A Connected Supply Chain Is a Strong Supply Chain — Looking Ahead to Circularity in 2026
Some of the most important conversations don’t happen on stage. They happen off the record, late at night, or tucked inside a link that wasn’t meant for the spotlight.
Last week, our team found ourselves deep into one of those moments. It was a thought-provoking, unlisted webinar recording that landed in my inbox courtesy of a close circular economy supporter. It turned out to be a gold mine; the kind of resource you almost want to keep secret… but know you shouldn’t.
I shared it with Mitchell Foster, Miguel Mendez Ortiz, and Shivaji Sengupta. What followed was one of those internal conversations that reminds you why you do this work; big questions, strategic pivots, a few “what if” breakthroughs. We ended up cracking open the playbook and sketching ideas for an internal strategy session on the spot. It felt urgent, necessary, and energizing in the way only good ideas can be.
And it all centered around one question: What should the circular economy actually look like in 2026?
The webinar itself wasn’t publicly listed, but for those interested I would be more than happy to send over a link (gmitri@2daloop.com). But I will say this: it was a masterclass in both vision and execution. Seeing Call2Recycle, Inc. lifted up as a model for battery EPR programs was validating, especially for those of us building in the backend of the supply chain. That’s the kind of real-world, operational success story we need more of. It doesn’t just prove circularity is possible, it proves it can scale. Matthew Flechter’s perspective on NextCycle Michigan showed what’s possible when innovation, execution, and policy align. And Elisa Seltzer’s data-driven insights had us nodding along not because it was new, but because it echoed patterns we’ve seen emerging in entirely different verticals. It felt like pieces clicking into place.
This isn’t just theory anymore. It’s momentum. It’s validation. And most importantly, it’s infrastructure that’s starting to work.
At 2DaLoop, we’ve always said that circularity is only as strong as the systems that support it. If the backend is fragmented, the loop doesn’t close. That’s why we’re focused on making those systems visible, connected, and intelligent not just through tech, but through ecosystem design. That’s also why we’re so grateful for people like Joshua Brugeman, whose mentorship continues to shape our thinking, and Dan Radomski, who’s been a consistent force behind the scenes. Their guidance has helped us see farther and sometimes, just clearer.
I’ve said it before, and last night reminded me again: Michigan is quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) building something very real when it comes to circularity and resource recovery. The pieces are there. The people are doing the work. Now it’s about connecting, replicating, scaling.
So here’s my late post & toast to what’s next and to the idea that a connected supply chain isn’t just more efficient, it’s more resilient.
And that’s exactly what the circular economy of 2026 should look like.
Let’s build toward it. 🌱🔁📦
