Championing waste-based materials and regenerative design, here’s what to expect at the Material Matters Fair.

Returning for its third edition, the Material Matters Fair takes up residence in Bargehouse OXO Tower Wharf to showcase a myriad of imaginative material solutions.

Taking place as part of London Design Festival, the line up of materially-minded exhibitors will be available to view between the 18 & 21 September 2024.

Across its four storeys, Bargehouse is set to be filled with a curated mix of over 40 brands, designers, and makers, spanning product design, furniture and lighting, metal, ceramics, textiles, and technology. Running from the entrance hall to the top floor, a range of themes are to be explored, the fair’s most notable focus being on innovative ways of working with ‘waste’.

Kicking off its ‘Waste Not, Want Not’ theme, Smile Plastics will reimagine its reception desk for last year’s Material Matters Fair. Created by designer, Will Atkins, using mechanical fixings instead of glue, sections of the desk can be easily swapped out and it can be taken apart easily - ensuring a longer and more sustainable lifecycle.

Smile Plastics is well-known and well-loved for its 100% recycled and recyclable plastic panels for interior and exterior use, re-diverting everything from yoghurt pots and milk cartons to white goods from landfill. Smile Plastics will also be creating plinths for Room 12 of the fair, in addition to designing the cafe bar situated in the same room.

On the second floor, global aluminium company, Hydro, presents its 100R project. The installation asks seven internationally renowned designers to create a product from Hydro CIRCAL 100R, the world’s first aluminium made entirely from recycled, post-consumer scrap on an industrial scale.

On the top floor, future-thinking ceramicist, Rosy Napper exhibits a series of beautiful objects for the home, made from ceramic detritus as part of her project, ReCinder. ReCinder is a 100% recycled material made from discarded broken ceramic and waste ash that has been diverted from landfill.

A greener, waste-based alternative to industrially processed clay, ReCinder is self-glazing, eradicating the need for conventionally mined and environmentally damaging raw materials often used in ceramic glazes. ReCinder prides itself as one of the only 100% recycled ceramic materials currently on the market capable of translucency. And you may recognise Rosy's work as part of our This Is No Longer Speculative campaign.

Likewise, Ferzom Ceramics is launching a series of glazes made from 100% waste materials, including pigments derived from the London Underground.

Elsewhere, Taiwan-based Filie Materials turns disused car windscreens into a leather alternative; and Alkesh Parmar - a returning exhibitor - transforms orange peel into a range of products, including luminescent amber lampshades. In addition, VivÈrdie Industries presents a unique approach to repurposing textile waste into fresh materials.

Continuing on the topic of waste-based materials and responsible manufacture, SAGES is an exciting new brand set to disrupt the synthetic dyes industry. Based on the Material Matters Fair top floor, Sages prescribes a natural, sustainable, non-polluting palette for its clients, with its first range palette including avocados, onions, blueberries, and red cabbage. Its vision is to create a circular, biodegradable, vibrant and low impact approach towards colour creation, that can be used across applications from textiles and cosmetics, to paints and packaging.

Material Source Studio partners, Camira and SAS are also exhibiting at the fair. Investing heavily in its own mechanical recycling technology, Camira will be showing examples of its circular “textile-to-textile” recycled wool fabrics, using its own waste streams, including an innovative new fabric made from regenerated wool and harvested flax. SAS TexTiles combine natural, renewable fabric with low embodied carbon metal in a simple design aimed at comfort, functionality and, most importantly, reuse.


First exhibited at Milan Design Week this year, Corian®'s Nature’s Canvas encourages visitors to step directly into nature. The immersive experience highlights Corian®'s new colour collection and its diverse range of nature-inspired designs. The exhibition includes moody monochrome paintings, both works of art in themselves and blank canvases waiting to inspire guests, as well as nature-inspired sculptures, which highlight the versatility of Corian® and its infinite possibilities.

Rootfull will also make a return to this year’s fair, showing a range of root derived lamps and interior pieces. Founded by Zena Holloway, Rootfull is a material innovation company developing lace-like textiles, made by guiding plant root to “weave” garments and products. This fusion of biology, craft, and design disciplines produces extraordinary garments and products for the home, with an interplay of sustainability, creativity, and natural artistry. You may have spotted Zena's work in one of our Studios!

Register and discover the entire host of exhibitors set to showcase at this year’s Material Matters Fair, as well as its talks programme here.