We had an amazing time at the Sustainable Design Forum yesterday hosted by Sustainable Design Collective SDC. Thank you Harsha Kotak and Joanna Knight for organising the event 🙌

With the built environment directly responsible for 25% of the UK’s carbon emissions (source: UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)), there is a tremendous opportunity within the sector for sustainable innovation and change. Yesterday's event gave us a glimpse of what the future could look like 👀

We had the pleasure of hearing from some incredible speakers, including Rikke L. Jensen, Asif Din, Deborah Allen, Anja Schellenbauer, Lucy Crane (PIEMA), Alison Grant, and Lucy Bagshaw. We explored innovative materials at the The Furniture Practice’s Materials Lab and engaged with suppliers like Gabriel, Modus | Certified B Corp, Bisley Furniture, Amtico, Teknion, AllSfär, and many others to heard about the great work their doing. The conversations were insightful and enlightening, highlighting the collective effort required to drive sustainable change in the design industry 🌱

Here are a few takeaways from the event:

Material Longevity: Materials are often discarded prematurely. We need to extend lifecycles and view waste as a valuable resource.

Circularity: Circularity should be a consideration at all stages of a product's lifecycle—not just the end. How can we integrate circularity into product development, design, and production?

Design for Longevity: We need to design products that last, meeting both technical specifications and being aesthetic.

Certifications: Certifications are important, but it’s important to understand what's behind them and what they actually mean – rather than making assumptions.

Material Passports: Rachel Hoolahan from Orms discussed how materials passports are essential to efficient and effective materials reuse, accelerating the transition to a circular economy. You can find out more in their policy paper here - https://orms.co.uk/insights/materialspassportspolicypaper/

It was an inspiring day, and we’re excited about the future of sustainable design. Thank you to everyone who made it happen, and we can't wait to see what comes next! Let's keep pushing for a more sustainable and resilient future in the design industry. 🌍🌿

#sustainabledesign
#circulareconomy
#greenbuilding
#innovation