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Turning waste into value: an interview with Monica Puccetti from Infinity Recycling

At the forefront of the circular economy, Infinity Recycling (“Infinity”) is transforming end of life materials into high value resources. We interviewed Monica Puccetti, Head of Impact & ESG and Investment Manager at Infinity, about her role, her vision, and how finance can drive meaningful change.

1. Can you tell us about your background and current work?

I am the Head of Impact & ESG and Investment Manager at Infinity, where I combine my passions for finance, sustainability, and innovation. My career began in corporate finance and M&A across multiple countries, working on transactions, valuations, and strategic partnerships. Along the way, I realized that finance could be more than numbers: it could be a tool to drive meaningful change.

At Infinity I lead the fund’s sustainable investment strategy, integrate impact principles across our portfolio, and oversee impact measurement and reporting. My work involves managing investments, engaging diverse stakeholders and building strategic partnerships while turning waste into valuable materials. Being at the center of key strategic decisions for investments and positive change related activities, my mission is to further enhance portfolio companies’ ESG and impact performance by creating a consistent, portfolio-wide approach and helping to institutionalize best practices.

2. What does Infinity do, and why is it impactful? 

Infinity is an impact-growth manager investing in advanced recycling and circular solutions that turn waste into high-quality materials. We support technologies and business models that close material loops, creating investable markets for investors seeking both financial returns and tangible environmental impact.

Impact investing has grown from niche to mainstream. It’s now about risk-adjusted value creation and systemic resilience. What sets our approach apart is active engagement: we help companies embed impact measurement, and make positive outcomes operational priorities.

Macro factors such as resource scarcity, corporate net-zero commitments, and EU circularity policies create long-term demand for recycled feedstocks and make circular materials a strategic and investable proposition. By providing capital, expertise and networks, we accelerate this transition.

3. What is your role within the fund? And what is the key to your role? 

At Infinity, I operate at the intersection of finance and transformation. As Head of Impact & ESG and Investment Manager, I ensure that our investments generate meaningful change, not just returns. I define how we measure impact and assess sustainability, and I support portfolio companies in achieving circular performance goals and value creation initiatives.

Beyond frameworks and metrics, my work is about connecting purpose with precision, asking whether solutions truly push boundaries and drive systemic change. Sustainability is easy to talk about but far harder to prove, as it requires driving lasting change in both communities and in markets. Capital can be a powerful lever for structural change and we use that lever to reshape how materials move through our economy.

4. You are a strong advocate on diversity: can you tell us why this is important? 

Diversity is not a checkbox; it is essential for innovation and impact. Solving complex sustainability challenges requires many perspectives across different backgrounds, cultures, genders and disciplines. Diverse teams bring richer ideas, better resilience and stronger problem-solving.

Across investment and innovation ecosystems, many voices are still underrepresented. By advocating for inclusion, we expand the pool of founders, technologies and business models, improving the likelihood of breakthrough solutions.

From a value perspective, if we aim to transform material systems and deliver positive impact for people and planet, it is essential that our teams, decision-makers and stakeholders reflect an inclusive mindset.

I aim to bring a different perspective that is adding value to every discussion I participate in, using my intuition to turn awareness into action. This often involves supporting Infinity team and portfolio companies in HR due diligence, challenging brainstorms, encouraging inclusive hiring to strengthen culture and performance. I also recently enjoyed participating in the NewLeaf program to further develop my leadership skills.

5. What is a fun or interesting fact about Infinity? 

One interesting fact about Infinity is that diversity is not just something we talk about. Nearly 85% of our committed capital comes from international investors, and our team reflects that global outlook: 50% of us are non-Dutch and 50% are women.

And perhaps the most fun detail: we live what we invest in. Our entire office is furnished with refurbished, recycled, and reused materials. Our boardroom features blue economy inspired art made entirely from trash we collected as a team in the Rotterdam harbor. A literal piece of the problem turned into something valuable!

6. Do you have a final message, advice or call to action for our members? 

If I could leave you with one thought, it’s this: the circular transition isn’t something that will happen someday; it’s happening now.

Every choice as investors, business leaders, or consumers shapes society. And right now, we have the opportunity to build one that restores rather than extracts, and regenerates rather than wastes.

Structural problems from plastic pollution to resource depletion require collaboration. No single company or fund can solve them alone. But when capital, innovation, and purpose align, extraordinary things happen.

My call to action is to bring your expertise, creativity and influence to accelerate the circular economy. Because the future we’re striving for isn’t inevitable; it’s built intentional by those who choose to lead it.