URT’s NEXLOOP Named Finalist for Electronic Circular Innovation Award

Recognition highlights a collaborative approach to building stronger circular pathways for recovered electronics plastics.

JANESVILLE, WI, UNITED STATES, October 19, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Universal Recycling Technologies (URT) has been named one of six finalists for the Electronic Circular Innovation Award at E-Scrap: The Longevity Conference, recognizing the company’s NEXLOOP Polymer Alliance and its work to advance circular solutions for electronics plastics.

Following multiple rounds of consideration, NEXLOOP has advanced to the final stage of the award process. Conference attendees will vote during E-Scrap: The Longevity Conference, taking place October 26–28 in New Orleans, with the winner announced at the Awards Breakfast on October 28.

The recognition comes as the electronics industry continues to confront a fundamental circularity challenge: recovering material is only one part of creating a viable circular system.

URT created the NEXLOOP Polymer Alliance to help strengthen connections across the electronics plastics value chain. The initiative brings together recyclers, manufacturers and downstream partners to develop stronger pathways for recovering electronics plastics and returning those materials to productive use.

“True circularity requires more than processing material at end of life. It requires connections across the entire value chain,” said Ken Thomas, President of Universal Recycling Technologies. “NEXLOOP is about bringing those pieces together and creating stronger pathways for recovered electronics plastics.”

NEXLOOP builds on URT’s continued investment in electronics plastics processing and material recovery. Since 2016, URT has invested more than $5 million in plastics processing capabilities, including technology designed to separate and recover plastics generated through electronics recycling.

Those investments are part of a broader shift in how URT approaches electronics lifecycle management.

Rather than viewing IT asset disposition, data destruction, reuse, electronics recycling and material recovery as separate activities, URT’s full-lifecycle approach connects those capabilities within a single system. Technology that can be reused remains in productive service, while end-of-life equipment moves into recycling and material recovery pathways designed to preserve as much value as possible.

For plastics, that means looking beyond the point of separation to what happens next.

NEXLOOP is intended to help create the relationships and infrastructure needed to move recovered electronics plastics farther through that lifecycle—connecting material recovery with organizations capable of putting those resources back to productive use.

“Being selected as a finalist is meaningful because it recognizes the larger opportunity in front of our industry,” Ken said. “No single company controls the entire circular journey. Progress depends on collaboration across the supply chain, and that is exactly what NEXLOOP was designed to support.”

URT President Ken Thomas will attend the Awards Breakfast on October 28, where the winner of the Electronic Circular Innovation Award will be announced.

About Universal Recycling Technologies
Universal Recycling Technologies (URT) provides electronics lifecycle solutions for organizations across the United States, bringing secure IT asset disposition, data destruction, reuse and remarketing, electronics recycling, and downstream material recovery together under one organization.

With operations in Wisconsin, Oregon and Texas, URT serves organizations seeking secure and responsible solutions for managing technology throughout its lifecycle.

URT maintains industry certifications and credentials including R2v3, e-Stewards, NAID AAA and ISO certifications.

Danae Gullicksen
Universal Recycling Technologies (URT)
+1 608-314-8108
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