At the start of my career I used recycled materials because they were free and so enabled me to experiment and explore ideas without being worried about making mistakes. Although I was interested in ‘recycling’ concepts and environmental issues I felt that these were secondary concerns. This has turned around. I can now afford to use new materials but would automatically choose recycled materials out of environmental concerns and the qualities that recycled materials have. Used materials have their own unique identity and history in the form of marks, stains, scratches and tears which new materials do not have. There is little point in bullying new materials when there is so much material to utilise.

Reclaimed Recycling in contemporary British Crafts and Design, The British Council, London 1999