Business recycling group CIRQLR, backed by leading infrastructure fund iCON Infrastructure, has appointed as Chair with immediate effect Nick Horler, who brings over three decades of success at the highest executive and board level at companies across the national utilities and logistics sectors.
Nick Horler brings his considerable board and operational experience and drive at a time when CIRQLR is undertaking a steep growth and integration phase. CIRQLR, under the leadership of its CEO David Palmer-Jones OBE, continues its upward trajectory for both geographic regional expansion of its waste and recycling offerings and an expansion of its service offerings for existing and new regional and national customers.
Nick has spent the past decade as Chair at a variety of fast-growth energy infrastructure and support services companies, helping them grow market share through close mutually beneficial relationships with customers while maximising returns for investors. Prior to his portfolio career helping guide growth companies, Nick spent his first two decades in the energy sector across several senior operational and executive leadership positions. He served from 2001 to 2007 as Managing Director of the Retail arm of E.ON UK, the national power supply and infrastructure group, where he set up their successful trading business, before leading Scottish Power during their critical growth years of 2008 to 2010.
“It is great to be on board as CIRQLR, supported by iCON Infrastructure, steps up a gear in its growth and range of recycling services on offer for businesses and organisations. This is a pivotal moment for CIRQLR and the wider recycling sector with this Government primed to kick-start the UK’s move to a more circular economic way of building for growth.
I am excited by the unique vision for expansion that David and his team have brought to CIRQLR and its array of leading regional operators. I share the same belief in how a relentless customer-focused approach to everything we do across the recycling and resources management industry best secures sustainable growth.
We will continue to deepen existing customer relationships and broaden our offerings as we expand into new regions and take on new and larger business organisations, at the same time as enhancing the brand value of CIRQLR and its operating subsidiaries.”
“I am delighted that Nick has joined as CIRQLR Chair as we lead the group to a new level of customer-focused development and growth. Across the whole group at all levels our CIRQLR people will gain from the experience Nick brings in helping other high growth energy and related infrastructure companies manage their integration.
CIRQLR was founded with a strategic vision to helping businesses better manage the materials and resources across their supply chains and helping them manage critical resources has never been more important.”
CIRQLR, Communications Contact :
James Rossiter, 07985 117887, james@jdrconsultants.co.uk
At CIRQLR we help all manner of organisations, large or small, achieve a shared mission to “give waste a second life.” We reduce waste, boost recycling rates and extract greater resource value from the materials our customers consume and dispose of. There is excellence in all we do. CIRQLR’s Journey
CIRQLR’s mission of giving waste a second life for all the 16,000 commercial and industrial customers we support is firmly on track.
As a group we are expanding our reach across the UK and deepen our processing capacity, meaning CIRQLR can now double the recycling materials it handles each year on behalf of customers regionally and nationally from the current 600,000 tonnes to over one million tonnes of materials.
CIRQLR today has 19 recycling facilities and is poised to invest in more infrastructure and over time double its current total of over 600 staff.
With Government pulling all the right regulatory levers to usher in a more circular economy, CIRQLR is primed to assist businesses across industry sectors who approach us every week for help in improving their sustainability goals.
Nine leading regional business recycling and waste management operators have joined CIRQLR in the three years since its formation, backed by iCON Infrastructure LLP (“iCON”), and further expansion continues, providing market-leading coverage to the whole of the UK from its strong base across the East, South and Midlands areas of England.
CIRQLR’s network of integrated subsidiaries by acquisition date:
SWS joined 26/9/25; Chambers Waste Management joined 31/3/25, Cox Group joined 01/07/23, KP Waste including Eco joined 31/10/24 Select joined 31/10/24, Ellgia including Bakers joined 19/04/24, Wilrose joined 01/04/24, Castle Environmental joined 24/02/23 CIRQLR’s Network
Better data management is at the heart of CIRQLR’s ongoing growth and integration as we continue to listen to customers and address their resource management needs as we progress into the next quartile of this century.
CIRQLR is focused on increasing recycling for business customers and helping the UK secure its materials supply chain. CIRQLR is supported by funds exclusively advised by iCON Infrastructure LLP. iCON is an award-winning, independent investment firm that makes long-term investments in high-quality infrastructure businesses across Europe and North America. iCON Infrastructure LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
By giving waste a second life, CIRQLR will reduce the economy’s over-reliance on imports, stabilise material supply and create the green jobs we all need. Our people are proud to do the right thing, helping business customers reduce waste sent to landfill with solutions that care for the environment.