CIWM Fellow Professor Sophie Thomas has been awarded an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours for her services to sustainable design.
The OBE honours nearly 30 years of service that has transformed how the design industry approaches materials, waste, and environmental responsibility.
Reacting to her OBE, Professor Sophie Thomas said: “This recognition reflects the collective effort of everyone working toward regenerative design solutions.
“It highlights the urgent need for designers to take responsibility for their role in creating a circular economy that serves both human and ecological needs.”
Thomas is the Senior Director of the Useful Simple Trust and Director of Circular Design at Useful Projects, where she leads interdisciplinary teams that advance sustainable design practices creating measurable impact across multiple industries.
Her position within the Trust’s collaborative ecosystem enables the integration of circular design principles across engineering, architecture, and strategic consultancy services.
Thomas remains the only designer in the UK honoured as a Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM).
In 2012, Thomas established The Great Recovery project, which took over 1,000 designers to waste sites to witness the lifecycle consequences of their creative decisions.
Through the co-founding of Thomas.Matthews in 1998, Thomas pioneered the integration of sustainable materials into commercial design at a time when environmental consciousness was emerging in the industry.
In 2022, she co-founded etsaW, a climate-tech venture studio, to continue working to transform waste streams into valuable materials through innovative business models.
Thomas is a Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor at UCL and recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from the University of the Arts London. She is also a long-standing trustee of climate action NGO WRAP.
Judith Sykes, CEO of the Useful Simple Trust, commented: “Sophie embodies the transformative power of purpose-driven design.
“Her commitment to addressing fundamental environmental challenges through collaborative, innovative approaches has created lasting change across entire industries.”
