As industries grapple with the mounting pressure to decouple growth from resource consumption, design and waste management remain two critical yet often disconnected components of the circular economy.
In response, the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) and the Circular Economy Institute have announced a pilot initiative that seeks to bridge this gap—embedding practical, cross-sector collaboration into the design process itself.
Funded by CIWM and developed in partnership with the Design Council and WRAP, the Design Skills for Circularity Programme will begin in January 2026. The initiative targets one of the most persistent systemic barriers in sustainable production: the lack of direct exchange between those who design products and those who handle them at end-of-life. By creating structured opportunities for observation, learning, and co-design, the program aims to catalyze new methods for product circularity—from conception to disposal and reuse.
At the core of the pilot is an exchange mechanism between two traditionally siloed professions. Designers will gain access to waste management sites—including materials recovery facilities, energy-from-waste plants, and even hazardous waste treatment centers—to witness how materials behave once discarded. In turn, waste and recycling professionals will visit design studios and manufacturing sites, offering insights into how material choices, design for disassembly, and repairability can influence downstream recovery rates.
This reciprocal exposure is designed not just for awareness but for measurable outcomes. By engaging both sectors in structured workshops and webinars, the program intends to generate co-developed proposals capable of informing policy and guiding investment in circular innovation. Topics will range from recyclability and reusability to emerging materials science, product pricing structures, and low-carbon packaging technologies.
The initiative’s focus on design as a lever for circularity is well-timed. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, as much as 80% of a product’s environmental impact is determined during its design phase—a statistic that underscores the necessity of embedding circular thinking from the outset. Yet in practice, the translation between design intent and waste recovery outcomes remains weak. Many products marketed as “sustainable” still end up in landfills or incinerators due to incompatible material mixes or non-recyclable components.
By directly connecting designers with real-world waste streams, CIWM’s pilot could help close this feedback loop. It also responds to a broader policy context in the UK and Europe, where extended producer responsibility (EPR) frameworks and circular design mandates are tightening. For industry, this means a growing demand for products that are not only resource-efficient but also compliant with evolving regulatory expectations around recyclability and material recovery.
Sarah Poulter, CEO of CIWM and the Circular Economy Institute, emphasized the urgency of this collaborative approach, noting that sustainable product design cannot advance in isolation from waste system realities.
