All articles from Tim Lee

The Economics of Waste: How Fashion Normalised Destruction — and Why Brands and Retailers Now Share the Burden

Read article

Utilitarian

• Feb 2, 2026 2:03:22 PM

Scaling Impact Means Getting Over the Consumption Dilemma

Read article

Retail

• Jan 27, 2026 6:14:52 PM

Turning In-Store Shoe Take-Back Into Customer Connection: A Case Study from the Netherlands

Read article

Retail

• Jan 15, 2026 8:30:01 AM

Tim Lee

Tim Lee founded Utilitarian to solve a challenge he saw again and again — brands and retailers wanting to meet their sustainability goals, but missing the connection with the customers who could help them get there. Starting in Australia and now based in the Netherlands, Tim has spent years learning how to make the “right thing” the easy thing, building systems that turn product returns into loyalty, measurable impact, and real data. He’s passionate about working with the system, not against it, and believes the circular economy only works when everyone — customers, brands, and the planet — wins.

Repair Gets the Spotlight. Take-Back Gets the Leftovers. That's a Problem

Subscribe Here!

All articles from Tim Lee

Repair Gets the Spotlight. Take-Back Gets the Leftovers. That's a Problem

The take-back counter is outperforming your paid social. You just haven't captured it yet.

The Economics of Waste: How Fashion Normalised Destruction — and Why Brands and Retailers Now Share the Burden

Scaling Impact Means Getting Over the Consumption Dilemma

Turning In-Store Shoe Take-Back Into Customer Connection: A Case Study from the Netherlands

The Final Shift: Circularity as Operating Model

Reuse vs Waste: Decide Where It Goes — and Prove It

Take-back that customers actually use

Build the product data spine now — or chase fixes later

2026: the year Europe’s textile circular economy gets real

Topics