Top 100 Recycling startups in UK
Apr 14, 2026
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29
1
Funding: $43.8M
Altilium operates ACT3, the country's first commercial recycling plant for critical minerals from spent electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Located in Plymouth, the plant can process 24,000 EV batteries annually using Altilium's proprietary EcoCathode hydrometallurgical process, which recovers over 95% of cathode metals and over 99% of graphite from battery waste. The resulting process yields critical intermediate materials used in battery cell production: mixed nickel hydroxide precipitate, lithium sulfate, and graphite - all essential components for the production of next-generation cathodes and anodes.
Altilium operates ACT3, the country's first commercial recycling plant for critical minerals from spent electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Located in Plymouth, the plant can process 24,000 EV batteries annually using Altilium's proprietary EcoCathode hydrometallurgical process, which recovers over 95% of cathode metals and over 99% of graphite from battery waste. The resulting process yields critical intermediate materials used in battery cell production: mixed nickel hydroxide precipitate, lithium sulfate, and graphite - all essential components for the production of next-generation cathodes and anodes.
2
Funding: £71.3M
Satellite Vu develops “the world’s thermometer”: a satellite constellation capable of monitoring thermal emissions around the world.
Satellite Vu develops “the world’s thermometer”: a satellite constellation capable of monitoring thermal emissions around the world.
3
Funding: $213.6M
Carbon Clean Solutions develops CO2 separation technology designed for industrial and gas treating applications.
Carbon Clean Solutions develops CO2 separation technology designed for industrial and gas treating applications.
4
Funding: $212.4M
Carbon Clean Solutions develops CO2 separation technology designed for industrial and gas treating applications.
Carbon Clean Solutions develops CO2 separation technology designed for industrial and gas treating applications.
5
Funding: €172.5M
CIRCTEC is an innovator and operator of pyrolysis technology to recycle waste into renewable fuels and circular chemicals.Circtec uses pyrolysis technology to convert waste tires into renewable fuels and chemical products. The company's solution decomposes old tires through a thermal decomposition process in an oxygen-free environment and then converts the products into high-quality recycled chemicals and environmentally friendly marine fuel, naphtha for the responsible production of plastics, polymers, and chemicals, and carbon black for use in new tires, rubber and plastics production. The company has two factories in the UK and the Netherlands. Their production processes are focused on energy efficiency and emissions control.
CIRCTEC is an innovator and operator of pyrolysis technology to recycle waste into renewable fuels and circular chemicals.Circtec uses pyrolysis technology to convert waste tires into renewable fuels and chemical products. The company's solution decomposes old tires through a thermal decomposition process in an oxygen-free environment and then converts the products into high-quality recycled chemicals and environmentally friendly marine fuel, naphtha for the responsible production of plastics, polymers, and chemicals, and carbon black for use in new tires, rubber and plastics production. The company has two factories in the UK and the Netherlands. Their production processes are focused on energy efficiency and emissions control.
6
Funding: $139M
Gen Phoenix recycles materials to produce advanced upholstery and cladding materials.
Gen Phoenix recycles materials to produce advanced upholstery and cladding materials.
7
Funding: $95.5M
Sylvera develops machine learning-based tools to track the performance of carbon offsets.
Sylvera develops machine learning-based tools to track the performance of carbon offsets.
8
Funding: $53.1M
OLIO is a free app that connects neighbours to ensure that surplus food and other items are shared instead of being wasted. The location-based app and website let users list and post a photo of the unwanted food items that will otherwise go waste.
OLIO is a free app that connects neighbours to ensure that surplus food and other items are shared instead of being wasted. The location-based app and website let users list and post a photo of the unwanted food items that will otherwise go waste.
9
Funding: $48.2M
4.01 is a company that specializes in eliminating CO2 from the atmosphere by mineralizing it in peridotite.
4.01 is a company that specializes in eliminating CO2 from the atmosphere by mineralizing it in peridotite.
10
Funding: $47.3M
Epoch aims to commercially scale its nylon recycling technology - enzymes that transform plastics into circular chemicals. The company operates demonstration-scale facility located near Imperial College London and plans to bring a commercial-scale facility online in 2028, which will have the capacity to produce 20,000 metric tons of monomer - small, basic molecules that act as the building blocks for plastic - annually
Epoch aims to commercially scale its nylon recycling technology - enzymes that transform plastics into circular chemicals. The company operates demonstration-scale facility located near Imperial College London and plans to bring a commercial-scale facility online in 2028, which will have the capacity to produce 20,000 metric tons of monomer - small, basic molecules that act as the building blocks for plastic - annually
11
Funding: $46.8M
Econic Technologies develops new catalysts and processes for the manufacture of polymers from CO2.
Econic Technologies develops new catalysts and processes for the manufacture of polymers from CO2.
12
Funding: $45.7M
Too Good To Go is an app for fighting food waste. They fight food waste by helping food stores sell their surplus food instead of throwing it away. Their mission is to reduce food waste worlwide, and their vision is to create a world where food produced is food consumed.
Too Good To Go is an app for fighting food waste. They fight food waste by helping food stores sell their surplus food instead of throwing it away. Their mission is to reduce food waste worlwide, and their vision is to create a world where food produced is food consumed.
13
Funding: $46.2M
Worn Again is a textile to textile recycling technology that can separate and recapture polyester and cotton from discarded.
Worn Again is a textile to textile recycling technology that can separate and recapture polyester and cotton from discarded.
14
Funding: $46.2M
Worn Again Technologies develops a polymer recycling technology to create waste-free textile circular materials.
Worn Again Technologies develops a polymer recycling technology to create waste-free textile circular materials.
15
Funding: £36.4M
Notpla wants to replace all single use plastics for material made of seaweed and plants. As it is made of seaweed and plants, Notpla is a very malleable product, perfect to store beverages, sauces and food in general.
Notpla wants to replace all single use plastics for material made of seaweed and plants. As it is made of seaweed and plants, Notpla is a very malleable product, perfect to store beverages, sauces and food in general.
16
Funding: $44.9M
Circulor uses blockchain and AI to cut the cost of traceability and due diligence in raw materials supply chains. It’s pioneer customers include car manufacturers, EV battery manufacturers, commodity traders, and miners who collectively want to pioneer more effective approaches to responsible sourcing. Circulor proves chain of custody for manufactured and recycled materials, ensuring that recyclable waste enters and exits the recycling process successfully.
Circulor uses blockchain and AI to cut the cost of traceability and due diligence in raw materials supply chains. It’s pioneer customers include car manufacturers, EV battery manufacturers, commodity traders, and miners who collectively want to pioneer more effective approaches to responsible sourcing. Circulor proves chain of custody for manufactured and recycled materials, ensuring that recyclable waste enters and exits the recycling process successfully.
17
Funding: $44.2M
Treefera is transforming the way the world approaches forest data and conservation, to create a clear future for the carbon market and the planet. It intends to solve the carbon credits credibility problem with AI
Treefera is transforming the way the world approaches forest data and conservation, to create a clear future for the carbon market and the planet. It intends to solve the carbon credits credibility problem with AI
18
Funding: £35M
Polymateria is a London-based startup advancing science to help nature deal with plastic pollution.
Polymateria is a London-based startup advancing science to help nature deal with plastic pollution.
19
Funding: $41.9M
Winnow developed smart kitchen tech to help commercial kitchens reduce food waste
Winnow developed smart kitchen tech to help commercial kitchens reduce food waste
21
Funding: $38.7M
Mission Zero is an Electrochemical that removes carbon dioxide from the air and concentrates it for a variety of sequestration pathways.
Mission Zero is an Electrochemical that removes carbon dioxide from the air and concentrates it for a variety of sequestration pathways.
22
Funding: $39.4M
Xampla is leading the charge in plant-protein materials, a next generation material that is 100% a natural replacement for plastic.
Xampla is leading the charge in plant-protein materials, a next generation material that is 100% a natural replacement for plastic.
23
Funding: $37.4M
Everledger platform enables both vehicle and battery manufacturers to track repurposing activity downstream. With batteries as unique digital assets and ownership history recorded on the blockchain, a longer-term supply of minerals for these products is more easily secured.
Everledger platform enables both vehicle and battery manufacturers to track repurposing activity downstream. With batteries as unique digital assets and ownership history recorded on the blockchain, a longer-term supply of minerals for these products is more easily secured.
24
Funding: $30.8M
Greyparrot uses computer vision to make waste sorting more efficient at different stages of the waste chain.
Greyparrot uses computer vision to make waste sorting more efficient at different stages of the waste chain.
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Funding: $25M
Isometric is a carbon removal registry, verification service, and science platform.
Isometric is a carbon removal registry, verification service, and science platform.
28
Funding: $25M
Safi (previously TrueCircle) is building a marketplace to support waste processing facilities in selling the verified material they reclaim.
Safi (previously TrueCircle) is building a marketplace to support waste processing facilities in selling the verified material they reclaim.
29
Funding: $25M
TrueCircle is a computer vision startup for the recycling industry. Its AI model ingests the footage and calculates composition by weight in real-time, to a 95%+ accuracy
TrueCircle is a computer vision startup for the recycling industry. Its AI model ingests the footage and calculates composition by weight in real-time, to a 95%+ accuracy
30
Funding: $22.2M
The food chain is broken. Our technology fixes it. Inside the Better Origin systems, black soldier fly larvae consume food waste and grow to provide nutrient-rich insect products.
The food chain is broken. Our technology fixes it. Inside the Better Origin systems, black soldier fly larvae consume food waste and grow to provide nutrient-rich insect products.
31
Funding: £15M
Impact Recycling has developed a breakthrough plastic recycling technology which separates the components of mixed plastic waste.
Impact Recycling has developed a breakthrough plastic recycling technology which separates the components of mixed plastic waste.
32
Funding: $16.6M
Emitwise is an AI-powered carbon management platform that helps businesses in tracking and managing their carbon footprint.
Emitwise is an AI-powered carbon management platform that helps businesses in tracking and managing their carbon footprint.
33
Funding: $15.8M
Supercritical is a software platform that helps businesses reach carbon net zero and tackle the climate crisis.
Supercritical is a software platform that helps businesses reach carbon net zero and tackle the climate crisis.
34
Funding: $14.5M
Pledge builds a carbon-measurement and removal API that enables businesses of any size to provide efficient and measurable climate solutions to its customers.
Pledge builds a carbon-measurement and removal API that enables businesses of any size to provide efficient and measurable climate solutions to its customers.
35
Funding: £10.6M
Aceleron is using new battery technology to create the World's first recyclable, upgradeable and serviceable lithium-ion batteries to drive the global circular economy.
Aceleron is using new battery technology to create the World's first recyclable, upgradeable and serviceable lithium-ion batteries to drive the global circular economy.
36
Funding: $12.1M
CarbonChain's AI platform automates emissions tracking in carbon-heavy supply chains for a net-zero economy.
CarbonChain's AI platform automates emissions tracking in carbon-heavy supply chains for a net-zero economy.
37
Funding: $11.9M
Recycling Technologies specializes in waste management and engineering processes and helps customers achieve financial gains from waste. Recycling Technologies also provides a solution to chemically recycle end-of-life plastic back to a crude oil equivalent called Plaxx, which is a synthetic oil that has multiple industrial applications.
Recycling Technologies specializes in waste management and engineering processes and helps customers achieve financial gains from waste. Recycling Technologies also provides a solution to chemically recycle end-of-life plastic back to a crude oil equivalent called Plaxx, which is a synthetic oil that has multiple industrial applications.
38
Funding: $11.1M
Interface Polymers’s di-block copolymer additive technology is claimed to simplify the processing of plastics such as mixtures of polyethylene or polypropylene and facilitate recycling.
Interface Polymers’s di-block copolymer additive technology is claimed to simplify the processing of plastics such as mixtures of polyethylene or polypropylene and facilitate recycling.
39
Funding: £8M
Greenback Recycling Technologies is building a decentralised network of recycling plants near the sources of plastic waste, which it buys from local collectors.
Greenback Recycling Technologies is building a decentralised network of recycling plants near the sources of plastic waste, which it buys from local collectors.
41
Funding: £8M
SURI (for Sustainable Rituals) redesigned the electric toothbrush to make it repairable and recyclable
SURI (for Sustainable Rituals) redesigned the electric toothbrush to make it repairable and recyclable
43
Funding: $8.6M
Ocean Bottle wants to revolutionise two things: plastic recycling and the design of water bottles. With every sale, 11.4kg of plastic is collected in coastal communities where plastic pollution is a big problem.
Ocean Bottle wants to revolutionise two things: plastic recycling and the design of water bottles. With every sale, 11.4kg of plastic is collected in coastal communities where plastic pollution is a big problem.
44
Funding: $7.9M
Bio-Bean has found a way to turn that waste into a valuable resource. The company developed coffee-based biofuel for households and industrial use.
Bio-Bean has found a way to turn that waste into a valuable resource. The company developed coffee-based biofuel for households and industrial use.
45
Funding: $7M
Seabound has created a system that attaches to a ship’s exhaust pipe and soaks up the carbon dioxide.
Seabound has created a system that attaches to a ship’s exhaust pipe and soaks up the carbon dioxide.
47
Funding: €6M
Itero creates profitable waste management solutions. The startup's chemical recycling technology is designed to convert previously non-recycled plastic waste into petrochemical resources.
Itero creates profitable waste management solutions. The startup's chemical recycling technology is designed to convert previously non-recycled plastic waste into petrochemical resources.
48
Funding: £4.5M
At MacRebur our mission is to help solve two world problems; to help solve the waste plastic epidemic, and to enhance the asphalt used to make our road surfaces around the world.
At MacRebur our mission is to help solve two world problems; to help solve the waste plastic epidemic, and to enhance the asphalt used to make our road surfaces around the world.
50
Funding: $5.6M
Twin Science & Robotics is an award-winning UK company that develops children’s skills through purpose-led STEM learning.
Twin Science & Robotics is an award-winning UK company that develops children’s skills through purpose-led STEM learning.
