Tue 31 Jan 2023 | by Rob Hutchins

Products of Change to discuss the Circular Economy at Source Home and Gift next week

Source Home and Gift, the responsible sourcing show running adjacent to Spring Fair, will be shining a spotlight on the Circular Economy when the event’s Retail Stage seminar programme gets underway next week. Products of Change’s Helena Mansell-Stopher will be joining James George, strategic adviser at Pyxera Global and POC’s Circular Economy Ambassador on stage on Tuesday, 7 February to ask the crucial questions: what exactly is the circular economy and why should you care? The pair will be unravelling facts about using the right materials and the policies surrounding them, as well as how to ‘green’ your business. The discussion will make up part of Source Home and Gift’s extensive seminar programme that promises a tight schedule of informative talks, all taking place on its new Responsible Retail Stage across all four days of the show. The programme will be kicked-off with a keynote talk from the founder of JoJo Mama Bebe, Laura Tenison MBE as she discusses building an ethical business. Her talk will centre on Recommerce Revolution: The second-hand industry comes of age, during which Laura will discuss the rise of thrifting, the second-hand market, reverse commerce, and how to build an ethical business. Topics up for discussion across the event will span the ‘B Corp movement’ to the development of sustainable packaging. “Whenever we talk about sustainable and responsible sourcing, the biggest thing that comes out of those conversations is everyone wants to know what ‘good’ really looks like, and how they can achieve it,” said Suzanne Ellingham, director of sourcing, Source Home & Gift. “At a time when sustainability can mean almost anything, and there are no measurements, no definitions, no common language, many businesses are simply doing their best. But there is a community that wants to learn from each other. “The Responsible Retail Stage is packed full of innovators and business leaders who are on that journey and willing to not just share their successes, but also share where things didn’t quite go to plan and use that insight to move their own journey forward faster.” Among the line-up at next week’s show, the UK plastics charity, WRAP will be taking to the stage with a session on Climate crisis action: Meeting sustainable packaging standards. WRAP has committed to a circular economy for plastics beyond 2025 both in the UK and globally. For a deep dive into Going for Green: A sustainable – and profitable – retail supply chain, Tom Barton, co-founder and director of Food, Quality, and Sustainability at Honest Burgers will present the first steps to developing a more sustainable strategy, including introducing ethical sourcing practices, reusing waste or by-products, and redesigning your processes and optimising transport. The B Corp movement will also be on the table as Toast Ale’s co-founder Rob Wilson explains more about the company’s B Corp journey and first steps to B Corp without succumbing to ‘greenwashing’. Source Home and Gift will run from 5 to 8 February at NEC Birmingham, running adjacent to Spring Fair. P{roducts of Change will be present at Spring Fair for the duration of the show, setting up camp as part of Spring Fair’s Power of One sustainability campaign.