Lamington Group appoints Josh Renouf
Expanding its presence on the hospitality scene, Lamington Group is investing in its people as much as its hotels with new hires and role creation to support its innovation in sustainability…
Following the news at the end of last year of Lamington Group’s newly appointed Board of Directors, the sustainable hospitality company has announced the appointment of Josh Renouf as Circular Design Manager, marking a major step forward in the company’s commitment to zero-waste-to-landfill and circular economy practices. In this newly created role, Renouf brings his creativity to a fresh challenge: reducing hospitality waste and transforming it into ‘new’ purposeful and functional products.
Renouf joins Lamington Group with a strong background in sustainable product innovation. He is best known for creating The Barisieur, the viral coffee-brewing alarm clock, and founding Joy Resolve, a brand known for its functional, environmentally conscious designs – including a coffee table made from coffee grounds.
In his new role, Renouf will lead the development of a dedicated circular design studio in Hammersmith, West London, focused on transforming hotel waste into high-quality, functional products. Working closely with Lamington Group’s operations at room2 Chiswick, Southampton, and Belfast, the initiative aims to intercept and repurpose waste generated across hotel sites, from plastic and textiles to food and construction materials, and reintroduce them into the guest experience.
“Our ambition is to close the loop on hotel waste,” said Renouf. “We’re building a financially viable circular design studio that makes sustainability tangible and engaging – not only for our guests but for the industry.”
Image credit: Lamington Group
Lamington Group’s room2 is the UK’s first hospitality brand to commit to zero-waste-to-landfill. In 2021, they began experimenting with circular design at room2. They have created a welcome table from their own broken shampoo bottles, coasters from bottle caps, and sourced carpets made from recycled fishing nets and light fixtures made from orange peels. The success of these projects revealed an opportunity to further invest in circularity across design and operations.
This new initiative is a key milestone in Lamington Group’s broader sustainability strategy and One Planet Living framework, which includes its industry-leading commitment to develop and operate net zero hotels and embed circularity into every stage of design and operation.
“Josh brings both creativity and technical expertise to this next phase of our sustainability journey,” said Robert Godwin, CEO, Lamington Group. “His work aligns with our mission to lead the hospitality sector towards a circular future.”
Image credit: Lamington Group
In addition to Lamington Group’s ongoing initiatives related to composting, targeted recycling programs for guests and waste-to-energy partnerships, they are undertaking a comprehensive waste audit to better understand the nature of waste across their portfolio. These insights will inform the development of products and materials that align with the Group’s operations and commitment to zero waste. The circular design studio will also serve as a platform for public engagement and industry collaboration, including a future online store, workshop and partnerships with like-minded organisations.
A new room2 property is on the horizon in York with anticipated opening slated for 2026, while exciting rumours for the B-corp company are due to reveal more big news happening in Manchester over the coming years – watch this space!
Main image credit: Lamington Group
