British interior brand One Nine Eight Five celebrates UK manufacturing’s growing use of innovative materials in homewares, placing sustainability high up on their agenda. The brand is an antidote to 'fast' manufacturing trends, with its product ranges made completely from recycled materials.

With more circular initiatives surfacing – from small start-ups to corporate strategies – not everybody is on the same page about what a circular economy entails. As global debates in academic, business and consumer circles heat up, will a zero-waste lifestyle move from a fringe movement to the mainstream?

Pret-a-Manger is trialling a plastic bottle deposit scheme in Brighton, UK in a bid to tackle the plastic waste crisis. While the scheme has good intentions, people are demanding brands do more to emphasise a circular economy as well as reusability and recycling.

With an increasing number of children in the UK living in poverty, Baby Bank Network in Bristol is using the food bank model to provide for families in need. This shows there's an opportunity for brands to forge meaningful partnerships that benefit both those in need and their bottom lines.