Circular economy alumni heroes

Minimising waste and maximising the use of resources is what a circular economy is all about. A circular economy supports sustainable growth, environmental protection, and social equity.

Unlike the traditional linear economy of ‘take, make, use, dispose’, it aims to keep materials in use for longer, reduce environmental impact, and decouple growth from resource consumption through reuse, repair, remanufacture, and recycling. (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2021).

Failure to transition to this system risks resource depletion, pollution, climate breakdown, and economic instability.

Meet the alumni whose work is driving the change.

Sam Hodgson

BA(Hons) Business Team Entrepreneurship, 2025

Founder of Enviro IT

Sam’s passion for technology coupled with a frustration with waste started as a teenager. Now it’s his business.

While studying Team Entrepreneurship Sam developed his business with support from UWE’s Student Ventures. From their new base in the Sustainability Hub on Frenchay Campus, Enviro IT offers affordable refurbished laptops and IT recycling services with secure data destruction.

In the tech sector, a circular economy means products, components and materials are reused, refurbished, remanufactured and recycled. This approach exemplified by Enviro IT minimises the depletion of natural resources and pollution through waste.

“1/3 of the items we throw away aren’t broken, half of it could be easily fixed.” ^{_{The Restart Project}}

Jenny Ford

MSc Sustainable Development in Practice, 2018

Founder of Materials in Mind

Jenny’s work drives circular transformation in construction – connecting materials, technology, and people. They founded Materials in Mind in 2018 – a consultancy specialising in skills and partnerships in the built environment sector.

Jenny’s work bridges industry, education, and community through multiple innovative initiatives, all making circular and low-carbon practice accessible, connected, and commercially viable. Find out more:

Factory X – A network for regenerative and circular practice in the construction industry.

Insight Space Studio – Using 3D mapping and 360 scanning technology to support councils, landlords, occupiers, agents and designers to better understand their buildings.

ESJ Collaborations (LinkedIn) – Environmental, Social, Joyful. Low carbon and positive impact projects that foster local and long-term resilience.

Fred Peck

BA(Hons) Business (Entrepreneurship), 2024

Founder of Fred and Gilbert Twin Vintage

Specialising in second hand 90s and 2000s vintage sportswear, Fred and Gilbert Twin Vintage champions quality textile recycling, combatting huge waste created by the fashion industry each year (approximately one truckload every second). Fred and his brother are passionate about the reuse of robust well-made and styled garments.

Starting as a shop on Frenchay campus, they’ve now relocated to Bristol’s creative sustainability hub, Sparks. Sparks is a sustainable and socially orientated city centre department store housed in an old Marks & Spencer’s store, now supporting over 40 independent small businesses.

“Every year, the fashion industry churns out about 92 million tons of textile waste.” _{^{The Earth.Org}}

Nina Gizzie

BSc(Hons) Biomedical Sciences, 2014

Operations and Development Manager, Share Bristol – Library of Things

Nina works for Share Bristol, who opened a Library of Things on Frenchay Campus last year, where students, staff and the local community can borrow items for home, hobbies, study or practical tasks. From drills, tents and sewing machines to guitars, there’s a treasure trove to explore.

Borrowing instead of buying saves money and helps reduce the environmental impact of buying new. The Library of Things movement is growing across the globe, empowering people and communities, reducing waste and making good use of our resources.

Nina is using a decade of Regional Operations and Management experience to scale the charity’s impact. Her role focuses on laying the foundation for growth and supporting the development of more sites to ensure that sharing is easy and accessible for everyone in Bristol, boosting the reach and awareness of the Library of Things movement.

“The UK is the second biggest producer of electrical waste in the world, and still buys 1.7 million brand new electrical products each year.”

^{Library of Things}

Samantha Shaw

BA(Hons) Sociology, 2025

Founder Dolly Shop

Samantha’s Bristol-based Dolly Shop creates handmade soft toys and miniature clothing that challenge fast fashion and promote sustainability. Her passion is informed by her dissertation, which explored the social and environmental consequences of fast fashion.

Supported by Student Ventures, Sam’s pop-up shop on Frenchay campus and clothes making workshops run at our Repair Café have taught students and staff practical hands-on sewing, alteration and pattern cutting expertise.

Staff and students can join Samantha for Make your own clothes: sustainable sewing workshop on Glenside campus on Tuesday 4 November as part of UWE Bristol’s Green Week. Booking required.

Alex Montgomery

MSc Sustainable Development in Practice, 2023

Founder and Director, Generation Soil

Alex founded Bristol based Generation Soil Community in 2021, with a mission of nurturing people and planet through food. They run food waste compost schemes, food education workshops, and urban food production sites. Alex also works as a Doctoral Researcher with UK Food Systems advancing circular food systems and food education.

Green Week 2025 sees the launch of Frenchay campus’ Wild Kitchen vegan outlet food waste composting scheme with Generation Soil. The resulting compost will be returned to campus and used on our grounds.

“Regenerative practices can boost soil organic carbon by up to 159% and increase crop yields by as much as 29% — delivering both climate and food security benefits.”

^{Kumar, A., Antoniella, G., Blasi, E., & Chiti, T. (2025). Recent advances in regenerative sustainable agricultural strategies for managing soil carbon and mitigating climate change consequences}

Find out more and get involved

At UWE Bristol:

In Bristol:

More widely: