What’s Canada’s secret sauce when it comes to reuse? A combination of factors are contributing momentum — and though it is a unique recipe, there’s still much to learn and apply to reuse systems everywhere else.

The takeaway from the REuse Expo in Paris? France hasn't invented anything new. What's driving reuse growth there is policy. Full stop.

Scaled reusable packaging systems supported by shared, interoperable infrastructure are not only feasible, they’re within our collective grasp.

What’s missing is not proof of concept. What’s missing is capital.

To achieve the systemic change necessary for a reuse economy, we must shift our focus from individual consumer behavior to organizational and policy-level interventions that make sustainable choices the default, not the exception.

We’ve entered a new age of reuse — new technologies are enabling efficiencies, insights, and data that simply weren’t available to businesses before.

A case study analysis of reuse systems and return rates.

Navigating and learning real-world scaling of reuse systems at Grand Canyon National Park.

Across North America, an unrecognized labor force is cleaning up communities, reducing municipal costs, raising recycling rates — and has potential to raise return rates for reusables, too.

In February, 2026, Upstream CEO Crystal Dreisbach presented the keynote address at EnviroCentre’s 2026 “Connecting the Dots on Greener Events” symposium in Ottawa, Ontario. Watch the full presentation or read key highlights.