP’s data set. Additionally, the Disintegration Pilot will serve as a trial for the first, and still-developing, in-field standard for assessing disintegration of compostable items at compost facilities, under development within ASTM International. Results from this pilot will help to enhance and accelerate the final ASTM field test standard through ASTM Committee WK80528 for both mesh bag and bulk dose test methods. CFTP is supporting the Pilot by providing its methodology, composter training and operations. Resource Recycling Systems (RRS), a sustainability and recycling consulting firm, will administer the on-site data collection and lead the data analysis and reporting.

“The CFTP was collaboratively launched in 2016, knowing that our industry needed more open, available data about the correlations between composting conditions and the disintegration of common compostable products,” said Diane Hazard, Executive Director of the Compost Research and Education Foundation, a founding partner of the CFTP. “The Foundation is excited to be part of this important work. By donating data to the CFTP, Closed Loop Partners and its Composting Consortium help enable our organization to launch an open-source database on compostable packaging degradation results.”

The EPA estimates that around 4% of food waste is composted in the U.S., and as the composting landscape in the U.S. evolves, new materials are flowing through the organics stream. With these changes comes increasing pressure to successfully recover and process food scraps and food-contact compostable packaging. Many cities across the country are setting ambitious zero waste goals and, in some cases, mandating organics diversion. Amidst these efforts, the compostable packaging market is poised to grow 17% annually between 2020 and 2027, adding complexity to the challenge. With lookalike and imposter materials contaminating composting and recycling facilities, composters face challenges in efficiently processing inputs and maximizing valuable outputs.

“Systems change starts with understanding what is true in a supply chain today and partnering with stakeholders to create the future we want to see,” said Kate Daly, Managing Director of the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners. “We are grateful for our partnerships with industry leaders and compost facility operators as we identify a path forward to increased diversion of valuable resources from landfill while driving value for compost manufacturers.”

“Leading the way in innovation and technology is what we do at Atlas Organics,” said Jorge Montezuma, Director of Engineering. “Our joint team of operations and engineering will provide insights that will guide the compostable packaging industry forward for decades to come.”

The Disintegration Pilot is a critical step in the Composting Consortium’s broader work to identify best practices in areas including consumer understanding of compostable packaging labeling and collection; sortation and sensing technologies; and policy. The Consortium will continue its collaborative work to build a roadmap for catalytic capital inputs that can support composting infrastructure in the U.S., find ways to increase the amount of food waste diverted from landfills and determine where compostable food packaging could add value to the system.

About the Composting Consortium

The Composting Consortium is a multi-year collaboration to pilot industry-wide solutions and build a roadmap for investment in technologies and infrastructure that enable the recovery of compostable food packaging and food scraps. The Composting Consortium is managed by Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy. PepsiCo and the NextGen Consortium are founding partners of the Consortium. Hill’s Pet Nutrition parent company Colgate-Palmolive, Danaher Foundation, Eastman, The Kraft Heinz Company, Mars, Incorporated, and Target Corporation joined as supporting partners, and the Biodegradable Products Institute, the US Composting Council and the U.S. Plastics Pact joined as industry partners. Our advisory partners include 5 Gyres, Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI), Google, ReFED, Compost Research and Education Foundation (CREF), the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), TIPA, University College London (UCL), Western Michigan University (WMU), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Learn more about the Consortium at closedlooppartners.com/composting-consortium/

About the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners

Closed Loop Partners is at the forefront of building the circular economy. The company is comprised of three key business segments: an investment firm, innovation center and operating group. Closed Loop Partners brings together designers, manufacturers, recovery systems operators, trade organizations, municipalities, policymakers and NGOs to create, invest in, and support scalable innovations that target big system problems. In 2018, Closed Loop Partners launched its innovation center, the Center for the Circular Economy, which unites competitors to tackle complex material challenges and to implement systemic change that advances the circular economy. Learn more about the Center’s work at https://www.closedlooppartners.com/the-center/

About the US Composting Council

Founded in 1990, The US Composting Council advances compost manufacturing, compost utilization, and organics recycling to benefit our members, society, and the environment. Representing more than 800 members, about 500 of whom are manufacturers of compost, USCC’s mission is focused primarily on commercial compost manufacturing and marketing, and includes training, certification and education of compost facility operators; certification programs for compost testing; and lobbying and advocacy campaigns at the state and federal level.

About the Compost Research and Education Foundation

The Compost Research and Education Foundation, established in 1992, is an affiliate organization of USCC and supports initiatives that enhance the stature and practices of the composting industry by supporting scientific research, increasing awareness, and educating practitioners and the public to advance environmentally and economically sustainable organics recycling. The CREF has produced key publications that inform best practices for effective organics management, including the Test Methods for Evaluating Compost and Composting and the Compost Operations Training Course.

About the Compostable Field Testing Program

The Compostable Field Testing Program, or CFTP, is an international non-profit research platform which provides the method and materials to conduct field testing to composters across North America and beyond. Operating since 2016 as a collaborative venture between CREF 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. This will provide comprehensive baseline data correlating composting conditions with the disintegration of common compostable products and packaging, enabling CREF, the public, the composting industry, compostable products industry and academics to develop tools for composters wanting to understand best practices for processing these feedstocks, and for product manufacturers to design products suited for real-world operating conditions.

About ASTM International

ASTM International is a globally recognized leader in the development and delivery of voluntary consensus standards. Today, over 12,000 ASTM standards are used around the world to improve product quality, enhance health and safety, strengthen market access and trade, and build consumer confidence. ASTM’s leadership in international standards development is driven by the contributions of its members: more than 30,000 of the world’s top technical experts and business professionals representing 140 countries. Working in an open and transparent process and using ASTM’s advanced IT infrastructure, ASTM members create the test methods, specifications, classifications, guides, and practices that support industries and governments worldwide. ASTM Committee WK80528 is developing the first in-field standard for measuring disintegration of compostable items. This field test method will be available for composters to assess how well compostable items break down in real world conditions.

About Atlas Organics

Atlas Organics is a leading composting company, providing municipalities, corporations, local businesses, and residential homes with access to commercial composting facilities that process organic waste streams. Atlas offers both pickup and delivery of the highest-quality grade of finished compost, soil blends, and mulches for use in agricultural settings, landscaping, golf courses, gardens, and site development projects across the United States. Founded in Spartanburg, SC in 2015, Atlas is now a Generate Upcycle company––owned and operated by sustainable infrastructure leader Generate Capital, PBC. Together we are rebuilding the world. For more information, please visit www.atlasorganics.net and http://www.generatecapital.com/.

###

For further information contact:

Closed Loop Partners Media Relations

[email protected]

NEW YORK, NY—December 19, 2022—Closed Loop Partners announced Monday that its Closed Loop Infrastructure Fund (CLIF), together with its Circular Plastics Fund (CPF) and Beverage Fund (CLBF), closed a third loan to the Waste Commission of Scott County (WCSC) in Iowa. The $5 million loan will support equipment upgrades at the county’s materials recovery facility. WCSC will purchase three new optical sorters to increase and improve the facility’s sorting capacity.

The Closed Loop Infrastructure Group, which is responsible for managing and deploying capital from four different investment funds, including CLIF, provided financing to Scott County in 2015 and 2018 to support infrastructure improvements and purchase recycling carts now in use by the county’s residents.

“Investing in modernizing recycling infrastructure is critical to ensuring that valuable materials are pulled back into supply chains at end of life, and never go to waste,” said Jennifer Louie, Managing Director at Closed Loop Partners. “Scott County has made significant progress over the years to advance resilient recycling systems. We are proud to continue our support of their work, grow material recovery capabilities and strengthen local circular economy infrastructure.”

The new loan will help grow the processing of valuable recyclable materials throughout the region. When installed the equipment upgrades will provide more than 1,600 tons of additional capacity and allow for the capture of an additional 900,000 pounds of materials each year.

“Scott County is the third largest county in Iowa and WCSC’s service area reaches 75,000 households,” said Kathy Morris, Director of the Waste Commission of Scott County. “The new equipment helps us increase our tonnage and diversion rates so that we’re diverting more waste from the landfill and into efficient recycling systems.”

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: an investment firm, innovation center and operating group. The investment firm invests in venture, growth equity, buyout and catalytic private credit strategies on behalf of global institutions, corporations and family offices. The innovation center, the Center for the Circular Economy, unites competitors and partners to tackle complex material challenges and implement systemic change to advance circularity.

The operating group, Circular Services, has twelve recycling facilities in operation today, and provides holistic, circular materials management to close the loop on valuable materials for municipalities and businesses throughout the United States. Employing innovative technology within reuse, recycling, remanufacturing and re-commerce solutions, Circular Services improves regional economic and environmental outcomes by building resilient systems to keep food & organics, textiles, electronics, packaging and more, in circulation and out of landfill or the natural environment.

Closed Loop Partners is based in New York City and is a registered B Corp. For more information, please visit www.closedlooppartners.com.

About the Closed Loop Infrastructure Fund at Closed Loop Partners

Established in 2014 and funded by some of the world’s largest retailers, corporate foundations, technology and consumer goods companies. The Closed Loop Infrastructure Fund provides below-market rate loans to finance projects that build out circular economy infrastructure in the United States. Investors include 3M, Amazon, Coca-Cola, Colgate-Palmolive, Johnson & Johnson, BlueTriton, Keurig Dr Pepper, Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Danone North America, Danone Waters, Starbucks, Unilever and Walmart Foundation. Learn more about the Fund’s investment criteria and apply for funding here.

About the Closed Loop Circular Plastics Fund at Closed Loop Partners

The Closed Loop Circular Plastics Fund provides catalytic financing to build circular economy infrastructure and improve the recovery of polypropylene and polyethylene plastic in the U.S. & Canada, returning plastics to more sustainable manufacturing supply chains for use as feedstock for future products and packaging. Investors include Dow, LyondellBasell, NOVA Chemicals, Sealed Air and SK Geo Centric Co. Ltd. Learn more about the Fund’s investment criteria and apply for funding here.

About Closed Loop Beverage Fund at Closed Loop Partners

In partnership with the American Beverage Association, the Closed Loop Beverage Fund seeks to improve the collection of the industry’s valuable plastic bottles so they can be made into new bottles through investments in recycling and circular economy infrastructure in the United States. Learn more about the Closed Loop Beverage Fund here.

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, NY—November 15, 2022— Closed Loop Partners (CLP) and Brookfield Renewable (“Brookfield”) officially announce the establishment of Circular Services, a leading developer of circular economy and recycling infrastructure in the United States. Circular Services owns and operates municipal recycling facilities across the U.S. that enable municipalities and businesses to eliminate the billions of dollars spent annually on landfill disposal costs by ensuring that valuable commodities are recycled and reused in domestic supply chains.

Circular Services is majority owned and managed by Closed Loop Partners. Brookfield is committing up to $700M towards the growth of Circular Services via its Brookfield Global Transition Fund (“BGTF”), which is the largest fund in the world focused on accelerating the transition to a net zero economy. Brookfield has invested an initial $200M in Circular Services, with an additional $500M committed to pursue growth opportunities. Closed Loop Partners is also including the Partnership Fund for New York City as an investor in Circular Services.

Circular Services will be the largest privately held recycling company in North America, including major municipal and commercial contracts to recycle and reuse paper, metal, glass, plastic, organics, textiles and electronics in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Florida, Texas and Arizona. The company owns or operates twelve facilities, several long-term municipal and commercial contracts, a total annual recycling capacity of over one million tons and a large pipeline of actionable growth opportunities.

Circular Services uses advanced technology to improve sortation, processing and reuse of valuable commodities, including consumer packaging, organics, textiles, electronics and more, for continual reuse in domestic supply chains. Its facilities increase the number of sustainable jobs in the communities they serve, promote local re-commerce and remanufacturing, and enable resilient communities.

“The United States has operated with a very linear system for product manufacturing and waste management for the past 75 years, costing municipalities and business billions of dollars in landfill disposal and damaging our environment,” said Ron Gonen, Founder and CEO of Closed Loop Partners. “Circular Services is building circular economy infrastructure that will serve the financial and environmental interests of cities, consumers, businesses. We are excited to accelerate the transition to the circular economy, an economic system that invests in the continual use of commodities, reducing the reliance on natural resource extraction and landfills.”

“We cannot create a net zero economy without significantly scaling the infrastructure required for a circular economy,” said Natalie Adomait, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of BGTF. “Brookfield has developed a blueprint for transition investing, combining a prudent and patient approach to long-term infrastructure development with the emerging business models that are critical to lowering carbon emissions while generating attractive risk adjusted returns for our investors. We look forward to working with Closed Loop Partners, clear leaders in the circular economy sector, to support Circular Services to scale up its impact across the United States.”

“Circular Services’ operations will expand the potential to bring innovative solutions to recycling infrastructure and bolster broader sustainability goals throughout the region. As Circular Services helps more cities across the U.S. adopt a more circular approach to waste management, its presence in New York City will be a welcomed boost to local efforts to position New York as a leader in the growing circular economy,” said Maria Gotsch, President and CEO of the Partnership Fund for New York City. “We are excited to be an investor in the largest privately held recycling company in the U.S. that will be headquartered in New York City.”

In cities across North America, zero-waste goals are becoming a top priority due to the combined urgency of climate risks and increasing landfill costs. According to the Circularity Gap Reporting Initiative, 70% of all global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are related to material handling and use, making circular economy infrastructure a critical part of the solution to our climate crisis. Expanding access to recycling and reuse services will enable cities and businesses to avoid the cost of landfilling products and packaging and achieve their sustainability goals.

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: an investment firm, innovation center and operating group. The investment firm invests in venture, growth equity, buyout and catalytic private credit strategies on behalf of global institutions, corporations and family offices. The innovation center, the Center for the Circular Economy, unites competitors and partners to tackle complex material challenges and implement systemic change to advance circularity.

The operating group, Circular Services, has twelve recycling facilities in operation today, and provides holistic, circular materials management to close the loop on valuable materials for municipalities and businesses throughout the United States. Employing innovative technology within reuse, recycling, remanufacturing and re-commerce solutions, Circular Services improves regional economic and environmental outcomes by building resilient systems to keep food & organics, textiles, electronics, packaging and more, in circulation and out of landfill or the natural environment.

Closed Loop Partners is based in New York City and is a registered B Corp. For more information, please visit www.closedlooppartners.com.

About Brookfield Renewable

Brookfield Renewable operates one of the world’s largest publicly traded, pure-play renewable power platforms. Our portfolio consists of hydroelectric, wind, utility-scale solar and storage facilities in North America, South America, Europe and Asia, and totals approximately 24,000 MW of installed capacity and an over 100,000 MW and 8 million metric tons per annum (“MMTPA”) of carbon capture and storage development pipeline.

Brookfield Renewable is the flagship listed renewable power company of Brookfield Asset Management, a leading global alternative asset manager with over $750 billion of assets under management.

The Brookfield Global Transition Fund, co-led by Mark Carney, Brookfield Vice Chair and Head of Transition Investing, and Connor Teskey, CEO of Brookfield Renewable, is Brookfield’s inaugural impact fund focusing on investments that accelerate the global transition to a net-zero carbon economy, while delivering strong risk-adjusted returns to investors. The Fund targets investment opportunities relating to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption, as well as increasing low-carbon energy capacity and supporting sustainable solutions. Consistent with its dual objectives of earning strong risk-adjusted returns and generating a measurable positive environmental change, the Fund will report to investors on both its financial and environmental impact performance.

September 13, New York, NY – Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy and the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag released a new resource to help guide retailers looking to adopt reusable bag service models. The report, Beyond the Plastic Bag, shares key insights and analysis gathered from collaborative reusable bag pilots conducted in select CVS Health, Target and Walmart stores throughout Northern California in 2021, as part of the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag’s Beyond the Bag Pilots.

Approximately 100 billion single-use plastic bags are used each year in the U.S., most of which end up as waste in landfills and the environment. Reuse models play an important role in addressing single-use plastic packaging waste, alongside other complementary waste mitigation strategies. As retailers work to respond to the urgent challenge and address increasing plastic bag regulations across the U.S., the report provides key findings on what drives an optimal shopper experience and uptake of reuse models:

Customer-facing journey for reusable bag services

• Effective storytelling is foundational for building awareness
• Convenience is imperative when it comes to adoption and sign-up
• Customers are looking for a clear and easy reason to help them reuse
• Accessible drop-off points and quick confirmation of return help build trust in the reuse system

Behind the scenes action enabling reusable bag services

• Partnering with the right stakeholders matters
• Impact must be measured at every stage
• Further scaling reuse systems will help catalyze efficiencies

“Successfully implementing reuse models on the ground, and accelerating their growth, takes unprecedented collaboration. Since 2018, the Center for the Circular Economy has been convening competitors to address complex material challenges and advance circular solutions, including reuse,” said Kate Daly, Managing Director of the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners. “This collaboration with the nation’s largest retailers to test and pilot reusable bag solutions across multiple stores is a critical step toward reducing single-use plastic bag waste. Iterative testing and data-driven decision-making of reuse systems can help avoid unintended consequences, like insufficient recapture of reusable packaging or the one-to-one replacement of single-use plastics with ‘reusables.’ We hope that this report on the Beyond the Bag initiative serves as inspiration for forward-thinking organizations looking to bring reuse to the next level. The learnings from our pilots can help guide us toward a future in which reusing valuable materials and products in our economy becomes the commonsense norm.”

The Center for the Circular Economy launched the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag in 2020, convening many of the world’s largest retailers to identify, test and implement innovative new design solutions that serve the function of today’s single-use plastic retail bag. The Consortium’s Innovation Partner, IDEO, worked closely with Closed Loop Partners and its retail partners in designing and running the reusable bag pilots in Northern California featured in the Beyond the Plastic Bag report. Findings from the Beyond the Bag Pilots build on and complement additional learnings from Closed Loop Partners’ NextGen Consortium that ran several reusable cup pilots in 2020, driving forward the Center’s work to rigorously test and hone reuse solutions to ensure that they achieve their intended impacts.

“Through partnerships with innovative startups, collaboration with other partners, and buy-in from our customers, the Beyond the Bag Pilots provided critical data-driven analysis on the role that reuse models could play in plastic waste mitigation when thoughtfully designed and their impact successfully measured,” said Sheryl Burke, Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility for CVS Health. “We still have a lot to learn collectively, but we’re thrilled to continue our journey towards a more circular future for retail.”

“Bringing Target, Walmart, and CVS Health to the same table demonstrates the partnership needed across our industry to address the challenge of plastic waste and achieve measurable environmental benefits for all,” said Amanda Nusz, Senior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility for Target and President of the Target Foundation. “We’re grateful for the insights these pilots have provided, and we’re applying what we learned to identify bag options that are best for our guests, propelling more circular systems throughout retail.”

“The Beyond the Bag Pilots fostered an unprecedented platform for connectivity between trailblazing reuse start-ups, customers, Walmart, and other retailers in the industry,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, Executive Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer for Walmart. “The pilots created the space for collective experimentation, and provided data-driven insights on the ease, convenience, and perceived benefits of the models tested. This kind of on-the-ground diligence from pilots is critical to inform what could be next for reuse and where it could fit in a circular economy.”

Over the next year, the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag will continue to conduct extensive research and in-market testing of designs and innovative bag solutions that can reduce single-use plastic bag waste. These aim to inform the viability of solutions in different contexts, as well as the full potential of solutions to more sustainably, accessibly and effectively get goods home.

About the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners

Closed Loop Partners is a New York-based investment firm comprised of venture capital, growth equity, private equity and catalytic capital, as well as an innovation center. In 2018, Closed Loop Partners launched its innovation center, the Center for the Circular Economy, which unites competitors to tackle complex material challenges and to implement systemic change that advances the circular economy. Closed Loop Partners brings together designers, manufacturers, recovery systems operators, trade organizations, municipalities, policymakers and NGOs to create, invest in and support scalable innovations that target big systems problems. In 2022, the Center launched a Reuse Insights Lab to advance the firm’s testing, piloting and investing in reusable packaging models. The Reuse Insights Lab conducts qualitative and quantitative research and data analytics through in-market testing, focus groups and customer interviews, to identify how to design and build the architecture for a reuse system that brings the circular economy to the forefront in our everyday life. Learn more about the Center’s work here.

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 launched the initiative with Founding Partners CVS Health, Target and Walmart. The Kroger Co. joined as Grocery Sector Lead Partner, DICK’S Sporting Goods joined as Sports & Outdoors Sector Lead Partner, Dollar General as Value Sector Lead Partner, The TJX Companies, Inc. as Apparel & Home Goods Sector Lead Partner, and Ulta Beauty as Beauty Sector Lead Partner. Ahold Delhaize USA Brands, Albertsons Companies, H-E-B, Hy-Vee, Meijer, Wakefern Food Corp., and Walgreens are Supporting Partners, and Conservation International and Ocean Conservancy serve as Environmental Advisory Partners. IDEO is the Consortium’s Innovation Partner. Learn more about the Consortium here.

Midland, Mich. (July 12, 2022) – Accelerated Filtration, Inc. (AFI), a water filtration company based in Midland, Michigan that develops industrial water filtration technologies, announced today that it has raised $1.5 million in pre-seed funding. Closed Loop Partners’ Ventures Group led the financing round, with participation from Michigan Capital Network, Anthropocene Ventures and Oxcart Equity Partners.

The company will use the funding to advance product development, marketing and launch its first water filtration solution into the market later this year. AFI delivers packaged turn-key filtration solutions for the consistent removal of fine suspended solids in variable water streams. AFI’s innovative technology offers fine particle filtration for large and small water processing challenges across a range of industries and applications.

“Our product offers customers a compact, robust solution for removing fine particles from water and wastewater streams. Its ability to economically filter out low and high levels of suspended solids sets it apart as an extended range, fully automatic, fine particle filter,” said Scott Burr, President and CEO, Accelerated Filtration. “The VelRay XTM filter is an essential product needed to address growing global water challenges, enabling greater capability in processing source water, recycling and reusing process water, and treating wastewater. We’re thrilled our investors see the incredible value for the marketplace.”

The investment takes place amidst an increasingly urgent global water crisis. Already water stressed regions are becoming more so due to the effects of climate change and population growth. With world populations expected to exceed 9 billion by 2040, the increase in both urban and industrial demand will be competing for limited water resources. Technology developments in water processing are needed to enable a resilient and robust global water management capability.

“Building a circular economy that reduces waste means ensuring that all resources are efficiently managed and kept in circulation. As we face intersecting challenges with a growing world population and the critically urgent climate crisis, water has become one of the most important and valuable resources we need to manage,” said Danielle Joseph, Managing Director and Head of the Ventures Group at Closed Loop Partners. “Our investment in Accelerated Filtration is a key step forward in our work to advance a waste-free water management system. We look forward to working with their team to scale their technology for more efficient water recycling and reuse.”

###

About Closed Loop Partners
Closed Loop Partners is a leading circular economy-focused investment firm and innovation center. The New York-based investment firm manages venture capital, growth equity, private equity and catalytic capital funds. The firm’s business verticals build upon one another, bridging gaps and fostering synergies to scale the circular economy. Learn more at closedlooppartners.com

About the Closed Loop Ventures Group at Closed Loop Partners
Closed Loop Partners’ venture capital arm launched in 2017 with one of the first venture funds dedicated solely to investing in early-stage companies developing breakthrough solutions for the circular economy. The Closed Loop Ventures Group targets leading innovations in material science, robotics, agri-tech, sustainable consumer products and advanced technologies that further the circular economy. The Closed Loop Venture Fund II builds on the venture capital group’s first fund’s strategy, supported by an existing portfolio with strong financial performance, coupled with robust environmental and social impact. To learn more about the Closed Loop Ventures Group, visit the Closed Loop Partners’ website.

About Michigan Capital Network
Michigan Capital Network (MCN) MCN exists to educate, grow, and diversify the base of early-stage investors in communities across the state. Wealth creation through early-stage investing done well in turn helps create healthier, thriving communities and economies. To learn more about Michigan Capital Network, visit the Michigan Capital Network website.

About Anthropocene Ventures
Anthropocene Ventures is a global, early-stage venture capital firm investing in founders that leverage exponential technologies & hard science to make humanity more resilient. To learn more about Anthropocene Ventures, visit the Anthropocene Ventures website.

About Oxcart Equity Partners
Oxcart is a stage-agnostic private holding company investing to help catalyze a more just, equitable and ecologically sustainable future for the planet and all its inhabitants.

Contact:
Scott Burr, President and CEO
Accelerated Filtration, Inc.
www.acelfil.com

Source: Accelerated Filtration 

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, NY (June 28, 2022) Closed Loop Partners announced Tuesday that its Closed Loop Infrastructure Fund (CLIF) signed and funded its second loan to the Broken Arrow Municipal Authority. The new loan of $1 million was used to support the Authority’s purchase of five new automated side loader recycling trucks. The new equipment bolsters the Authority’s existing fleet of 33 solid waste collection vehicles and will help increase the efficiency of collecting both solid waste and recyclable materials across the city.

The Closed Loop Infrastructure Group, which is responsible for managing and deploying capital from four different investment funds, including CLIF, timed the new loan with the reopening of the Tulsa Recycling & Transfer materials recovery facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Resuming operation is a critical milestone and precursor to financing the project, as it helps ensure that all the city’s collected recyclable materials have clear end-of-life pathways and have the highest potential of being kept in circulation for longer.

The Closed Loop Infrastructure Fund closed its first loan of $2.6 million to the Broken Arrow Municipal Authority in October 2020. The initial loan helped purchase over 37,000, 96-gallon recycling carts, three recycling trucks, and four maintenance vehicles.

“Our work is centered in advancing more efficient circular supply chains for recyclable materials––from the collection to processing stage,” said Ron Gonen, Founder & CEO of Closed Loop Partners. “The Broken Arrow Municipal Authority plays a key role in this work, building systems to ensure that valuable recyclable materials are collected and kept in circulation. We’ve made good progress advancing recycling in the Southwest U.S., and we look forward to seeing that continue.”

“The new equipment helps us increase our tonnage and diversion rates so that we’re diverting more waste from the landfill and into efficient recycling systems,” said Jerry Schuber, Director of Solid Waste and Recycling, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. “We have a goal of increasing diversion tonnage to 25% of solid waste generated. The new equipment will help tremendously with achieving that goal.”

Broken Arrow’s Recycling Program serves 35,000 households across the city.

###

About Closed Loop Partners

Closed Loop Partners is a New York-based investment firm comprised of venture capital, growth equity, private equity and catalytic capital, as well as an innovation center focused on building the circular economy. Investments align capitalism with positive social and environmental impact by reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions via materials innovation, advanced recycling technologies, supply chain optimization and landfill diversion. Learn more at closedlooppartners.com

About the Closed Loop Infrastructure Fund at Closed Loop Partners

Established in 2014 and funded by some of the world’s largest retailers, corporate foundations, technology and consumer goods companies. The Closed Loop Infrastructure Fund provides below-market rate loans to finance projects that build out circular economy infrastructure in the United States. Investors include 3M, Amazon, Coca-Cola, Colgate-Palmolive, Johnson & Johnson, BlueTriton, Keurig Dr Pepper, Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Danone North America, Danone Waters, Starbucks, Unilever and Walmart Foundation. Learn more about the Fund’s investment criteria and apply for funding here.

June 23, New York, NY – Matt Parker, former Partner & Chief Financial Officer of New York-based venture capital firm Greycroft, has joined circular economy-focused investment and innovation firm Closed Loop Partners as Chief Financial Officer & Managing Director. Matt will manage the financial operations of Closed Loop Partners’ asset management business as well as the firm’s innovation hub, the Center for the Circular Economy.

Prior to joining Closed Loop Partners, Matt managed finance, legal and operations at Greycroft, a seed-to-growth venture capital firm, for eight years. During his time at Greycroft, he scaled the firm’s infrastructure from $600 million of capital raised to over $2 billion, with over 200 investments under management. His time at Greycroft is preceded by a notable career in strategic and operational financial management and alternative asset investing.

“Investment and innovation are critical pieces to building closed loop systems, and Closed Loop Partners has been a pioneer in accelerating the transition to the circular economy,” says Parker. “I am thrilled to join the entire Closed Loop Partners team and look forward to combining my finance and investment experience with the firm’s deep sector expertise.”

“Closed Loop Partners is at a key moment of growth as the circular economy becomes a top priority for investors and corporations working to meet climate goals,” says Ron Gonen, Founder & CEO of Closed Loop Partners. “With the circular economy driving a $4.5 trillion capital shift by 2030 globally, we are thrilled to have Matt join the Closed Loop Partners team to advance our firm’s strategic growth and capital optimization.”

The firm’s investments align capitalism with positive social and environmental impact by reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions via materials innovation, advanced recycling technologies, supply chain optimization and landfill diversion. To date, the firm has made over 60 investments in solutions advancing circularity, which has led to 6.8 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions avoided and 3.6 million tons of materials kept in circulation.

Closed Loop Partners is a New York-based investment firm comprised of venture capital, growth equity, private equity and catalytic capital, as well as an innovation center focused on building the circular economy. Learn more at closedlooppartners.com

NEW YORK, NY (June 7, 2022) Closed Loop Partners announced Tuesday that its Closed Loop Infrastructure Fund and Closed Loop Circular Plastics Fund committed $5 million to help establish a state-of-the-art flexible film recycling plant in Minnesota. The project, led by the MBOLD coalition, brings the business community together with research institutions to develop a regional circular economy for flexible films and other plastic packaging materials in the Upper Midwest region of the U.S.

Closed Loop Partners’ funds represent investors including many of the world’s largest retailers, consumer goods companies, corporate foundations and material science companies. The investment in this project, launched by a coalition of Minnesota companies with MBOLD, aims to grow recycling infrastructure and increase the supply of recycled materials available for use. The facility will be the first in the United States for South African recycler Myplas. Slated to begin operations in spring 2023, this new 170,000-square-foot mechanical recycling plant will produce recycled LDPE pellets and food-grade HDPE pellets. It aims to recycle nearly 90 million pounds of material annually at full capacity, diverting these valuable materials from landfill.

“There is growing demand for recycled polyethylene across the value chain, yet only 11% of polyethylene film is recovered in North America today,” said Ron Gonen, Founder & CEO of Closed Loop Partners. “This new facility is an important piece of circular economy infrastructure needed to develop local market capacity to manage hard-to-recycle plastics. It’s projects like these that contribute to solutions to meet the demand for recycled materials, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, divert valuable materials from landfill and eliminate natural extraction.”

“This is a very important step to advance recycling capability in the U.S. and particularly in the Upper Midwest,” said Andrew Pieterse, CEO of Myplas USA. “We’re very excited and proud to establish our first plant in Minnesota with the State itself and many important global brands headquartered here, investing in and supporting this initiative. The funds and support provided by Closed Loop Partners will be critical to ensure our collective success.”

Myplas’ new $24 million plant is under construction in Rogers, Minn., northwest of Minneapolis, and at full capacity will employ about 300 people. Learn more about the project’s partners here.

About Closed Loop Partners

Closed Loop Partners is a New York-based investment firm comprised of venture capital, growth equity, private equity and catalytic capital, as well as an innovation center focused on building the circular economy. Investments align capitalism with positive social and environmental impact by reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions via materials innovation, advanced recycling technologies, supply chain optimization and landfill diversion. Learn more at closedlooppartners.com

About the Closed Loop Infrastructure Fund at Closed Loop Partners

Established in 2014 and funded by some of the world’s largest retailers, corporate foundations, technology and consumer goods companies. The Closed Loop Infrastructure Fund provides below-market rate loans to finance projects that build out circular economy infrastructure in the United States. Investors include 3M, Amazon, Coca-Cola, Colgate-Palmolive, Johnson & Johnson, BlueTriton, Keurig Dr Pepper, Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Danone North America, Danone Waters, Starbucks, Unilever and Walmart Foundation. Learn more about the Fund’s investment criteria and apply for funding here.

 About the Closed Loop Circular Plastics Fund at Closed Loop Partners

The Closed Loop Circular Plastics Fund provides catalytic financing to build circular economy infrastructure and improve the recovery of polypropylene and polyethylene plastic in the U.S. & Canada, returning plastics to more sustainable manufacturing supply chains for use as feedstock for future products and packaging. Investors include Dow, LyondellBasell, NOVA Chemicals, Sealed Air and SK Geo Centric Co. Ltd. Learn more about the Fund’s investment criteria and apply for funding here.

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.