By Gareth Jones, Founder, Fresh works
I have spent all of my working life solving problems. Not by following the conventional path, but by stepping off it entirely. My background is not in water – in fact, I started in the motor industry with Rolls-Royce before taking a sharp turn into innovation and design engineering at the Royal College of Art. That eventually led me to James Dyson’s doorstep in 1989, where we built his first vacuum cleaner from the ground up, literally in his house.
Since then, I’ve led Fresh Works Ltd, a consultancy focused on tackling technical challenges through innovative thinking. We’ve worked with everyone from Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson to Ikea and British Airways.
The problems change, but the approach stays the same: go deep, stay curious, and always look for ideas that cross boundaries.
One of those boundaries has led us, somewhat unexpectedly, into water.
Our team has been developing a microfibre filter, initially designed for laundry systems. We patented the design and found that it works exceptionally well not just in washing machines, but also in broader industrial water applications.
That discovery led us to Greg from Elis, via a rather serendipitous introduction from Chris Hines, the founder of Surfers Against Sewage, who I met at last year’s Water Matters event.
What started as an interesting chat has now become a real partnership.
We’ve completed a series of successful site trials at Elis, showing them we can remove vast quantities of particulate matter from their industrial laundry operations. We’re not just cleaning the water more effectively, we can reduce the chemical load and give them an opportunity to recycle heated water, lowering both their environmental impact and energy bills. That’s innovation in action.
What makes it work? Agility.
Elis is a commercial outfit, not a traditional water company. When they saw the value in what we were offering, they acted quickly. There was no 15-year waiting period or endless committee meetings. They put their resources behind it and helped move it forward.
That’s rare, and it’s a big part of why I’m such a fan of events like Water Matters.
We’re looking for organisations that want to help here and now in a pragmatic way. If there are water companies or other industry investors ready to support solutions that clean up wastewater, we’d love to talk to them.
Events like Water Matters bring the right people into the room: commercial leaders, engineers, scientists, communicators, and designers. These are the boundary zones where change actually happens, where a conversation between a laundry operator and a design engineer can lead to a new approach to wastewater filtration. That kind of cross-pollination is vital. It forces people to stop thinking in straight lines and start thinking laterally.
I’ll be at Water Matters this June, not because I’m a water industry veteran, but because I believe the industry needs fresh perspectives. We’ve got solutions, we just need to find the people with the right problems. And together, with a bit of lateral thinking and a lot less red tape, we can move faster towards smarter, cleaner water solutions.
Gareth Jones is the founder of Freshworks, a consultancy focused on problem-solving through innovative design and engineering. He will be speaking at Waterscan’s Water Matters event this June.
Ready to spark your innovation?
This is your chance to connect with visionaries like Gareth Jones at Water Matters 2025. Register now to join this dynamic gathering of industry leaders, sustainability pioneers, and boundary-pushing innovators. Gareth will be part of the Meet the Experts sessions and would love the opportunity to discuss how fresh perspectives can solve your water challenges – whether you’re a problem-holder, investor, or fellow disruptor. Secure your spot today and turn inspiration into action.
