Charlie Gill takes a trip around London Tech Week

My day started early, 6:15am to be precise. I caught the bus into town and hopped on a train to London. At that hour, it’s calm. Peaceful. I grabbed a croissant and coffee from Black Sheep at Manchester Piccadilly Station, plugged in a podcast on the UN Ocean Conference, and let the train carry me south.

The episode unpacked the potential of a global treaty on ocean plastics. I used to work in marine policy, so I’m always drawn to these topics. In my opinion, waste – and how we manage it – is the biggest issue of our time. That’s what brought me to London Tech Week, especially for the conversations on circularity and sustainable innovation.

11am: Thibaud takes the Main Stage

After arriving at Kensington Olympia, I headed straight to the Main Stage for Driving Sustainability in Tech, led by Back Market co-founder, Thibaud Hug de Larauze. To see circularity getting top billing at a major tech event felt like a turning point. So often, tech ignores sustainability. But hearing about ways to scale repair, reuse, and resale to reduce carbon was powerful.

Back Market's presence here really mattered. Most people at Tech Week aren’t in the sustainability space. They’re here for innovation. So planting the seed of circular thinking in that environment could change how future tech is designed, funded, and scaled.

14:30pm: NatureTech: Data for biodiversity

After a tasty lunch, I joined the NatureTech session, where speakers discussed how tech like AI and drones is being used to monitor and restore biodiversity, especially in post-industrial sites like mines. Susan Graham from Dendra Systems shared how regulation was key to making this work happen. Without policy, companies won’t act.

It resonated with me. I’ve seen how data gaps in marine environments make protection nearly impossible. We need better tools to know what’s worth preserving. That’s where tech can be a genuine force for good.

3pm: An unexpected lesson in insurance

One of the most surprising sessions I attended was about… insurance. More specifically, how insurance is unlocking climate innovation. Not a topic I’d usually seek out, but I’m glad I stayed. They explained how insurers are embedded in societal progress, like how fire stations became widespread through insurance requirements.

They told a story about the LA wildfires: one house survived thanks to a green roof, while those around it burned. Insurance companies are now recognising the role of green solutions and helping to quantify their value.

3:30pm: Back Market joins a panel on the circular economy

In the Innovating Circularity session, what stood out was the synergy between startups and big corporations. Stellantis, a global automotive company, shared how they’re adapting internally, while smaller innovators bring fresh ideas. It’s easy to villainise big companies, but they have the infrastructure and reach to scale change.

One standout message? A circular economy is achievable within a decade! That relieved my eco-anxiety. If businesses realise that profit aligns with purpose, we can make it happen.

Tech Week’s sustainability gap

While the panels were thought-provoking, I couldn’t help but notice the lack of sustainability presence outside of the talks. Most stalls were AI-heavy, and there wasn’t a lot of interaction with sustainability-focused initiatives or a forum where you could easily ask questions. I’d love to see more brands showcasing their impact, not just speaking about it.

Still, connecting with people like Thibaud and hearing different perspectives made the trip worth it. The difference between speaking to a sustainability-savvy crowd versus a tech-first audience really shifted how ideas landed. It reminded me to keep creating content that bridges that gap.

5pm: That’s a wrap

I caught the tail end of a session on sustainable packaging before heading off to dinner with a friend and catching the train home to Manchester.

It was a long day, but gave me a lot of food for thought. Back Market’s presence also gave me confidence that circularity isn’t niche anymore, it’s becoming part of the mainstream conversation. And for someone who spends their days fighting against waste, that’s incredibly motivating.