Festival of Circular Economy 2025

One of the key takeaways was the UK Government’s update on its circular economy taskforce. This cross-sector effort is developing roadmaps to establish the policy and legislative frameworks needed to support and incentivise circular business models. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) made clear that transitioning to a linear economy is no longer an option—it’s an imperative. Their focus now is on moving from strategy to execution, with six priority sectors forming the first wave.

Barriers to progress were also openly discussed. Too often, design still focuses on the first user, with little consideration for longevity or reuse. To scale the circular economy, we need frictionless systems, extended producer responsibility, and to embed creativity at every stage—because, as one speaker said, “Creativity is the most powerful sustainability tool there is.”

At Pick Everard, we’re already supporting clients across a wide range of sectors in embedding circular economy principles. We’re helping to reduce waste, select low-impact materials, and quantify the benefits in terms of cost, carbon, programme and risk.

But unlocking the full potential of circularity requires more than good design; it requires robust networks for sharing knowledge, tackling technical challenges, and spreading best practice.

There’s still a long road ahead, but the direction of travel is clear, and it was inspiring to see so many people working together to move hearts and minds.