Louise Nash
on Redesigning Through Circularity
For Louise Nash, business and nature are inseparable. As the founder of Circularity, XLabs Innovation Programme, Making Circularity Work and The Redesign of Everything, her work is grounded in a clear belief: “The future of business will work with nature, not against it.”
Louise sees today’s take-make-waste economy as both a major risk and a missed opportunity. With most resources extracted from the earth used only once, she believes real business resilience will come from embedding circular principles — designing out waste, keeping materials in use, and regenerating living systems.
One of the biggest barriers she encounters is collaboration. Too often, it relies on processes rather than trust. The progress Louise has seen comes from working differently — prioritising relationships, reciprocity and shared commitment to unlock circular solutions.
Deeply influenced by Indigenous perspectives, Louise is guided by the whakataukī “Mā mua ka kite a muri, mā muri ka ora a mua”, reminding us that leadership shifts with context and that every role contributes to the strength of the whole.
Despite the challenges, Louise remains optimistic about Aotearoa’s future. She believes our strong connection to nature could position New Zealand as a global leader in regenerative, circular economies — if we choose to lean into it.
Through The Redesign of Everything, Louise invites us to rethink what’s possible. With less than eight percent of the world currently circular, she sees an open invitation to start redesigning — today.
Read Blooming Sustainability to explore Louise’s journey on shaping a regenerative future.
BLOOMING Sustainability Questionnaire
Name: Louise Nash
Company & Title: Founder of Circularity, XLabs Innovation Programme, Making Circularity Work and The Redesign of Everything.
Website & LinkedIn Profile:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nashlouise/
https://www.circularity.co.nz/
https://www.circularity.co.nz/the-redesign-of-everything
https://makingcircularitywork.substack.com/
* Guiding Values | Kaupapa
A quote, personal motto or whakataukī that reflects your vision:
I believe the future of business will work with nature, not against it.
Why?
Every single business is a subsidiary of the environment, drawing resources from the earth to make, distribute and sell products and services.
But the current take-make-waste linear approach means that 100 billion tonnes of virgin resources are extracted from the earth every year, generating 45% of our global emissions and less than 8% is ever cycled back for reuse.
This negatively impacts nature’s ability to regenerate and draw down carbon, and it is also responsible for the majority of biodiversity loss worldwide.
This is a social, environmental, and economic risk to businesses everywhere, resulting in rising costs, shortages and penalties, yet could unlock a $4.5 trillion opportunity by shifting to a circular economy.
That’s why, business success relies on embedding circular principles to design out waste, keep materials in flow and regenerate living systems.
This is the future of business.
Adaptive, Circular and Regenerative.
If you could mentor a rising change-maker in Aotearoa, what advice would you share?
Don’t wait for a ‘sustainability’ job.
Just start ‘working’ for sustainability.
Fall in love with a problem worth solving and look to understand its root cause.
This could be in your community, a business you follow or work at, or a country that interests you.
Talk to people who create the problem, are affected by it, and who are trying to solve it.
Problems exist in system silos - be the connector of these groups, and you’ll find the solutions already exist.
Take the time to share what you’re working on and help others understand why it matters and what is needed to solve the problem.
You’ll create the job you want, and the ecosystem to solve the problem you care about.
* Leading Change | Arataki
A key moment in your journey that shaped your path:
You’re welcome to draw any quotes from my story here.
What’s the main challenge you face in driving ‘circularity’ within your sector?
Collaboration is the unlock to making circularity work. But we’re doing it wrong.
We try to collaborate with documents and processes to create trust—but that is seldom the result. That keeps us in a linear world, working with the same people in silos, expecting different outcomes but doing things the same way.
The success we have had in accelerating circularity was because we unlocked its potential with radical collaboration.
Done differently, that meant we focused on three core principles above all else:
1. Building trust
2. Reciprocity
3. Committment
An area you need more support with:
Introductions to leaders across business, local and central government who are seeking the skills, partnerships and solutions that enable them to unlock the benefits of a circular economy.
An Indigenous perspective you admire and want people to be mindful of:
At Circularity, we recognise that the vital essence that connects all things is of, and from, the natural world. Including ourselves. We are here for the environments, the animals, the oceans, the lands and well-being of all people. — and we acknowledge the close connections and intergenerational relationships that the indigenous people of this place hold, and across the earth.
When working with stakeholders on complex problems, we are guided by this whakataukī “
“Mā mua ka kite a muri, mā muri ka ora a mua.” - Those who lead give sight to those who follow, those who follow give life to those who lead.
What we love about this perspective is that leadership and followership are purely a product of circumstance, situation and changes depending on the context. Just like nature!
Therefore, it’s important to understand that every person within your team or whānau, regardless of hierarchy, has their own strengths that lead to the success of the rōpū.
Sometimes we lead and need to galvanise and align supporters, sometimes we give life to others who are best suited to lead.
There is often comfort in knowing that sometimes our role is not to lead but to support others as they lead.
What do you think is Aotearoa’s superpower in creating a sustainable future?
Despite our degrading environment, I believe that New Zealanders’ have an incredible connection to the natural world and our unique biodiversity found nowhere else in the world.
Storytold by the Department of Conservation in the ‘Always be Naturing’ campaign.
But we can do so much more with this!
If we recognise and double down on this superpower, we can lead the world in what it means to create an economy that regenerates people and the environment.
A good example of this approach….
Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck promotes Gross National Happiness (GNH)—a philosophy prioritising well-being, sustainability, culture, and environment over pure GDP—to attract investment and tourism amid economic challenges like youth emigration. Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay supports this by balancing GNH with growth initiatives. The result is major projects like the Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), a $100 billion special zone blending "mindful capitalism" with GNH principles such as ecological harmony and spiritual well-being, targeting green tech firms, AI data centers, and renewables via hydropower, offering special governance, tax regimes, and vetting for "mindful" investors. They evaluate impacts on nine GNH domains (e.g., psychological well-being, ecology), ensuring growth preserves forests (70% coverage) and culture while creating jobs to retain youth. This holistic approach differentiates Bhutan, drawing global interest despite challenges like poverty and outmigration.
Imagine what might be possible for Aotearoa’s future?
* Surfing the Green Wave | Kakariki
If your work could plant one seed of change for the future, what would it be?
I often get DM’s from people who have listened to our podcast or read an article on our platform, The Redesign of Everything, inspiring them to think differently about what is possible. It is based on the idea that we can shape a better future with the decisions we make today. Less than 8% of the world is circular, so we have the opportunity to redesign almost everything. So let’s get started today!
In 2026, our mission is to bring together young graduates to form a Circular Council, creating a voice for the next generation to redesign everything, leveraging our insights from the last nine years into practical, scalable opportunities led by youth.
The leader(s) you endorse for a future edition of Blooming Sustainability:
* One actionable takeaway for our readers to make a change today for a brighter tomorrow:
Together, we all have ‘enough’ - but it is not evenly distributed.
How might you redesign consumption in your role or business to be based on circular business models that enable valorisation over time with products that can regenerate the earth or be remade and reused in perpetuity?
Start with coffee and eliminate your single-use coffee cup, and see how easy it can be.
