The City of Austin announced the winner of the 2025 Circular Austin Showcase, a pitch competition for local circular businesses focused on reuse and zero waste. Circular business models reduce the need to extract new resources from our planet by keeping materials and products in use for as long as possible. The event took place Aug. 26, 2025, in partnership between Austin Resource Recovery and the Economic Development Department.
A judging panel selected Heartening as this year鈥檚 $10,000 winner, following pitches from five finalists. In addition, three participants from the Circular Austin Accelerator program pitched their business ideas during the competition, and Frontier Resource Recovery took home a $2,000 prize. Scoring criteria for both categories included business viability, fundability, circular economy/zero waste impact, economic impact and social impact. All competitors gained valuable feedback from the judges.
Finalists from the Circular Austin Showcase included:
- Cocarbon converts agricultural waste into sustainable activated carbon for water filtration. Their carbon-negative, solar-powered process eliminates expensive water transport, reduces waterborne diseases and creates local jobs.
- CRAFT is a public studio that promotes sustainability through a shared use model for arts and crafts. Their model reduces waste, prevents unnecessary consumption, and fosters an inclusive, community-driven approach to making.
- Heartening is a community-driven initiative dedicated to creating a sustainable culture of giving and reuse. They are powered by volunteers who care about giving clothing back to the community freely or extremely cheaply.
- Save the Good Stuff鈥痠s committed to the preservation and reuse of vulnerable vintage and historic building materials. They aim to maintain the integrity of Austin鈥檚 built environment.
- Wanderlust Wine Co.鈥痠s the world鈥檚 largest wine-on-tap winery. They are on a mission to change the world through wine by utilizing sustainable, recyclable and reusable packaging and practices.
Finalists from the Circular Austin Accelerator program included:
- Concept 2 Consumption Fashion and Technology鈥痠s a technology ecosystem and innovation virtual collaboration. They are on a mission to make Austin the sustainable fashion capital of the world.
- Frontier Resource Recovery鈥痠s turning abundant agricultural waste into biochar as a sustainable solution to treat per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances鈥�(PFAs) contamination. The treated biosolids are safe to be reused as fertilizer.
- Holocia is transforming the local food system by creating agricultural development districts. These districts will provide Austinites with fresh, healthy food and help eliminate over 1 million pounds of plastic food packaging annually.
Director Richard McHale of Austin Resource Recovery said his department was proud to host the fifth annual Circular Austin Showcase alongside the Economic Development Department.
鈥淭his event spotlights the incredibly innovative ways local businesses are advancing Austin鈥檚 circular economy,鈥� McHale said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to recognize all of this year鈥檚 finalists for their leadership in reusing materials and moving the Austin community closer to zero waste.鈥�
鈥淭he Circular Austin Showcase demonstrates how groundbreaking businesses are building a stronger, more resilient local economy,鈥� said Anthony Segura, Interim Director of the Economic Development Department. 鈥淭hese finalists show how Austin鈥檚 entrepreneurs are turning big challenges into bigger opportunities, shaping our economy, protecting our environment, and securing Austin鈥檚 place as a leader in sustainable growth.鈥�