ABOUT US
Circular DS is a purpose-driven training, research and consultancy service that supports businesses and design-led enterprises to achieve a circular economy.
Our approach is driven by professional experience and rigorous academic research in circular economy design, policy, and user behaviour.
To support our work, we offer access to our Circular Materials Library, an extensive resource of sustainably designed materials, that work within a circular supply chain.
THE MISSION
Championing creativity, nature and the customer, we connect businesses with new sustainable materials and encourage innovation to rethink supply chains to visualise and implement a more circular bio-regenerative system.
THE PHILOSOPHY
Our ‘True Narrative’ philosophy outlines our priorities throughout our business and when supporting our clients.
Ensuring purpose and customer orientation, circularity by design, transparency, social justice and collaboration are always at the forefront of our strategies.
CIRCULAR/REGENERATIVE BY DESIGN
Faced with the current climate crisis, circularity demonstrates a way forward to adapt our economic world and become a regenerative system. No longer ‘take, make and dispose’, optimise the use of resources, take responsibility for their lifecycle and reinvigorate our environment and ensure we can live sustainably. From changing the materials used and the services provided, products and businesses should be designed to operate in a way which prioritises environmental and social as well as financial growth.
TRANSPARENCY
Differing across business, location and culture, there is no one answer on what moving to a circular economy looks like and it will take time to become truly circular. With the customer increasingly demanding transparency in a world of green and purpose-washing, building trust and conveying business purpose, successes, problems faced and strategy towards circularity is critical. Understanding your ‘True Narrative’ is key to bringing the increasingly sceptical consumer on your journey to a circular economy.
PURPOSE DRIVEN
Innovative business is critical to our society. Ensuring the purpose of businesses, and in turn their innovation, is always geared towards environmental regeneration and global wellbeing will help to future-proof business and strengthen society. Shifting to a circular economy is a challenge but these can encourage greater creativity and progress towards a more purpose-driven society.
A JUST TRANSITION
While the environment is a key focus this cannot be seen in isolation. Transformations must be carried out using a ‘Just lens’.
In such a globalised society, shifting to a circular system offers greater opportunity to build social justice into the foundations of our economy and society.
Evaluating and supporting all stakeholders, within the business and the world in which the business is operating, is crucial to recognising opportunities and risks. Collaboration ensures we create a sustainable future.
COLLABORATIVE
Creating a circular economy requires expertise and understanding from all areas of society, as well as the commitment to develop a circular system. From government, academia, business, workers and customers, all voices should be heard to provide a rounded and in-depth understanding.
A circular economy does not necessarily regenerate within one sector but may be regenerative to alternate industries. Collaboration and co-ordination is critical to creating a successful circular strategy.
We aim to partner with companies and experts within different fields to be able to provide an experienced and detailed picture to support the move to a just circular economy.
BE CUSTOMER DRIVEN
Understanding the customer is critical to ensuring a business can be circular. The current system sees the customer as the end point however, supporting the customer through the use of the product, an end of life product plan and encouraging a different way to use a product will increase the customer involvement and will increase loyalty and customer satisfaction.
REUSE
REPURPOSE
REGENERATE
Keep up to date on our work with the Circular Design Library and Lexicon of all things circular design by sending in your request (see below). This site is a work in progress as we bring on new team members and researchers, and complete current commitments. Thank you for your interest.