Circular 11: Transforming Plastic Waste into Purpose

CANARY WHARF, U.K. - EntSun -- For Oxford University Anthropology graduate Ben Gibbons, the roots of Circular 11 stretch back to his time as a post-graduate working on international development and waste management projects in Nepal, prior to 2020. Despite community engagement and education, Ben found that without an economically viable way to collect and repurpose plastic, most waste ended up in landfill. Frustrated by these systemic limitations, Ben and co-founder Connor Winter set out to develop a solution that worked where advanced recycling infrastructure didn't. Circular 11 was born out of this challenge—transforming hard-to-recycle, low-grade plastic into functional materials for the construction sector.  Circular 11 has pioneered the combination of proprietary manufacturing technology and machine learning algorithms to define the optimal formulation for waste streams, making recycling and carbon tracking a seamless process.

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Circular 11's innovation journey accelerated when Ben joined the Brunel University London RIEm Programme.  Fully-funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, RIEm is a strategic initiative designed to support SMEs to access innovation funding for collaborative research and innovation (R&I), validate a technology or solution and grow their enterprise. "We had been successful with Innovate UK funding, but we wanted to level up and attract more investment. Brunel offered us the right environment to explore deeper research, form partnerships and to strengthen our technical credentials."  Ben chose Brunel University London for its leading reputation in machine learning, fibre reinforcement and polymer formulation research.  With Brunel's support, almost immediately after joining the RIEm programme, Circular 11 submitted a joint research bid worth £450,000, as part of a wider £2.5 million multinational R&D project.  This would be in addition to the £1.1 million the company has already raised .

A Fast-Track to Research Leadership

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Circular 11's journey with Brunel University London exemplifies the potential of deep research partnerships to accelerate innovation, unlock funding and amplify impact across global markets.

The Outcome:

Being partnered with a respected institution like Brunel University London strengthened Circular 11's position in the competitive funding landscape. It demonstrated the company's ability to engage with large-scale, high-quality research initiatives. Ben also speaks highly of the RIEm Programme's impact on his own personal development as a research leader and project manager. "It's dynamic and collaborative," he says. "You're not just passively learning—you're leading. That's helped me grow professionally in ways I didn't expect."

A new £1.8m investment raise will allow the company to move into new premises, consolidate growth and develop a manufacturing system that can work in commercial markets. www.circular11.com https://www.brunel.ac.uk/business/Help-for-SMEs/Research-Innovate-and-Emerge