Sophie Thomas is an unusual mix of campaigner, practising designer and chartered waste manager. She has been working in the fields of sustainable design, behaviour change and material process for over 20 years; through her design agency, Thomas.Matthews ltd; and through a number of campaigning posts including Director of The Great Recovery.
Sophie established Thomas.Matthews in 1997. It continues to be a thriving design agency with extensive experience in the design and production of award-winning and highly sustainable design for communication.
Sophie is now seen as one of the UK’s experts in circular economy design and has assisted global businesses and UK government organisations to define the role of designers within discussions around waste streams, resource efficiency and circular economies, and has worked with major organisations on new models for circular business and closed loop design.
Her role of Director of Circular Economy at the RSA led to her being design advisor for the Circular Economy Task Force and a member of the UK Resources Council. She was also part of the UK government committee for the ‘Industry Evolution’ report published in 2015 that helped to set the UK Industrial Strategy. In 2014 Sophie became one of the first designers to become a Chartered Waste Manager (CIWM) and has been nominated twice for CIWM’s Industry Leader of the Year. She has been a trustee for Design Council until 2011 and is currently a trustee for WRAP. She has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship at UAL and is currently an honorary lecturer at UCL.
Sophie established Thomas.Matthews in 1997. It continues to be a thriving design agency with extensive experience in the design and production of award-winning and highly sustainable design for communication.
Sophie is now seen as one of the UK’s experts in circular economy design and has assisted global businesses and UK government organisations to define the role of designers within discussions around waste streams, resource efficiency and circular economies, and has worked with major organisations on new models for circular business and closed loop design.
Her role of Director of Circular Economy at the RSA led to her being design advisor for the Circular Economy Task Force and a member of the UK Resources Council. She was also part of the UK government committee for the ‘Industry Evolution’ report published in 2015 that helped to set the UK Industrial Strategy. In 2014 Sophie became one of the first designers to become a Chartered Waste Manager (CIWM) and has been nominated twice for CIWM’s Industry Leader of the Year. She has been a trustee for Design Council until 2011 and is currently a trustee for WRAP. She has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship at UAL and is currently an honorary lecturer at UCL.