News Wrap Archive
Welcome to the DICE Network’s bi-weekly news wrap – your quick round-up of the latest developments, opportunities, and stories from across the digital innovation and circular economy landscape. Whether you’re catching up or staying ahead, this is your go-to source for what’s happening now.
News Wrap #10 - 23 January 2026
This edition details how the two weeks have signalled a maturing market for digitally enabled sustainability. The headline trend is the rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the heavy lifting of compliance and reporting, with Google releasing an open-source playbook and new tools like Brisk AI automating CSRD data tagging. The circular economy is getting a digital upgrade in the fashion and retail sectors. eBay and IKEA are expanding their re-commerce and funding platforms, while the EU is backing a digitally-driven deposit return scheme for textiles.
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News Wrap #9 - 12 December 2025
This edition showcases the continuous confluence of digital technologies and circular economy practices, which continues to yield tangible progress, highlighted this period by significant advancements in intelligent waste management, digital frameworks for verification, and the adoption of circular design in tech infrastructure. Noteworthy is the proliferation of AI-powered tools designed to tackle complex data challenges, from mining corporate sustainability reports to enabling real-time monitoring of carbon removal projects, demonstrating how digital systems are moving from measuring performance to actively enabling core circular operations.
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News Wrap #8 - 28 November 2025
This edition highlights significant advancements and necessary governance measures concerning the Digital Innovation and Circular Economy (DICE) nexus, driven particularly by the surging influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
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News Wrap #7 - 14 November 2025
The convergence of circular economy (CE) principles and digital technologies is accelerating, with notable advancements in AI-powered tools for compliance and resource efficiency, as well as critical discussions around making digital infrastructure itself more sustainable. Key developments this past fortnight include new frameworks to measure circularity, substantial funding for smart waste management solutions, and innovative strategies leveraging AI and software to decarbonize energy-intensive systems like data centres. Notably, a new Global Action Hub has been launched in COP30 specifically to tackle the environmental impact of AI, emphasising the immediate need to focus on technology circularity alongside its role as an enabler for CE. The rise of Virtual Power Plants (VPPs), coordinated by software and smart assets, presents a scalable solution to the massive energy demands driven by new AI data centers.
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News Wrap #6 - 31 October 2025
This edition highlights new frameworks, investment activity in sustainable digital infrastructure, and digital platforms promoting material circulation. Key takeaways include the rise of digital platforms driving the refurbished electronics market, and significant attention from the UK government to embedding circularity and digital sustainability in future strategies. However, the growing environmental strain of AI infrastructure is a major concern, specifically regarding its immense water footprint, demanding immediate mitigation efforts.
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News Wrap #5 - 17 October 2025
This week’s roundup highlights accelerating momentum where digital innovation directly supports circular economy outcomes, particularly focusing on how advanced technologies like AI and digital platforms are optimising resource flows and enabling material circularity in complex sectors. Notably, the successful debut of waste intelligence tools and a breakthrough in truly circular electronics fabrication underscore the practical progress being made in applying technology to close loops.
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News Wrap #4 - 3 October 2025
This week, major players like Amazon are advancing both AI-driven circular solutions and resale business models. A key development is the CE-RISE project’s work on digital product passports for electronics, now seeking consumer input to support transparency in reuse and repair. On the investment front, the circular economy received a boost with Una Terra’s €50 million venture fund. Meanwhile, progress is being made in measurement and reporting, as ISO and the GHG Protocol partner to unify emissions accounting standards, adding credibility to circular impact tracking. AI continues to be a double-edged sword — its energy demands are driving major renewable energy investments, while its capabilities are being used for environmental monitoring and emissions management.
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News Wrap #3 - 19 Sept 2025
The last two weeks have highlighted the dual nature of Artificial Intelligence in the sustainability transition. On one hand, the growing energy and water footprint of AI is a major concern, with companies like Salesforce adjusting climate targets due to emissions from AI-powering data centres and Amazon launching new partnerships specifically to tackle AI’s rising water demand.
On the other hand, AI is proving to be a critical enabler for circular solutions. We’ve seen the launch of AI-powered tools for calculating product carbon footprints, new funding for AI innovations in sustainable agriculture, and practical guides on how sustainability professionals can use AI prompts to improve their work.
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News Wrap #2 - 5 Sept 2025
This week, the transition to a digitally enabled circular economy is gaining momentum but also facing scrutiny. The credibility of “carbon neutral” claims is under fire, with new EU rules challenging offset use and prompting companies like Apple to rethink their messaging. Global views on AI for sustainability vary, with Asia-Pacific showing strong optimism, while Europe and North America are more cautious. Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are investing in advanced nuclear energy to power AI infrastructure, signalling a move toward cleaner digital operations. On the ground, digital tools are improving recycling systems, with Wales piloting tech-enabled deposit return schemes and Coca-Cola exploring campus-based reuse models, all highlighting the growing role of digital innovation in circularity.
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News Wrap #1 - 22 Aug 2025
In this addition, the most significant news impacting our network is the introduction of new carbon credits specifically for electronics recycling and reuse, offering innovative financial mechanisms for circular tech. Furthermore, the focus on making digital infrastructure itself more sustainable is growing, with significant innovation in data centre cooling technologies crucial for the burgeoning AI sector. Finally, rapid advancements in AI models and infrastructure, including Oracle’s major deals with OpenAI and Nvidia, continue to redefine the technological landscape, presenting both opportunities and challenges for responsible innovation.
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Launched in January 2025, the Digital Innovation and Circular Economy (DICE) Network+ is an EPSRC-funded, three-year programme that seeks to leverage the digitalisation of industry to foster a circular economy across sectors and value chains for digital and communication technologies. Our Network+ comprises eleven investigators from nine UK universities, along with a breadth of academic, industry and policy partners.
