Catherine Conway

Catherine’s career has spanned both the private and Third Sectors, but always focussing on the interplay of how business interacts with and supports, the society in which it operates. Before the concepts of zero waste and the circular economy had developed, Catherine could see that there was a problem with the amount of plastic packaging being used in our modern lives. A true innovator, Catherine set up GoUnpackaged, (Originally named Unpackaged) in 2006 as the world’s first modern zero waste shop, which has since developed into a leading consultancy with clients such as Waitrose, Planet Organic, Sainsbury’s, M&S, The Co-Op, Morrisons, Ocado, Abel & Cole, Sodexo, River Cottage and a host of smaller independent brands and retailers. Not only has GoUnpackaged created a new, desirable, sustainable category in modern retailing but Catherine’s passion for developing systems to enable refilling, and reuse, within various food sectors has enabled many other businesses to create real and lasting change. With the issues surrounding single-use packaging pollution now firmly in the public spotlight, Catherine is one of the leading voices in the field, often quoted in the press from The Guardian to the BBC and Sky News.