The Circular Economy Living Lab’s Circulate Expo & Pitch Fest brought together businesses, innovators, government, researchers and industry leaders to showcase the strength and growing momentum of the circular economy across the Hunter.
Held on 5 February 2026 at beautiful lakeview venue of Lake Macquarie’s Museum, MAC yapang, Lake Macquarie, the event welcomed 97 attendees and featured 14 local exhibitors, eight business pitches and two industry panel discussions focused on turning circular economy ideas into practical, scalable solutions and investment.
Circulate was designed to do more than showcase innovation. It created a space for businesses to connect directly with potential customers, collaborators, government representatives and other organisations working to reduce waste, retain materials at their highest value and develop new circular products and services.
The panel sessions comprised of Piers Grove – Founder of ,
The Pitch Fest highlighted eight emerging and established circular businesses, demonstrating the diversity of solutions already being developed across the region. Second Life Solar was awarded Best Pitch, while ARC Ento Tech received the People’s Choice Award.
Across the expo floor, exhibitors demonstrated solutions spanning resource recovery, reuse, recycled materials, manufacturing, renewable technologies and circular business models. The event also created valuable opportunities for businesses that would not ordinarily meet to share knowledge, identify common challenges and explore potential partnerships.
Two panel discussions brought together industry leaders and practitioners to explore what is needed to accelerate circular economy adoption, including stronger markets for recovered materials, procurement opportunities, collaboration between sectors and support for businesses moving from innovative concepts to commercially viable solutions.
For CELL, Circulate demonstrated the value of bringing the circular economy ecosystem together in one place. The event strengthened connections between businesses, government, researchers and industry and provided local circular economy businesses with greater visibility and opportunities to develop new relationships.
The success of Circulate reflects a broader shift occurring across the Hunter: circular economy activity is moving beyond individual projects and becoming an increasingly connected regional network of businesses, organisations and decision-makers working toward a more resilient and resource-efficient economy.
Circulate forms part of CELL’s work to connect people, demonstrate practical circular economy solutions and help create the partnerships, markets and procurement pathways needed for circular businesses to grow.
Click on the link below for the summary: Circulate Expo and Pitch Fest Report 2026
Thank you to our sponsors at DANTIA – The Economic Development Company for Lake Macquarie, University of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie City Council. Hunter Joint Organisation, Museum of Art and Culture, Koppers, and Boomerang Labs.
