In this special episode of the Reloop Brief, we catch up, live from a paddleboard, with Merijn Tinga, also known as the Plastic Soup Surfer, during his expedition from Paris to Nice for the UN Ocean Conference.

Merijn shares how his creative activism, surfing on a board made of plastic bottles, sparked a national movement that helped advance and expand a deposit return system in the Netherlands.

He explains how deposit systems reduce beverage container litter by up to 80%, the role of grassroots action and AI-powered litter research and why empowering local groups is key to scaling effective waste policy across Europe.

It’s a story of determination, data and the power of community.

In this episode of The Reloop Brief, we’re taking a quick look at Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) – what it is, how it started and where it's heading – with insights from Anna Larsson, Reloop’s Circular Economy Development Director.

We look at how EPR has evolved across Europe, explore what’s driving current trends and discuss one of its most critical elements: financing. It’s a key part of making EPR work in practice.

In this episode of the Reloop Brief, we head to Toronto to sit down with Karen Wirsig, Senior Program Manager for Plastics at Environmental Defence. Karen shares insights on Canada’s current plastics policy landscape, the role of public opinion in shaping federal action and talks about why stronger enforcement and reuse infrastructure are essential for tackling single-use packaging.

A recent poll shows that 86% of Canadians support federal action on plastics, across all provinces and political affiliations.

From the growing problem of unnecessary and harmful plastics on grocery shelves to deposit return shortfalls in Ontario, the discussion breaks down where progress has been made and where it might still be lacking, but emphasizing foremost the importance of global cooperation and the role Canada must play in addressing the plastic crisis.

In this episode, Barry Snedden is joined by Anna Larsson, Reloop’s Director of Circular Economy Development, to explore the critical role of mixed waste sorting in boosting recycling rates and reducing emissions. Anna explains why focusing only on source-separated recyclables like bottles and cans isn't enough anymore. Valuable materials are still hidden in black bags, and mixed waste sorting is the key to recovering them.

We learn why mixed waste sorting should be seen as a tool for governments and policymakers alongside other methods, as it provides various recyclables for circular production models, and it even has the potential to reduce waste sector-related emissions by 21%. The conversation unpacks how this approach could strengthen recycling efforts, without being as costly or as complicated as it may seem.

In this episode Reloop's Global Networks Director, Jenni Hume, speaks with Blair Horner from the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) about efforts to modernise New York’s deposit return system (known as the Bottle Bill), which was enacted in 1982.

As the state faces mounting waste and landfill challenges, advocates are calling for a "Bigger, Better Bottle Bill" that includes expanding the scope to more types of containers and increasing the deposit value. As the momentum builds behind bottle bill reform this episode sheds light on the findings of a new Eunomia report commissioned by Reloop and NYPIRG, which outlines how a modernised bill could save New York municipalities millions of dollars, reduce litter, and divert 5.5 billion bottles and cans from landfills each year.

Visit https://www.nypirg.org to learn more.

In this episode of The Reloop Brief, Shraddha Kumar is joined by Rob Kelman, Director of Reloop Pacific, to discuss the latest developments in Australia’s Container Deposit Schemes and the evolving Extended Producer Responsibility landscape in New Zealand.

As Tasmania prepares to launch its scheme in May 2025, Australia is set to become the first continent fully covered by deposit systems. Rob shares why he believes higher deposit values are essential to driving greater return rates and how Australia’s experience offers key lessons, both in terms of successes and missteps for jurisdictions considering or refining their own deposit systems.

In this episode, host Barry Snedden sits down with Samantha Millette, author of Reloop’s newly updated Global Deposit Book, and Jason Wilcox, the architect behind Reloop’s upcoming Global Deposit Dashboard—set to launch in April 2025.

With the Global Deposit Dashboard on the horizon, Sam and Jason offer a sneak peek into how this powerful new tool will revolutionize how we understand and compare Deposit Return Systems worldwide. Built on the extensive data compiled in the Global Deposit Book, the dashboard will allow policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders to effortlessly access critical information, visualize trends, and identify best practices in real-time.

Don't miss this exclusive preview before the dashboard officially launches!

In this episode of The Reloop Brief, we explore the findings from the Marine Conservation Society’s State of our Beaches 2024 report, which reveals a 9.5% rise in plastic litter on UK beaches.

Our guest, Lizzie Price, Beachwatch Manager at the Marine Conservation Society, joins Barry to discuss the report's key insights, the most common sources of plastic pollution and the urgent need for stronger policies to tackle single-use plastics.

Volunteers collected and recorded three-quarters of a million (764,451) pieces of litter across the UK, averaging 170 items per 100 metres of coastline. The data contributes to the charity’s dataset of over 30 years, allowing them to identify common litter items, sources and trends and use this evidence to campaign for cleaner and healthier seas.

Drinks-related litter was found on 96% of beach cleans in 2024. The Marine Conservation Society hopes that introducing a UK Deposit Return Scheme in October 2027 will help reduce the number of discarded single-use beverage containers in the future.

The date is set for INC 5.2, to be held later this year in Geneva.

After five rounds of negotiations for a global plastics treaty, the fight over plastic production remains the biggest hurdle, reinforcing the reality that recycling alone won’t solve the crisis. In this episode, Barry Snedden is joined by Reloop CEO Clarissa Morawski to break down the latest on INC 5.2.

The conversation delves into the need for a robust treaty with clear terminology, stronger producer responsibility, funding for waste management, and fair support for waste pickers.

Plastic straws are back in the news, but the real story goes far beyond them.

In this episode, Barry Snedden speaks with Jackie Núñez, founder of The Last Plastic Straw and Advocacy & Engagement Manager at the Plastic Pollution Coalition, about the recent rollback of U.S. policies aimed at reducing single-use plastics.

They unpack how plastic straws became a symbol of the larger fight against plastic pollution, why focusing on just one item misses the bigger issue, and why systemic change is needed to turn off the tap on plastic waste.