Circularity Sessions: Circular Materials & Design
How are designers and makers rethinking materials and production?
Whether you’re creating a product company, experimenting with new materials, or exploring small-batch manufacturing, this session will show you how to reduce waste and increase impact.
This is the second session in the Circularity Sessions series and focuses on connecting our community of circular economy pioneers with peers and experts so you can:
- Gain clarity on how to make sustainable product decisions
- Learn practical strategies for implementing circular materials and processes
- Find support and inspiration from others tackling similar challenges
In this session, we’ll hear from three industry leaders sharing their stories and lessons learned:
- Breanna Lujan - Head of Sustainability and Community Fair Trade at The Body Shop. Breanna leads sustainability and community fair trade strategy at The Body Shop, drawing on over a decade of experience working at the intersection of environmental policy, conservation, and social impact. Her background spans international climate frameworks, Indigenous partnerships, and corporate sustainability, with expertise in forest conservation, carbon markets, and environmental safeguards. Breanna holds degrees from Yale University and the Yale School of the Environment, and brings an integrated approach informed by multilateral policy and on-the-ground conservation.
- Jason Roberts - Head of Packaging Development at The Body Shop. Jason leads packaging development at The Body Shop, with a focus on sustainable materials, closed-loop systems, and innovation across product lines. His work supports the brand’s long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship and ethical business.
- Vanessa Barker - Founder at Papillon Bleu, a pioneering regenerative textile company transforming the fashion industry from the ground up. With over 15 years of experience in sustainable fashion, Vanessa is a leader in eco fabric sourcing, zero-waste design, and transparent supply chains. Her work bridges digital innovation with ancient farming practices, from piloting regenerative organic cotton in India to re-establishing hemp production in the UK. Papillon Bleu’s climate-positive fabrics and closed-loop manufacturing model are redefining what circular, ethical fashion can look like at scale.
What You’ll Learn
- How to use recycled, bio, or waste-derived materials in practice
- Making closed-loop materials and modular, repairable, or disassemblable designs work
- Small-batch or distributed manufacturing (e.g., 3D printing)
- Reuse, recycling, compostability, and end-of-life considerations
- How packaging and circular design decisions affect customer experience
Why You Should Join
- Hear real-world case studies from businesses making material and production choices
- Explore practical ways to integrate circularity into product design
- Connect with experts and peers driving change in the circular economy
- Gain inspiration and confidence to implement circular strategies in your own products
For more infomation visit Mayor of London and GOV.
The people I have met here make it a dream coming in a few times a week! I don't see myself being able to go back to working from home the same way I did before coming to Plus X Innovation, I don't think I could leave the sense of community behind. It really is something everyone who is working from home should try!
Central Research Laboratory has contributed to our journey in many ways: access to a network, manufacturing, procurement services, and workshop facilities. CRL enables us to feel like a slightly bigger company than we would otherwise be if left to our own devices. Being here at CRL as a cohort member, makes it feel a lot more real and plugged in into the ecosystem.
Besides the workshop facilities, the best thing about working in the Brighton hub has got to be being able to collaborate with people in the same building as you. The variety of expertise and experience in the building is awesome.
We could not be in a better place to grow as a company. We get amazing support from the Plus X Innovation staff, plus collaboration opportunities with the other inspiring residents and companies. We feel like we’re living in the future of workplaces in the present and that is pretty damn cool.
Through my time at Plus X Innovation my business has turned from a student project into a registered R&D company. My favourite thing about being at Plus X Brighton is having a mini family in the office and a beautiful space to be the best you and make the best connections.
