Looply
Did you know that 85% of the 430,000 tonnes of plastic waste we create every month in the UK comes from soft plastics like bread bags, crisp packets, bubble wrap and parcel packaging? With standard recycling systems unable to process these flexible materials, social enterprise Looply is stepping in to make a difference.
Partnering with local businesses, venues and individuals, Looply collects single-use soft plastic waste to turn it into everyday items ranging from sunglasses cases and zipped wallet-style pouches to pencil cases and plant pots. Since the brand’s launch in late 2024, they’ve handmade some 400 products made from 3,858 soft plastics collected from Hackney-based businesses and residents. That’s equivalent to stopping 38kg of plastic waste from ending up in landfill.
Transforming trash into treasure, Looply’s products are just one piece of the puzzle in tackling the plastic crisis, though. With an open-access approach, the team of female designers and social entrepreneurs host workshops in their London studio – meaning their process is no secret. This in turn helps to empower individuals to see the potential in discarded materials and encourages a behavioral shift at a hyper-local level.
These workshops can also go company-wide. Looply is able to take soft plastic waste from business waste streams or collect from employees through dedicated campaigns with in-workplace collection points and turn the saved materials into unique circular branded merchandise. Teams can even take part in hands-on stitching workshops to bring their own merch to life.
Their aim? That through this mixture of activities, they’ll create a repeatable blueprint for closed loop systems across communities.
Canadian-born, Swiss-raised Fyona Séguin is the designer and social entrepreneur behind Looply.
The starting point for the circular biz was her frustration with policy change taking so long and a passion for creativity as a vehicle for change. After graduating from University of the Arts in 2024, she leveraged her background in art direction and multidisciplinary design to establish Looply as a solution to the plastic waste crisis.
Putting community at the heart of the business has meant Looply is more than a brand, but a collective effort where social and environmental advocacy go hand in hand.
Fyona’s work has been recognised with numerous awards and collaborations, including V&A museum, UnLtd Millennium Awards Trust Award and The Future 50: Founders and Freelancers Awards at her alma mater, UAL.