The Circular Economy Institute (CEI) has unveiled a new brand identity for FORM Brands Studio, designed to position the organization as a collaborative global force driving beyond waste.
Following CEI’s acquisition by the Chartered Institute of Waste Management (CIWM) in 2024, both organizations needed to refresh their identities to become more strategically aligned while maintaining distinct audiences and purposes. For CEI, this means striking a careful balance between professional credibility and creativity.
“CEI’s identity required unique assets that could scale across digital and physical localized environments around the world,” said Alex Andlaw, creative director and co-founder of FORM Brands Studio. “We wanted to express circularity as an active system rather than a static symbol.
“By creating a central form that can flex and connect throughout the brand, we established a system that feels modern, scalable and dynamic, supported by a contemporary color palette and a type system rooted in industry and progress.”
One of the first decisions the studio made was to avoid the visual tropes that dominate sustainable spaces. Rather than defaulting to leafy patterns or predictable greens and browns, FORM seeks to redefine circularity as a system-driven movement rooted in industry, infrastructure and collective action.
“We want to change the way people think about the circular economy,” Alex explains. “People often think this is purely an environmental issue, and while sustainability is an important pillar of CEI’s work, social impact, policy and infrastructure are equally important.
“By moving away from visual cues typically associated only with environmental initiatives, we created an image that represents the complete, interconnected system behind the circular economy.”
In line with this idea, the studio chose a vibrant, forward-thinking color palette that gives a modern feel and signals progress and collaboration. The aim is to position CEI as a professional body with cultural relevance and not just environmental qualifications.
The new circle, derived from the letter C, is an important asset of the new logo. It acts as a flexible building block across layout, content, and communication.
“The ‘C’ at the heart of the rebrand carries multiple meanings: circularity as a core idea, community and connection, and cultural representation,” Als said. “This led us to create a circular logo formed by the repeated use of the letter ‘C’.
“The system serves as a visual reminder of connection and collaboration, reflecting the collective action, movement and progress that drives the Circular Economy Institute.”
The form repeats and adapts at various touch points, conveying circularity not as a closed loop but as an evolving network. It has a vibrant and expansive feel, reinforcing the idea of a global professional community working toward a common goal.
Typography also plays a decisive role. The studio chose Satoshi, a modernist sans serif inspired by industrial era types, to anchor systems within progress and industry.
For an organization built on collaboration, training, and certification, practicality is non-negotiable. This identity needs to be leveraged in strategic reports, partnerships, educational materials, and real-world projects.
“The color palette is central to achieving this balance,” Alex points out. “We paired deeper, more grounded tones with lighter, more energetic accents to create a visual language that feels confident, modern and approachable.
“The wider system is deliberately kept simple, with clear typefaces and flexible use of color that can change depending on the message or context. Ultimately, it is a practical, adaptable design system with a clean and easy-to-understand visual language that is consistent across strategy and day-to-day touchpoints.”
The new brand voice embodies this clarity. Based on lines like “powering a circular future” and “real people.” Real Progress”, which strengthens the authoritative and humanizing role of CEI.
A new identity now appears throughout CEI’s website, educational programs and global communications, positioning the organization as a convener of a global movement driven by people, systems and shared ambition.
