From Warehouse to the Surface Design Show:
A Story of Circular Collaboration
Pallet wrap. The kind of material that sits quietly in our warehouse, doing its job and then waiting to be discarded. Easy to overlook. Easy to forget.
Until it isn’t.
Because not long after a conversation between two B Corps, that same material found its way into a completely different setting. Reworked and on display at the Surface Design Show as part of a series of lighting pieces.
Read on to find out how working with Lighting Design Studio, Spark & Bell, turned something ordinary into part of something extraordinary.
Where It All Began
What started with a visit to Spark & Bell’s Brighton studio during B Corp Month, and continued through the B Corps of the Interiors World WhatsApp group created by our Co-Founder, Stella, naturally grew into a collaboration. It was a simple connection, bringing Stella together with Emer Gillespie from Spark & Bell, that quickly turned into something more meaningful.
That conversation soon moved beyond WhatsApp and into real life when Stella and Emer met in person at the January Furniture Show for their panel, Better Business, Not Perfect Business, alongside fellow B Corp brand COAT Paints. Together, they discussed what it really means to build purpose-led brands within the interiors industry and how collaboration can help drive meaningful change.
At the centre of it all was one simple question:
How can we work together to make better use of what we already have?
Reimagining Materials
Back in our warehouse, our pallet wrap was doing what it always does. Protecting our furniture and waiting for its next job.
At the same time, Spark & Bell were collaborating with artist Justine Fox for her installation at the Surface Design Show, exploring how waste materials could be transformed into beautiful, functional design.
The connection felt obvious.
What if our pallet wrap could become part of that story too?
So we passed it on.
What started as protective packaging was tested, layered and reworked through Spark & Bell’s material experimentation process. Piece by piece, our recycled pallet wrap became part of the final installation.
The finished collection featured bespoke lighting made from marbled recycled plastic, created using discarded materials sourced from shopping bags, local businesses and our own warehouse waste. Each piece was carefully developed to complement the installations soft pastel colour palette, proving that waste materials can still have colour, character and purpose.
A second life we didn’t see coming and honestly, we think it suits it.
Beauty, rooted in responsibility.
Beyond a Single Project
What makes this story stand out isn’t just the transformation of the material, but how it came together.
It started with two B Corps asking the same question: How can we make better use of what already exists? By sharing resources, ideas and passion for our planet, we found value in something that would have otherwise been overlooked.
This is circular design in practice. Not one big gesture, but a series of thoughtful decisions that lead to something meaningful. A conversation sparked an idea, a meeting set things in motion, and a material moved from one place to another.
The result is proof that collaboration can take waste further and create something neither business could have achieved alone.
In Conversation with Emer, Founder and Director of Spark & Bell
We spoke with Emer about how this collaboration came together, and what it means for the way we work going forward.
When we mentioned pallet wrap, what made you think it could work within your process?
“We started working with soft plastics, HDPE and LDPE, (High-Density Polyethylene and Low-Density Polyethlene) a good few years ago, when I saw the amount of protective packaging and pallet wrap that was going straight in the bin here in our workshop. I am constantly looking at our waste streams and trying to either reuse or repurpose the, before they go to landfill. So, we set the task of turning this soft plastic waste into beautiful marble-like material. This took quite some time to develop the colours and patterns that we were happy to add to our lightning designs. As soon as AGC mentioned they had pallet wrap as a waste stream, I knew it would be a great fit for our marbled material.”
What was it like seeing that material move from a warehouse setting into a finished piece for the Surface Design Show?
“Amazing. It felt like a real statement piece, proving that waste can be beautiful and functional. We had created our 6 colour ways with our marbled material some time ago, so it was a real treat to get back into the recycling workshop and create so many new colours. Justine Fox, the curator and designer of the VIP area at the show, sent us some colour cards based on her chosen pallet. Hannah, one of our team members who develops and makes recycled plastic pieces, spent every afternoon in January creating 18 new colourways, 12 of which went into the space. We not only got to see the beautiful new colours lit up for the Surface Design Show, but we also added 18 new colours to our material offerings.”
How important are spaces like the ‘B Corps of the interiors world’ group in making collaborations like this happen?
“Crucial. Open exchange speeds up innovation and makes sustainability the norm rather than the exception. I always say that we need to collaborate, share tips, and exchange processes to advance our businesses' sustainability, as the environment is the main beneficiary. I've really enjoyed getting to know more passionate B Corp members in the interior world through the group as we align on our passion and focus: building businesses that value people, planet and profit equally.”
Join the Conversation
This started with one material, but it is really about something bigger. What happens when we stay connected? When we share ideas? When we look at what we already have and ask what else it could become?
This collaboration shows what is possible when businesses are open, connected, and willing to share.
It is not about having all the answers. It is about starting the conversation.
We are continuing that conversation, and we are always open to more voices joining it.
If you are part of the interiors industry and want to be part of a more open, collaborative way of working, we would love to hear from you. Please email Stella at stella.gittins@accoutergroup.com
The ‘B Corps of the Interiors World’ group is growing, and it is built on exactly this kind of exchange.
Sometimes, all it takes is one conversation to turn something overlooked into a story worth sharing.
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