This roadmap to reuse is for changemakers – the community activists, business entrepreneurs, and policy makers who are ready to tackle the throw-away systems and create a future where both people and the planet are treated as indisposable. Here we provide a variety of ways that local communities can bring about a new reuse economy.

Reuse must play a key role in addressing climate change. View Upstream’s Climate, Plastics, and Reuse Toolkit to learn more about how reuse can be a solution to our climate & plastics problems, and what organizations, governments, and individuals can do to be a part of the movement.

Every year, billions of unused straws, utensils, napkins, condiment packets, and other accessories are included in take-out and delivery orders and just thrown away. Together, we can change this.

There is no one set playbook for starting and operating any local organizing effort and no one right way to engage people in fostering an “indisposable community.” After launching a few reuse coalitions ourselves (and supporting others to do the same), we offer the following best practices to help you think about what might work best in your community.

A manual for conducting reuse outreach and education at food businesses.

A handy educational flyer you can bring to your local coffee shop to encourage them to use real dishes for sit-down orders – and incentivize customers to bring travel mugs for to-go orders. Every bit counts!

Though this toolkit has been customized for California, it can be used as a template to activate change at the state level in any state.

From our friends at the Ecology Center – a webpage and toolkit documenting Berkeley’s 2019 success in passing the Single Use Foodware and Litter Reduction Ordinance and inspiring others to make similar changes in their community.