The pilot programme aims to promote skills sharing between designers and resource and waste management professionals.
The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) and the Circular Economy Institute have announced the launch of a pilot programme aimed at practical skills exchange and knowledge sharing between the design sector and waste and recycling industries.
Funded by CIWM and working in partnership with the Design Council and WRAP, the Design Skills for Circularity Programme is set to begin in January 2026.
The programme will involve waste management companies opening their facilities to groups of designers for visits, curated tours, workshops, and collaborative design discussions.
Participating sites will include materials recycling facilities, energy-from-waste (EfW) plants, landfills, and specialist hazardous waste facilities. Members of the waste and recycling sector will have the opportunity to visit design firms and factories to foster reciprocal learning and collaboration.
CIWM says the programme will enable designers and waste management professionals to observe, learn, and collaboratively address challenges within their respective fields.
The aim is to co-develop proposals that promote a shift towards a more circular economy by influencing both practice and policy.
Additionally, the programme will feature hosted workshops and webinars focused on circularity in design. Topics will include re-use, repair, recyclability, carbon footprint, materials science, packaging technology, future trends, and product/service pricing.
Commenting on the launch, Sarah Poulter, CEO of CIWM and Circular Economy Institute, said: “It is vital that we in the resources and waste management sector support the design community in developing durable products that are less wasteful to manufacture and enable the resources they contain to be fully recovered at the end of their life.”
“If you work in the design sector and want to contribute to the development of a more circular economy, I encourage you to consider participating in this exciting pilot.”