Having existed as various entities since the introduction of the first kerbside collections in Bristol in the early 1980s, we became Resource Futures in 2006 as a merger of three leading UK organisations working across the waste and recycling sector: SWAP, The Recycling Consortium, and Network Recycling.
Resource Futures was founded on a simple, but radical, idea: that regenerative thinking and collective action are good for business, society and planet. It isn’t an obstacle to a positive future: it’s the key to it.
More than two decades on, we continue our efforts as an environmental consultancy accelerating the shift towards circularity and bringing about a world where we give back more than we take.
What we do
As an environmental consultancy specialising in data, community action and research, we help governments, businesses, NGOs and non-profits embrace circularity and rebalance their relationship with resources to deliver a low carbon future.
Our multi-disciplinary expertise and collaborative approach sets us apart from our competitors
This breadth of knowledge allows us to take on almost any materials-related challenge across sectors and geographies, from finding solutions energy infrastructure and built environment challenges to supporting manufacturers, retailers and more to meet changing sustainability regulations and make progress towards their net zero targets.
How we help
Organisations and governments face a number of challenges when it comes to taking decisive action on climate, sustainability and material use. A lack of data, stakeholder engagement or internal knowledge can all prevent effective pathways towards a circular future from being built.
Our experts are drawn from all areas of sustainability and regenerative change, delivering work wherever we can make the greatest positive difference:
- We empower communities to reuse, repair and recycle.
- We work with national governments, organisations and the international community to design and implement policies and initiatives that transform how people use – and reuse – everyday items.
- We collect key primary data around materials use and provide industry-leading insight and intelligence to formulate strategies for a less wasteful future.
- We help develop practical solutions that protect against the disruption of geopolitical instability and climate change through better management of key material resources.
Our work centres around three key values:
Integrity
We choose our clients and partners carefully. Our work practices, the projects we undertake, and our choice of collaborators are rooted in our sustainable and ethical business principles.
Independence
Our independence is our strength. It is what allows us to be an impartial, trustworthy partner to the wide variety of clients we work with, and means you can trust that our work is carried out without undue influence from shareholders or sponsors.
Commitment
When we commit to doing something, we make sure we do it right. We foster a positive, enriching work environment and ensure we have the right people in place to deliver the work – drawn both from our diverse pool of talented in-house experts and our wide network of associates, partners and collaborators.
We are an employee-owned, not-for-profit B corp
An employee-owned business
Our company is owned by those who work for us, not beholden to shareholders. Our staff can vote on key decisions and make suggestions on how we operate at our annual AGM, alongside our Consultative Group which actively represents the thoughts and ideas of our wider staff to our board of directors.
Being employee-owned is critical to our ability to be an independent, trusted voice committed to achieving the right outcome, rather than the easy one.
A not-for-profit environmental consultancy
We operate a non-profit-distributing model which means that every penny we make from our work is invested back into our work, helping to fund future projects across our consulting, communities and data teams and increase our ability to take on work that can deliver a low carbon, circular economy.
A certified B Corp since 2016
Resource Futures was one of the first companies in the UK to become a certified B Corp, a status we’ve held since 2016.
Our B Corp status represents our commitment to using business as a force for good, in a way that not only brings about economic success but addresses our most challenging environmental problems and creates value for society.
Read our latest Impact Report.