Episode 16 – Sophie Thomas, of Thomas.Matthews ltd

Sophie Thomas of Thomas.Matthews ltd In Episode 16, we talk to Sophie Thomas, who was recommended by designer Adam Fairweather, back in Episode 6. She has been working in the fields of ethical design, behaviour change and material process through her design agency, Thomas.Matthews ltd for nearly 20 years.We find out how Sophie uses her experience in sustainable and ethical design to help people understand more about the circular economy. We talk about the groundbreaking Great Recovery Project, which looked at the challenges and opportunities of the CE, through the lens of design.Sophie explains the importance of thinking about the system you are designing for, not just the object or product itself. We talk about why it is important to design for more than one product life – not just designing for better recycling, but thinking about the 3rd and 4th lives of the product. Who are you designing for, and how can you make it fit for repair, reuse, and maybe for a service or subscription model.Podcast host Catherine Weetman advises businesses, gives workshops & talks, and writes about the circular economy. Her award-winning book, includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.  Catherine founded Rethink Global in 2013, to help businesses use circular, sustainable approaches to build a better business (and a better world).Stay in touch for free insights and updates... Read on for a summary of the podcast and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention. You can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes,  Google Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for "circular economy" in your favourite podcast app.  Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox... Links we mention in the episode: * Episode 5 – Katie Beverley – ecodesign* Episode 6 – Adam Fairweather - reimagine waste* Catherine’s blogs - Why reuse is #1 tool in the circular economy toolkit and The best circular strategy is NOT recycling* Sophie Thomas on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-thomas-1965a91b/* Matthews ltd http://www.thomasmatthews.com/* The Great Recovery Project http://www.greatrecovery.org.uk* The RSA https://www.thersa.org/* Useful Simple Trust https://www.usefulsimple.co.uk/* Ellen MacArthur Foundation report Completing the Picture: How the Circular Economy Tackles Climate Change