As designers of material things it is hard to avoid the thought that your work is a part of the engine that drives humanity's creation of material waste. Although this world-wide problem has the potential to damage the Earth, the impact it has on people today feels small and is easily absorbed into our mundane habits. Nevertheless we each and every one of us are involved in a great but slowly unfolding drama every time we make something, buy something or take the rubbish out.

When this is aligned with the wonder, beauty and pleasure that can be designed into material things along with mankind's fascination and need for inanimate objects, you have a big story.

Designers occupy an interesting position in this chain of consumption as they have the potential to do two positive things. Firstly they can design items that are innovative in their use of energy and materials, to minimise waste through efficiency or to facilitate recycling. Secondly they can use the language of aesthetics to produce designs that change the way people view the material world and what they desire to buy.

However, in reality both of these tasks are incredibly difficult to achieve with any great effect, as the designer is just one part of the economic chain, in which consumers and larger companies define the market. We hope we are moving toward a time when ecological aims are a greater part of everyone's concern and therefore a much greater part of a designer's job.

Committee The company is run by Clare Page and Harry Richardson, who met while studying Fine Art at Liverpool Art School. After moving to London, they married in 2001 and formed Committee in the same year. Committee have designed furniture, lighting, textiles, wallpaper and interiors.