What Circular&Co does

Circular&Co (legal entity ashortwalk Limited; previously rCup) is a UK-based designer and manufacturer of reusable drinkware — coffee cups, travel mugs, and water bottles — built almost entirely from recycled waste feedstocks. Core product lines convert discarded materials — fabric waste, end-of-life trainers, chewing gum, traceable marine plastic (ghost gear from Cornish coastlines), used paper cups, and spent coffee grounds — into durable drinkware via injection moulding, spin-welding, and vacuum insulation, alongside a stainless steel range made from 90% recycled steel. Differentiated features include the swift-click one-handed lid, the patent-pending trust-lock twist-to-lock mechanism, the drink360 lip, and double-wall insulation rated 6 hours hot / 12 hours cold. The portfolio is engineered for a 10-year product life and full end-of-life recyclability, supported by a takeback scheme, free lifetime seals, and a full spare-parts catalogue. The company also operates Tap&Reuse, a QR-tracked returnable cup system deployed at institutional venues such as The British Library and National Trust sites.

Circular&Co generates revenue through a hybrid of direct-to-consumer e-commerce on circularandco.com (UK plus a separate European portal), a wholesale stockist programme for independent cafés and retailers, a dedicated B2B store for corporate customers, and a branded custom-cup programme anchored by logos such as Fortnum & Mason. Product pricing spans £9.95 (NOW Cup entry-level) to £88.40 (premium bundles), with individual cups at £21-£22, travel mugs at £24-£25, and water bottles at £28-£33. The customer base is hybrid: environmentally conscious individual consumers as the primary segment, plus business customers across three sub-segments — venue operators using Tap&Reuse, wholesale stockists reselling the line, and corporate buyers purchasing branded merchandise. The company is founder-led, bootstrapped, privately held, and based in Perranporth, Cornwall, with 11-50 employees. Award validation includes five consecutive Indy Best Buy designations (2021-2025) and Telegraph Recommended 2026.

Name

Circular&Co

Legal name

ashortwalk Limited

Website

https://circularandco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Circular&Co is a UK-based designer and manufacturer of reusable drinkware — cups, travel mugs, and bottles — made primarily from recycled waste feedstocks such as marine plastic, used paper cups, chewing gum, and coffee grounds, selling direct-to-consumer, wholesale, and through a Tap&Reuse returnable-cup system for venue operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Drinkware

NAICS

Plastics Bottle Manufacturing (32616), Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (326)

SIC

Miscellaneous Plastics Products (3080)

akta.pro primary industry

Reusable & Refill Packaging Systems (Returnable Packaging, Refill-at-Home/In-Store) (IMALAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reusable Packaging & Refill Systems (Returnable Transport Items, Deposit/DRS Ops) (EUAIANAE), Recycled-Content Plastic Packaging (rPET, rHDPE, rPP) (IMALAMAC)

Keywords

• Sustainable drinkware
• Reusable coffee cups
• Recycled water bottles
• Circular economy products
• Returnable cup systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Perranporth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct product sales (B2C & B2B): One-time purchase of reusable drinkware products (cups, bottles, travel mugs, accessories) sold directly to consumers via e-commerce and to business customers via wholesale and B2B store channels. Revenue is primarily one-time, transaction-based.
2. Tap&Reuse Reusable Cup System (B2B): QR-tracked returnable cup system deployed to venues (e.g., The British Library) enabling venue operators to offer reusable cup programmes. Circular&Co provides the cups and infrastructure, generating recurring revenue from system deployment and cup supply.
3. Branded / Custom Reusable Cups: Corporate branding programme for reusable cups (e.g., Fortnum & Mason), selling custom-branded products in bulk to businesses as promotional or operational items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Circular&Co manufactures and sells reusable sustainable drinkware — coffee cups, water bottles, and travel mugs — made from recycled waste materials including fabric waste, trainers, bubblegum, marine plastic, paper cups, coffee grounds, and recycled stainless steel. The company also operates the Tap&Reuse QR-tracked returnable cup system for B2B venue deployments and a branded cup programme for corporate customers.

Product overview

Circular&Co is a UK-based sustainable drinkware company offering a portfolio of reusable cups, bottles, and travel mugs made from recycled waste materials. The core product line includes the Circular Reusable Coffee Cup (available in 6 recycled material variants: fabric waste, trainers, bubblegum, coffee waste, paper cups, and marine plastic), the Stainless Steel Travel Mug, and the Reusable Water Bottle. Supporting products include the affordable NOW Cup line, spare parts for repairability, gift cards, and bundled product sets. The company also operates the Tap&Reuse returnable cup system for commercial venues. Products feature proprietary mechanisms including swift-click one-handed opening, trust-lock leakproof lids, and drink360 360-degree drinking capability. All products are designed for 10-year lifespans with takeback and replacement part programs supporting circularity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tap&Reuse: A QR-tracked reusable cup system allowing users to borrow and return cups at participating locations
• NOW Cup
• Circular Returnable Cup

Products and services

• Circular Reusable Coffee Cup The flagship reusable coffee cup made from various recycled materials (fabric waste, recycled trainers, bubblegum, coffee waste, paper cups, traceable marine plastic). Features swift-click one-handed opening, leakproof trust-lock design, and drink360 360-degree drinking capability. Priced from £21 (8oz) to £22 (12oz). Designed for a 10-year lifespan.
• Circular Reusable Water Bottle Stainless steel water bottle made from 90% recycled stainless steel. Available in 500ml, 750ml, and 1L sizes. Features swift-click lid, leakproof design, and 10-year lifespan. Priced from £28 to £33.
• Stainless Steel Travel Mug Double-walled insulated travel mug made from 90% recycled stainless steel. Keeps drinks hot for 6 hours or cold for 12 hours via vacuum insulation. Features patent-pending trust-lock twist-to-lock lid mechanism and swift-click opening. Priced from £24 (8oz) to £25 (12oz). Designed for 10-year use.
• Circular NOW Cup An affordable entry-level reusable cup made from recycled single-use paper cups (50% recycled paper cups / 50% recycled polypropylene polymer). Designed for 5 years use, dishwasher safe, with traditional snap-fit lid and insulated body. Priced at £9.95.
• Tap&Reuse Reusable Cup System A QR-tracked reusable cup system deployed at venues (e.g., The British Library, Morden Hall Park National Trust site). Customers borrow and return reusable cups with tracking via QR codes. Generates recurring revenue from system deployment and ongoing cup supply to venue operators.
• Spare Parts (Lids, Bases, Seals, Discs) Replacement components including spare lids (£9.95), cup bases (£5–£18), seal sets (free of charge), and grey discs (£2.50) for Circular Cup and Water Bottle products. Designed to extend product lifespan and support the Circular Product Promise.
• Circular&Co Gift Card Digital gift cards available in denominations from £10 to £100 for purchase of Circular&Co products.
• Branded / Custom Reusable Cup Programme A corporate branding programme for reusable cups. Custom-branded products sold in bulk to businesses as promotional or operational items. Branded programme clients include Fortnum & Mason. Designed for businesses seeking branded merchandise, sustainability initiatives, or venue-based reuse programmes.
• Circular Returnable Cup The flagship returnable cup designed for commercial and hospitality venues wanting to offer reusable cup programmes. Integral to the Tap&Reuse QR-tracked system.
• Cloud White Bottle and Cup Collection New product line featuring sustainable water bottles and reusable cups in the Cloud White colorway, part of Circular&Co's reusable drinkware range.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5 consecutive years named Best Overall Reusable Coffee Cup by The Independent (2021–2025)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• WaterhaulcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCircular&Co's marine plastic reusable coffee cup range uses traceable recycled marine plastic sourced exclusively from Waterhaul, a fellow Cornish company. Waterhaul collects lost or abandoned fishing gear (ghost nets and gear) from UK coastlines. The partnership enables a QR-traceable supply chain: customers can scan a QR code on the cup's packaging to see precisely from which coastline or harbour the plastic was collected. This is a core differentiator for Circular&Co's marine plastic product line.
• FastFeet GrindedcoreTechnology or IntegrationFastFeet Grinded provides the recycling technology to process all types of footwear (worn shoes and unused production materials) into separated component materials — rubber, foam, textiles, and leather — which are then used as raw material for Circular&Co's trainer-sourced reusable cup outer layer. Their cutting-edge process enables footwear waste to become high-value circular products.
• NextekcoreTechnology or IntegrationNextek processes used paper coffee cups collected from cafés around the UK (including via the National Cup Recycling scheme) into a 50/50 blend of recycled paper cups and recycled polypropylene polymer. This material forms the outer thermal layer of Circular&Co's paper cup-derived reusable cups. Nextek's processing makes viable a material stream where less than 0.5% was previously recycled.
• Circular MaterialscoreTechnology or IntegrationCircular Materials sorts and processes collected denim and non-reusable garments into 100% recycled fibre pellets without chemical binders. These pellets are blended with recycled polypropylene and used as the raw material for the outer layer of Circular&Co's fabric waste reusable cups. The process uses a low-energy mechanical method.
• BeaNusedcoreTechnology or IntegrationBeaNused collects used coffee grounds from cafés across the UK through a waste management network, dries the grounds below 10% moisture, and blends them with polymers at high temperatures in Knowsley, Merseyside. The resulting encapsulated coffee-polymer compound is extruded and processed into granules used for the outer layer of Circular&Co's coffee waste reusable cups.
• Gumdrop (GUM-TEC®)coreTechnology or IntegrationGumdrop pioneered the world's first closed-loop recycling process for waste chewing gum, operating distinctive pink Gumdrop collection bins (also made from recycled gum). Collected gum is heat-treated to eliminate bacteria, compounded with polymer into GUM-TEC® pellets, and supplied to Circular&Co for the outer layer of bubblegum-sourced reusable cups. Gumdrop also provides zero-waste solutions to the chewing gum industry.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• BruMate: US-based insulated drinkware brand offering reusable cups, tumblers, and bottles. Comparable product mix to Circular&Co's stainless steel range and overlapping consumer demographic.

Direct peers

• Stojo: Reusable collapsible cup brand competing directly in the on-the-go coffee cup segment. Comparable in size, distribution model, and consumer audience to Circular&Co.
• KeepCup: Australian-origin reusable coffee cup pioneer and Circular&Co's most direct competitor, offering barista-standard reusable cups across consumer and venue channels. Competes head-to-head with Circular&Co in DTC reusable cups and corporate branded programs.
• Chilly's: UK-based reusable bottle and cup brand with strong DTC presence. Direct competitor in the UK premium reusable drinkware segment, named alongside Circular&Co in The Independent's reusable cup comparison.
• Ocean Bottle: UK reusable bottle brand with a marine plastic collection mission built into each purchase. Direct competitor in the sustainability-led reusable drinkware category, with similar B2B gifting and venue channels.

Broad incumbents

• Yeti: Premium outdoor and drinkware brand offering reusable tumblers, bottles, and mugs. Larger incumbent competing in the same retail channels as Circular&Co and tested alongside it in The Independent's reusable cup review.
• Aladdin (Pacific Market International): Long-established reusable drinkware brand covering bottles, travel mugs, and tumblers across mainstream retail. Comparable product categories though with less sustainability-led positioning than Circular&Co.
• Hydro Flask: Established insulated bottle brand with broad retail distribution in the US and Europe. Overlaps with Circular&Co's stainless steel travel mug and water bottle product lines at the consumer end.

Others

• Gumdrop Ltd: Circular&Co's GUM-TEC® polymer supplier and strategic partner operating the chewing gum collection infrastructure. Adjacent ecosystem player enabling Circular&Co's bubblegum cup line.
• Waterhaul: Cornish marine plastic recycler and Circular&Co's supplier of traceable ghost-net plastic. Adjacent ecosystem partner enabling the QR-traceable marine plastic cup line.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@circularco.3802
• Facebookfacebook.com/circularandco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/circular-co
• Instagraminstagram.com/circularandco
• Pinterestpinterest.co.uk/circularandco
• Xx.com/circularandco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Circular&Co