Turning discarded Christmas trees into construction materials takes more than a good idea. It takes years of bootstrapping, a lot of grit, and the willingness to keep going while a new material slowly finds its way to market. For Hugo Knox, founder of Tree Brothers, CIRCA Waste and ORNA Group in Peckham, that’s exactly how it’s gone: a seasonal side hustle that grew into three businesses, a national award, and a patent pending on a process nobody had properly tried before.
We sat down with Hugo to talk about how it all started, the hardest parts of building three businesses at once, and his advice for anyone thinking about starting out.
What’s your name and your business name?
Hugo Knox — Tree Brothers, CIRCA Waste and ORNA Group. Tree Brothers is a seasonal Christmas tree delivery service. CIRCA Waste is an all-year-round waste management service. ORNA Group is a sustainable materials company, which transforms overlooked resources into valuable natural assets.
Where are you based, and what does a “normal” day look like for you right now?
We’re based in Peckham, London. A normal day usually involves me running around the city meeting people and managing stakeholders, while also staying in the loop of the day-to-day operations of both ORNA Group and CIRCA Waste.
How do you describe what you do when someone asks you for the first time?
We recycle discarded Christmas trees into construction materials.
Who are your customers, and what do they come to you for?
ORNA Group’s target customers are specifying architects, developers and estate managers. We plan to get our material to a point where it will help them reach their strict Net Zero targets, achieve BREEAM certification without compromising on aesthetics or structural performance. On top of that, they can become part of an innovative, domestic supply chain that brings green innovation to the local community, starting at Peckham in south London. CIRCA Waste works with most businesses and collects all types of waste apart from asbestos and hazardous waste.
When did you first get the idea for your business or project?
The idea came from my first business, Tree Brothers, a Christmas tree delivery company. There I witnessed the scale of the UK’s recurring problem involving millions of Christmas trees discarded every year. I wanted to find a way to turn that resource into something useful.
Was there a specific moment when you thought, “I’m actually going to do this”?
For me the start of the journey was simply searching for answers. The first real piece of evidence came when I found a structural sheet made entirely from compressed A4 paper. Seeing that reminded me to keep persevering. It was clearly possible, it just seemed like no one had given it a proper go.
What did the very first version of your business look like?
It was rough and ready. My journey with Christmas trees started in November 2019. I’d just left my first job out of university, it was Christmas, and I wanted to wait until January for the next round of corporate jobs. With seven or eight weeks to fill, I thought a part-time job would be a good start, but the job hunt didn’t go to plan, so I decided to start something myself. I rang my best friend Max and pitched him the idea of selling Christmas trees door to door; luckily for me, he was desperately unemployed too. Within a few days Tree Brothers was up and running. I’d found a supplier and we marketed the company through door-to-door sales and leafleting, wandering around Camberwell and Peckham asking people if they needed a tree for Christmas. Luckily a few people did, so we loaded up the van, ratchet-strapped the rest of the trees to the roof, and off we went to work.
Looking back, what’s one thing you did at the start that really helped you move forward?
Having fun was the key. Running around south London with Christmas trees is genuinely good fun, especially when you’re young, working alongside your best mate, watching your business grow and meeting people who are excited to receive their tree.
What has been one of the hardest parts of running your own business so far?
The hardest part has been navigating the deep-tech manufacturing landscape. Bringing any new, novel material to market is extremely costly whilst also taking a huge amount of time and energy. We’ve made serious inroads by bootstrapping ORNA Group through the revenue from Tree Brothers and CIRCA Waste, and by leveraging the partnerships that have helped get us to where we are now.
How did you get through it, and what did you learn from that experience?
We’ve got to where we are today mainly through grit and determination. That mindset has also helped us create and seize opportunities that led to national media attention, a national award as well as non-dilutive grant funding.
Can you tell us about a recent moment that made you think, “Yes, this is working”?
We recently won Recycling Project of the Year at the British Renewable Energy Awards. We were competing against a billion-pound business, and we won!!
How did that moment make you feel?
It felt great, but what mattered most was sharing it with the rest of my team, who’ve all worked so hard to get us to this point. It’s proof that hard work pays off, especially when you have the right people around you.
How did you first come across Tree Shepherd / Thrive?
I came across Tree Shepherd through Trampoline CIC, a local entrepreneurship network in Southwark.
What kind of support have you used?
One-to-one support with Sandra, who has been brilliant.
What difference has that support made for you or your business?
It’s kept me informed about what’s happening at a local level and connected me with various opportunities right around the corner. Whatever business you have, starting off locally is a great way to get things off the ground.
What is keeping you busiest right now in the business?
Transitioning ORNA Group’s material from a validated prototype towards a full, commercial, market-ready product.
What does a good week look like for you?
A week where CIRCA Waste is running smoothly, while ORNA Group is taking the right steps in developing its material, often through meetings with researchers, architects, councillors, developers, investors or business partners.
What do you enjoy most about working with your customers or being part of your local area?
It’s always fun showing people our material for the first time and watching their disbelief, especially because it’s all been collected, developed and engineered right here in Peckham, Southwark.
Is there a story about a customer or neighbour that sticks with you?
In the second year of Tree Brothers I launched a wreath product. While pitching it to our customer Matthew, a patent attorney based in Camberwell, I asked if a wreath might be of interest. He shot back, ‘I’m not dead yet,’ which tickled me, so I thought I’d offer him a free one when I came to install his tree.
When I arrived to deliver it later that day, Matthew’s wife told me he’d had a bad fall. Standing there holding the wreath, I felt like I’d jinxed him, so I ran back to the van and sat with my thoughts. Thankfully Matthew got in touch a few days later to say he was fine. We laughed it off, and that was the start of a friendship.
That friendship led somewhere unexpected. When I had the idea of protecting ORNA Group’s process, Matthew, though retired, immediately saw its potential and connected me with a patent attorney. He’s been hugely helpful ever since, guiding me through the application process and helping me understand how to leverage our invention. We’re now patent pending, and we should know within the next year whether it’s granted.
Where would you love your business to be in two to three years’ time?
Looking ahead, I’m focused on scaling CIRCA Waste through local business and council partnerships, while bringing ORNA Group’s materials to market, when our product is placed in a building for the first time it will be a pinch me moment. In the short term, I’ll be starting a part-time Master’s in Entrepreneurship at the University of Cambridge, which will be a great opportunity for me and for both businesses.
What are one or two steps you’re focusing on next to move towards that?
We’re currently pursuing a grant with LSBU that will help accelerate our material’s route to market. In the meantime, CIRCA Waste is growing. We’ve taken on another vehicle and two new employees.
If a friend came to you saying they wanted to start a small business, what’s the first thing you’d tell them?
Invest in yourself and those that are around you that you believe in.
What do you wish someone had told you earlier?
Done is better than perfect.
Morning person or night owl?
Mornings, definitely.
One tool, habit or routine that helps you get things done.
I try to check in with my business partners once a day. Whether it’s five or 30 minutes, good communication matters.
Song, podcast or place that lifts your mood on a tough day?
We have a group playlist where everyone who’s worked for the company adds a song, usually during a shift. Over the years that’s built up into a very eclectic mix. It always puts a smile on my face when I put it on.
Favourite local spot connected to your business?
Rye Lane Bagels. If I’m treating myself, there’s a good chance I’ll be tucking into a bagel.
Where can people find you and your work?
Websites: ornagroup.com, treebrothersltd.com, circawaste.com. LinkedIn/Instagram: @ORNAGroup, @CIRCAWaste, @treebrothers.ltd.
Tree Shepherd helps South London businesses build confidence and take action. We offer mentoring, business training and local trading opportunities through our Thrive markets and startup support.
Want to grow your business like Hugo? Visit treeshepherd.org.uk to book free mentoring or join one of our courses.
Let’s grow together.
