New Circular Start-Up Shines A Light On Sustainability

Anti, founded by British designer Mark Howells, is a new sustainable design brand whose mission is to breathe new life into discarded products and create new, beautiful products from often wasted objects.

Mark founded Anti after time spent living in London and Tokyo exposed him to the mass linear negative impact of an everyday product – the umbrella.

Mark spent 3 years researching the issues surrounding umbrella waste in detail.

He found that one billion umbrellas are produced every year but are not designed to last longer than 6 months and often end up in landfill or incineration after use.

On a personal mission to eradicate the umbrella waste mountain, Mark put his energy into creating his first product line – an inspired range of upcycled desk and table lamps made from umbrellas.

The lamps have been carefully crafted from waste materials and given a new life as a sleek and sophisticated lamp that would be a pleasure to have on display around the home.

Mark, who was previously a business owner of a large surveying company which led him to experience landfill design and construction first hard, now lives in Ashford, Kent and works on creating sustainable designs from his studio there.

He says “My objective is to produce beautiful products from waste streams that at first or even second sight have no reference to their original purpose and utility. I know my work is done when someone suddenly realises what they are looking at is not what they thought, but it was there in front of them the whole time. To provide that surprise and joy is the best feeling.”