In this conversation, we dig into how reuse contributes to workforce development and economic opportunity - now and for future generations. Host Brooking Gatewood sits down with Matthew Luisier of r.World, a fast-growing reuse service provider, and Natasha Wayne with Reaching All Minds Academy, a charter school that has taken on the challenge of switching back to reusables as part of its STEM through sustainability educational mission. With recent data showing that reuse creates more and safer jobs than landfills and recycling — we ground this data in the stories of two people helping manage the shift to a reuse economy in very different ways.

Resources: 

• r.World
• Reaching All Minds Academy
• The Role of Reuse in a Just Transition
• Reuse vs Single-use: Economics

Get involved:

• Join the Reuse Solutions Network
• Support Upstream to make sure these stories continue to be heard and the reuse economy continues to grow — thank you!

In the last few years, we’ve seen a big step-up from sports & entertainment venue leaders around the US to build reuse programs for arena and stadium concessions. Christy Briggs, Sustainability Manager for Lumen Field & the Seattle Seahawks and Mary McCarthy, VP of Sustainability for Levy Restaurants – hospitality provider to 350+ major venues – discuss some of the latest developments, next steps, and ongoing challenges when it comes to building a world of entertainment without the waste. 

Resources: 

• Episode 159: A reuse playbook for stadiums
• Upstream’s Wash Hub Map

Get involved:

• Join the Reuse Solutions Network
• Support Upstream to make sure these stories continue to be heard and the reuse economy continues to grow — thank you!

Host Brooking Gatewood sits down with Isabel Mack, creator of Party Kit Network, and Toni Mason with Bull City Boomerang Bags to talk about the power of community-focused, non-policy reuse initiatives. Especially for those living in areas where it is difficult to enact policy, there’s still plenty you can do to engage in local change-making. Listen in for some stories of the challenges and joys of turning good ideas into organized local waste-reducing endeavors, and leave inspired to turn your own good ideas into meaningful action. 

Resources: 

• Party Kit Network
• Bull City Boomerang Bags
• Join the REAL sharing economy with a Library of Things
• Episode 7: The Creative Power of Limits 
• Grounds Krewe for Mardi Gras

Get Involved: 

• Join the Reuse Solutions Network
• Support Upstream to make sure these stories continue to be heard and the reuse economy continues to grow — thank you!

As packaging extended producer responsibility (EPR) gets off the ground across the US, the time is right to shine a spotlight on reuse. Upstream’s newest position paper breaks down exactly what to expect of a best-in-class producer responsibility organization (PRO) when it comes to supporting and planning for a transition to reusable packaging systems within EPR programs. This rebroadcast of a recent livestream covers key points from the paper and features a lively discussion with public policy expert Elizabeth Balkan, plus Emmaneulle Bautista and Valentin Fournel, special guests from Citeo—a French packaging PRO poised to launch a large-scale reusable packaging program with its member brands. 

Resources: 

• Position Paper: Embracing reuse in EPR packaging programs
• Livestream recording
• Upstream’s presentation deck
• CITEO’s presentation deck 
• More information about CITEO’s program
• The state of EPR policy in the US
• Defining “reuse” in the policy context
• Reuse service providers in the US & Canada
• Zero Waste Europe: European Reuse Barometer

Get Involved: 

• Join the Reuse Solutions Network
• Support Upstream to make sure these stories continue to be heard and the reuse economy continues to grow — thank you!

Switching K-12 schools to reusables in their cafeterias is a focus for many in the reuse movement: it’s a win-win-win for improving children’s health, educating and empowering the community around sustainability issues, and providing an impressive ROI for school administrators. That said, no change is easy, and barriers such as up-front funding, dishwashing, and staffing are real challenges. Thankfully, Amber Schmidt from ReThink Disposable and Ben Schleifer from Center for Environmental Health have hands-on experience in surmounting these barriers, and in this discussion they share some key insights for getting reuse into schools.

Enjoy this recording of the January Reuse Solutions Network meeting, and check out the resources below if you’d like to join the RSN yourself.

Resources: 

• Join the Reuse Solutions Network
• ReThink Disposable
• Center for Environmental Health
• Washington Post: Most US schoolchildren toss their lunch trays every day
• Case studies on reuse in schools
• More Indisposable Podcast episodes about reuse in schools

The Indisposable Podcast is brought to you by Upstream, which is a non-governmental organization. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to make sure these stories continue to be heard and the reuse economy continues to grow.

As Dr. Manasa Mantravadi, pediatrician and founder of the reusable foodware company Ahimsa®, points out—schools need data to make decisions. The Conscious Cafeteria Report, produced by Upstream and Ahimsa, is the latest evidence-based study projecting the environmental and financial impact of switching to reuse in K-12 schools, while robustly making the case for transitioning away from single-use foodware to protect children's health. Upstream’s Macy Zander sits down with Dr. Mantravadi and Data Science Specialist Madhavi Trikha to break down the findings of the report as well as challenges and opportunities inherent in switching to reuse for schools. Spoiler alert: across geographies, demographics, and school set-ups—reuse wins, every time. 

Resources: 

• The Conscious Cafeteria Report
• ahimsaschools.com 
• ReThink Disposable Case Study: Palo Alto School District
• Center for Environmental Health (CEH)
• StopWaste 
• Plastic Free Restaurants
• Reuse for Onsite Dining Library
• Reuse Solutions Network (RSN)

Innovation in healthcare is no easy feat, as we learn in this conversation with Russell Gong, Co-founder and President of Cabinet Health. The fast-growing B-Corp on a mission to eliminate single-use plastic in medicine is starting by confronting the challenge of billions of disposable plastic pill bottles used annually in this country, with first-in-class models for reusable and refillable bottles. Russ and Brooking talk shop about the challenges, opportunities, metrics and more for getting plastic out of medicine.

Resources:

• cabinethealth.com

Plastic Free MKE (Milwaukee) leaders Leah Holloway of Milwaukee Riverkeeper and Meenal Atre of the Urban Ecology Center share the story of this city-level coalition’s success in reducing plastic pollution in a state that doesn’t allow for policies banning “auxiliary containers” (e.g. plastic packaging). From loophole-focused policy wins to a Lake Friendly dining program, the insights from our guests are a great primer for anyone interested in starting a reuse coalition in their community. 

Resources: 

• Plastic-Free MKE
• Episode 171: Bans on Bans
• The Reusies
• Join or start a community coalition

The Conservative States & Provinces group—a subgroup of the Reuse Solutions Network— brings together advocates from areas where it is harder to pass policy so they can share and troubleshoot ways to advance reuse despite the obstacles. And one major barrier folks living in conservative states often face is preemption, aka “bans on bans.” If a town wants to pass a Skip the Stuff ordinance, for instance, a state with certain pre-emption laws could override it. This is a reality that impacts many living in more conservative jurisdictions and directly hinders the ability to pass local policy on plastics and packaging. 

This discussion from a recent meeting of the Conservative States & Provinces subgroup covers preemption more broadly and its implications for reuse policy; how it looks in different states; strategies for challenging it; and lessons learned from experienced panelists: Randy Moorman of Eco-Cycle in Colorado, Emma Haydocy of Surfrider in Florida, and Jeremy Drake of MT Plastic Free Missoula in Montana. 

Resources: 

• Reuse Solutions Network
• Eco-cycle
• Surfrider Florida
• MT Plastic Free Missoula
• Upstream’s Policy Tracker
• Reuse Coalitions & Groups

Host Brooking Gatewood sits down with Jessica Gonzalez, founder of Happen Ventures, to talk about their creative reuse business logistics services that solve waste problems, support communities, and creates a new climate-conscious business niche in the circular economy. From redistributing truckloads of unused PPE headed for the trash to connecting amputees to single shoes from display windows, learn about some scrappy match-making between excess product and unexpected markets that has diverted over 80,000 tons of usable products from landfill to date.

Resources:

• Happen Ventures 
• Tax Savings Calculator