Applied systems thinking
Circular design for resilient and regenerative outcomes in Aotearoa New Zealand, not theory, but the practical work of realising and retaining value.
About us
An independent, strategic platform.
Circular by Nature exists to lift ambition and coordinate circular economy action in Aotearoa New Zealand, addressing the gaps in awareness and understanding of what it will take to shift from a linear to a circular economy.
Our kaupapa
Make the circular economy tangible, and actionable.
Inspire, educate and enable decision-makers across communities to transition away from take-make-waste resource use reliant on fossil fuels, and replace it with circular business models, practices and policies.
So that all New Zealanders can manage our resources within our planetary boundaries: reducing waste, lowering costs and reducing emissions to achieve a resilient, thriving society, nature and economy. And so that communities of practice have the foundations to flourish.
Evidence-led thought leadership
Grounding all insights, tools and recommendations in robust data, while making them clear, practical and relevant to New Zealanders.
Inclusive and actionable
Ensuring our work is non-partisan, actionable and investable across communities, sectors and government, both local and central.
Who we are
Three independent practitioners, one shared kaupapa.
Kelly McClean, Louise Nash and Samantha Walmsley-Bartlett came together to build a platform that could do what none of us could do alone. Together, the team spans the full chain from evidence to lived experience, from boardroom strategy to community implementation.
Kelly McClean
Co-founder
A strategy, design and sustainability specialist with over 12 years leading innovation and circular economy projects across textiles, agriculture, manufacturing, FMCG, packaging and infrastructure. At Aurecon she was a key contributor to MBIE’s circular bioeconomy research and engagement programme, and at Foodstuffs NZ she supported circular systems change in the retail sector. Kelly co-founded the social enterprises CommonKind and Reuse Aotearoa, leads Future of Fibre Aotearoa, and chairs the Ahu Charitable Trust ki Pukerua Bay. Her work consistently bridges the technical and the human.
Louise Nash
Co-founder
An economist, creator of the Circular by Design™ methodology, and founder and CEO of Circularity, Aotearoa’s leading circular economy design and advisory practice, and a certified B Corp. Over more than 20 years she has led 168 circular transformation strategies across packaging, textiles, food, plastics, transport, timber and water, keeping a million tonnes of New Zealand’s resources out of landfill. Her XLabs innovation labs have built the capability of practitioners from business leaders to community groups, across New Zealand, Australia, Asia, the Americas and Europe.
Samantha Walmsley-Bartlett
Co-founder
A systems change leader focused on enabling regeneration across landscapes and value chains: shifting relationships, incentives and decisions at every level, from grower cooperatives to global shipping routes. As Head of Sustainability at Zespri International she developed the first industry-wide electrification pathway for kiwifruit. At Circularity she led New Zealand’s first measurement of circular solutions using the Circular Transition Indicator tool and co-developed XLabs. She co-founded Fairgrow and sits on the board of Future Farmers, bringing the circular economy from strategy to the ground.
Listed alphabetically. Circular by Nature is a collective: the three founders share the work, the platform and its direction equally.
In te ao Māori, the reciprocal and cyclical relationship between people, resources and the environment is foundational.
Here in Aotearoa New Zealand, Te Tiriti o Waitangi is foundational. How we transform our economy must honour and strengthen leadership by mana whenua, navigating together who decides, who benefits, and how we restore what has been taken.
Circularity in Aotearoa must uphold Te Tiriti, protect mātauranga Māori, and recognise Māori-led, place-based approaches as central to the transition. That means resourcing kaupapa already practising circularity, protecting Māori data sovereignty, and measuring success through restored mauri and shared wellbeing alongside emissions reduction, waste reduction and productivity gains.
Kaitiakitanga as an intergenerational responsibility, not an aspiration.
Partners
Thank you to everyone who contributed their advice and support.
This publication was made with strategic and creative partners who brought their own expertise to the kaupapa.
Strategic partners
- Clare Foundation: funding to enable the white paper’s development, launch and engagement.
- Kantar: consumer research on circular behaviour, undertaken for the first time in New Zealand.
- University of Auckland: academic and cross-disciplinary CEBUS teams joined our feedback sessions and host the report launch on campus.
- Gift Collective: our charitable fundholder.
Creative partners
- Hula: creative expression, design and the bespoke artworks that make Aotearoa’s circular future feel imaginable and accessible.
- Dave Black: print production specialist behind the hard copy of the white paper.
No artificial intelligence was used in the design of the document. The photographs are real and the illustrative artworks were completed entirely by hand, by Hula designer and artist Jenna Billman.
Peer review panel
Ken Webster
Former Head of Innovation, Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Jodie Bricout
Chair, Circular Australia
Francesca Eggleton
Emissions mitigation expert and former Treasury economist
Johnnie Freeland
Wayfinder, systems navigator and whakapapa-centred designer
Jason Mika
Professor of Māori Management, University of Auckland Business School
Joya Kemper
Senior Lecturer and CEBUS Stakeholder Manager, University of Auckland
Bree Asmus
Strategy Director, Hula Design
Work with us
Let’s build it together.
There are so many incredible initiatives underway across the motu: glimpses into Aotearoa’s circular future. We would like to hear about yours.