New York-based Closed Loop Partners’ venture capital group—the Closed Loop Ventures Group—has closed its second venture capital fund, Closed Loop Venture Fund II. Funding for Closed Loop Venture Fund II has surpassed the investment firm’s initial $50 million target to scale circular economy solutions across the plastics and packaging, fashion, food and agriculture and supply chain technology sectors.

The investment firm says its Closed Loop Venture Fund II follows its Closed Loop Venture Fund I. The strategy for both funds capitalizes on the need to shift away from linear and extractive supply chains and toward waste-free circular systems. Closed Loop Partners reports that investors in the ventures fund include a broad range of investors, including multinational corporations like Microsoft and GS Group, foundations such as the Autodesk Foundation and single and multifamily offices across the United States, Asia and Israel.

“Our investment in the Venture Group’s Fund II is a key part of our efforts toward our 2030 zero waste goals, driven by the innovators and emerging companies that help make this possible,” says Brandon Middaugh of Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund, an investor in Closed Loop Partners’ funds.

Taehong Huh, managing director of GS Futures, corporate venture arm of GS Group Korea, adds, “Venture capital plays a key role in accelerating the circular economy, seeding the next generation of solutions to overcome legacy take-make-waste systems, encourage innovation and help transformative companies scale. The Closed Loop Ventures Group is blazing a trail for some of the most innovative circular solutions in the market today, and we are proud to be investors in the Closed Loop Venture Fund II—supporting companies that advance the circular shift of our economic system.”

Led by Danielle Joseph, managing director at Closed Loop Partners, the firm’s Closed Loop Ventures Group highlights how builder capital with a hands-on, active approach to building the circular economy is something entrepreneurs are seeking. She says, “The successful raise of Closed Loop Partners’ second venture fund signals the increasing understanding that circular supply chains represent the future of industry and materials. We are seeing more founders building businesses in the circular economy and a growing need for early-stage capital.”

According to Closed Loop Partners, the company’s venture capital team plans to continue to develop its goals for where it wants to see additional investment activity, including markets that are misunderstood in traditional venture capital investing, such as biopolymers as plastic alternatives and chemical recycling technologies.

The Carton Council of North America, an industry organization based in Denton, Texas, has commissioned a behavioral science study that has identified factors that play into recycling decisions. The organization’s study revealed that there are microbehaviors most people need to go through before recycling becomes a habit. Although the study was specific to carton recycling, the Carton Council of North America says these microbehaviors are relevant to all commonly recyclable materials.

According to the Carton Council of North America, some of these factors are logistical, such as having the tools necessary to recycle like a container or location to store recyclables. Other factors are psychological and include things such as judging whether others recycle, following social norms surrounding recycling, encouraging others in the household to recycle and feeling positive about recycling.

“By studying how people make decisions and change their behaviors in real life, the Carton Council hopes to unlock new insights which can be leveraged to nudge people to increase the recycling of their food and beverage cartons,” says Carla Fantoni, vice president of communications for the Carton Council and vice president of communications operations for Tetra Pak.

She adds, “The study revealed that psychological factors cannot be overlooked and play an important role in making recycling a habit.”

Based on the study, the following factors can help to improve recycling behaviors:

• make recycling easily available to people;
• society needs to place a strong emphasis on recycling since people are influenced by societal expectations, wanting to feel accepted to a group;
• provide prompts to recycle since sustainable behaviors are habitual;
• promote the value of recycling certain products since how people feel about a product shapes their propensities to recycle;
• provide concrete steps to encourage consistency with recycling behaviors;
• promote reciprocity of recycling since consumers do not like to feel indebted to others and will make efforts to pay people back for good behavior; and
• highlight awareness of environmental problems to promote sustainable behaviors like recycling.

The full study is available online.

The Association of Plastics Recyclers (APR), Washington, has announced the first companies to receive Meets Preferred Guidance (MPG) recognition, a program it launched in August.

The MPG program recognizes materials, components and complete packages made with polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) that are considered Preferred according to the APR Design Guide for Plastics Recyclability.

The MPG Review Program is designed to provide confidence for purchasing and sourcing personnel for brand owners that what they are purchasing is designed for recyclability. It encourages packaging manufacturers to obtain an independent assessment from the APR that determines if their product meets the Preferred Guidance criteria. Companies with products that meet APR Preferred Guidance receive a letter that can be presented to customers and used for marketing purposes.

Plastic dispensers for use with PET, HDPE and PP containers are the first design components to be eligible for the program. The following companies have developed dispensers that have received MPG recognition:

• Apackaging Group’s Infinity Pump Series all-polyolefin lotion pumps for HDPE and PET bottles;
• Aptar’s Future all-PE pump for HDPE; and
• Hana’s globally patented Ecohelix 100 percent PP dispensing pumps for PET, HDPE and PP containers.

“Dispenser design features have historically led to contamination in the recycling stream, which impacts not only the recyclers but also the companies that use recycled content,” says Sandeep Kulkarni, APR technical consultant for its recognition programs. “We commend these manufacturers for stepping up to the plate and developing new dispensers that are compatible with recycling infrastructure.”

Additional design elements will become eligible for MPG recognition in the coming months:

• HDPE base resin;
• labels for HDPE containers;
• PET base resin;
• caps and closures for PET containers; and
• labels for PET containers,

“The Meets Preferred Guidance program provides assurance that packaging and components are compatible with recycling and enable a circular economy,” says Steve Alexander, APR president and CEO. “We are pleased to see the interest in the MPG program and look forward to announcing continued expansion of eligible items for the program, as well as additional MPG recognition recipients.”

The association says using plastic packages that achieve the design principles outlined in the APR Design Guide for Plastics Recyclability help to ensure that high-quality recycled plastic is available in the market for brand companies that are committed to using postconsumer resin, or PCR, in their plastic products.

Schupan and Sons Inc. has named Nick Kronsbein the new vice president of Schupan Recycling, effective Dec.  13.

Kronsbein, who Schupan says has a depth of experience in used beverage container processing for Michigan’s bottle bill, will concentrate on business development and plant infrastructure projects, deepening the company’s relationships with distributors and wholesalers and its long-term growth strategy.

He also will maintain the role he has held since 2012 as vice president and general manager of UBCR LLC, the joint transportation and logistics venture between Tomra North America Inc. and Schupan and Sons.

“A company’s prosperity is often predicated by the depth of its talent,” Tom Emmerich, chief operating officer of Schupan and Sons says. “Utilizing Nick’s talent and relationship with over 600 Michigan retailers, wholesalers and distributors will be key to our growth and continued investment in supporting Michigan’s efficient container deposit law. Nick’s knowledge, expertise and relationship with our partners will assure our continued and effective deliverance of global sustainable material solutions to our partners and to Michigan residents.”

Kronsbein holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Michigan State University and an MBA in finance from Walsh College.

Schupan & Sons Inc., headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan, is a third-generation, family-owned metals and plastics business specializing in industrial and electronics recycling, asset management, fabrication and distribution, beverage container processing and materials trading. It operates 15 facilities throughout Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.