What would your trash say about how you eat? For most of us, it’s a mix of takeout containers, cans, and plastic packaging. In Philadelphia, that adds up fast – and our food system is a major driver of single-use waste.

This time, hosts Candice Lawton and Sam Wittchen explore what it takes to redesign how food gets to our plates. Building on earlier conversations about recycling, reuse, and composting, they look at how local businesses are cutting packaging, shortening supply chains, and keeping value in the region.

Munish Narula of Tiffin shares how customer pressure led his restaurant group to launch a reusable takeout container program – and what it took to make it work technologically, financially, and within city health codes. Then Dylan Baird of Philly Food Works explains how their online farmers market strengthens Philadelphia’s local food network by sourcing mostly within 150 miles and using returnable or home-compostable packaging, reducing waste long before it exists.

Along with a contribution from Fishtown Seafood, this episode highlights how circular thinking in food – from containers and logistics to pricing and partnerships – can reduce waste, support local producers, and build a more resilient food system for Philadelphia.

Featured:

Munish Narula, founder of Tiffin, a Philadelphia-based Indian restaurant group known for adopting reusable takeout containers that cut single-use waste while improving long-term operations. For more information visit tiffin.com.

Dylan Baird, founder & CEO of Philly Foodworks, an online farmers market connecting customers to local producers within roughly 150 miles. Through reusable and compostable packaging, farmer partnerships, and donation systems, PFW is building a more circular regional food network. Learn more at phillyfoodworks.com.

Fishtown Seafood, led by Bryan Szeliga, is a Philadelphia seafood market focused on transparency, responsible sourcing, and climate-conscious practices. For more information visit fishtownseafood.com.

To learn more about the circular economy and support Circular Philadelphia’s work to transform waste and resource systems for all, visit circularphiladelphia.org.

What if the banana peel on your counter, last night’s coffee grounds or the leaves piling up outside could reduce waste, build healthier soil and strengthen local communities? In Philadelphia, organic materials like these hold enormous untapped potential.

In this episode of Circle Up, hosts Candice Lawton and Sam Wittchen dig into composting as one of the most powerful and practical circular solutions we have. They explore why organic waste is such an important piece of Philadelphia’s sustainability puzzle and how transforming it can create real benefits for neighborhoods, growers, and the regional economy.

Listeners also get a behind-the-scenes look at two local innovators turning food scraps into impact. Tim Bennett of Bennett Compost shares how his team serves thousands of households and businesses each week, producing nutrient-rich compost for growers across the region. David Bloovman of Circle Compost explains how their hyper-local pickups from homes, restaurants, schools, and community groups are processed with nearby farms to keep nutrients cycling back into the soil.

Together, they show how composting can shift us from a throwaway mindset to a regenerative one, where everyday scraps become resources that support healthy soil, thriving farms, and a more sustainable Philadelphia.

Featured:

Tim Bennett – founder of Bennett Compost – Philadelphia-based food scrap collection service supporting 6,000+ households and 100+ businesses weekly. Bennett Compost transforms organic waste into high-quality compost and soil blends used by community gardens and urban farms. Learn more at bennettcompost.com.

David Bloovman - co-founder and president of Circle Compost – a doorstep food scrap collection service for homes, restaurants, schools, and institutions across Philadelphia. All materials are processed locally with farm partners to reduce landfill emissions and strengthen regional soil systems. For more information visit circlecompost.com.

Represented by President & CEO Nancy Goldenberg and Assistant Superintendent Ryan Bird, Laurel Hill Cemetery shares innovative circular approaches to end-of-life practices, including green burials. Learn more at laurelhillphl.com.

To learn more about Circular Philadelphia’s work and the circular economy, visit circularphiladelphia.org.

We all know recycling is important – but is it enough to fix our waste problem? In the last episode, hosts Candice Lawton, Executive Director of Circular Philadelphia, and co-founder Samantha Wittchen introduced listeners to the circular economy and explained why smarter systems like recycling are key to keeping materials in use. In today’s episode, they turn to another core principle of the circular economy: reuse

Reuse isn’t a new concept at all. Decades ago, people brought glass bottles to be refilled, reused metal containers and relied on durable goods long before the rise of single-use plastics and convenience packaging.

It’s time to shift back. In this episode, Ray Daly of Ray’s Reusables shares the story of her refill shop that’s making low-waste living accessible to everyone. Then, Rebecca Davies of Remark Glass and Bottle Underground explains how discarded glass is transformed into new products while keeping value and materials in the local loop.

Through their inspiring stories and the voices of customers and community members – this episode shows that reuse is more than a trend. It’s a growing movement creating environmental impact, local jobs and a stronger circular economy for Philadelphia.

Featured:

Ray Daly is the founder of Ray’s Reusables, a Philly based plastic-free shop and refill station stocking all your low waste household essentials, making sustainable living accessible, affordable and convenient for everyday people — so that a less wasteful and environmentally damaging lifestyle is not a luxury. For more information visit raysreusables.com,

Rebecca Davies co‑founded Remark Glass and its sister non-profit, Bottle Underground, which are redefining glass recycling in Philadelphia. Approximately 50–70 thousand tons of glass are sent to landfills in the city each year. When residents recycle glass through the single-stream system, it is crushed in the truck and becomes too contaminated to be remelted, ultimately ending up as landfill cover. Remark Glass and Bottle Underground offer a better approach: Bottle Underground collects bottles and jars from local businesses and community members, and a portion of this glass is transformed by Remark Glass into small-batch home accessories, creating a sustainable art form while keeping glass in use locally. For more information visit remarkglass.com and bottleunderground.org

To learn more about the circular economy and support Circular Philadelphia's work to transform waste and resource systems for all visit circularphiladelphia.org

Have you heard of the circular economy? Most people haven’t, but you likely participate every day through recycling, reuse and other sustainable choices. In this episode of Circle Up, Circular Philadelphia explains what the circular economy is, why Philadelphia is ready for change and how everyday actions fit into a larger system.

We take a deep dive into recycling in Philadelphia, including common mistakes, contamination and practical ways to recycle more effectively. Guests Ben Ditzler from Dyvert and Matt Siegfried from Rabbit Recycling share how their services make recycling easier and give hard-to-recycle materials a second life.

Learn the story of Circular Philadelphia, from its early advocacy for smarter waste systems to its mission of creating a truly circular city. Whether you’re a Philadelphia local or interested in sustainable living, this episode dives in to how the circular economy works in practice and how everyone can help keep materials in use longer.

Featured:

Ben Ditzler is the Founder and Owner of Dyvert, a company on a mission to make recycling obvious. Dyvert provides clear, practical solutions to reduce recycling contamination and make everyday recycling easier for individuals and businesses.

Matt Siegfried is the Co-Owner of Rabbit Recycling which offers subscription and drop-off services for recycling hard-to-recycle materials, i.e. materials you can't put into your blue curbside bin. Rabbit Recycling is on a mission to enable zero waste in a bucket.

Special Guests:

Laurel Hill Cemetery’s President and CEO Nancy Goldenberg and Assistant Superintendent Ryan Bird

To learn more about the circular economy and support Circular Philadelphia's work to transform waste and resource systems for all visit circularphiladelphia.org