After 10 years of working in #circularity, I have put together a list featuring 100 people and organizations, who I think you should follow. The list is being released across 25 posts until Christmas. I therefore like to think of it as an unconventional #zerowaste alternative to an advent calendar — packed with little stories and wisdoms as we close out this year.

In this second post, I am focusing on people and organizations pushing for more circularity in #design and advocating for planet-centered approaches to design thinking. In light of that, here are three inspiring #women and one trailblazing non-profit to follow, who are fiercely challenging the status quo within design. I can only recommend looking into their work and subscribing to their podcasts and newsletters.

5) Jessica Saunders is a programme director of fashion at the University of the Arts London. She did her PhD research on e-textiles and she has been on the committee for the electronic environment at the British Standards Institution (BSI). Jessica teaches her students to critically reflect on fashion and the use of e-textiles, and she encourages them to explore ways to truly make fashion more sustainable and circular.

6) Nicola Peel is an expert advisor at the Design Council. She is an advocate for design for planet. Having worked for over 20 years in the Ecuadorian Amazon, she also continuously pushes for giving Indigenous knowledge the weight and recognition it deserves. Nicola strongly believes that circular design and biomimicry can be used to create a more equitable and livable future. She has a newsletter, blog, and podcast that look into finding regenerative solutions.

7) Saskia Tykkyläinen originally studied industrial product design, but she quickly grew tired of the idea of creating more stuff that would just end up as waste. She therefore pivoted over to exploring what sustainable growth could look like and what role design plays within this. Saskia has written about sustainable, circular, and planet-centered design for The E-Waste Newsletter and she has also co-created modules on these topics for The E-Waste Learning Hub.

8) The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a non-profit working to accelerate the transition over to a circular economy. Through collaborations with businesses, policymakers, and global institutions, the foundation pushes for circularity as a solution to combat climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. The foundation is currently focusing on circular solutions in plastics, packaging, critical minerals, food, and fashion. Its media centre creates and publishes a variety of brilliant resources that aim to educate and share knowledge on circular design and the circular economy.

🔔 Stay tuned to to see the whole list of 100 people and organizations to follow unfold on LinkedIn, our blog, and our app.