Last month, GreenBiz Group held Circularity 24—the leading conference for professionals building the circular economy—in Chicago, IL. Upstream was happy to return to present the fourth annual Reusies and speak on several panels, with topics ranging from plastics and climate change to packaging and EPR. 

Upstream’s Local Reuse Manager Macy Zander and Research & Special Projects Support Cerise Bridges attended various keynotes, breakouts, and panels over the three day conference and gained some key insights into the state of the circular economy and the future of reuse. They share their takeaways below.

One: There’s reason to be optimistic. 

The general mood this year was one of optimism and hope. People have seen success and progress in the past year—like the Minnesota EPR bill that passed the first day of the conference—as more businesses, governments and everyday people pay attention to our waste problem and look for answers. For example, Rich Grousset from Eunomia commented that brands are now proactively asking for help to optimize their packaging using current infrastructure. Also, it’s clear that closed system reuse is quickly gaining steam. More reuse service providers have seen mainstream success at colleges and sports and music venues around the country. Lastly, big brands like L’Oreal, Ikea, and Lululemon took vocal stands embracing circularity and publicizing their commitments—with L’Oreal already transitioning 30% of their fragrance line into reusable formats. 

Two: The link between plastic & climate is indisputable. Reuse is a vital solution. 

The opening session on plastics and climate, organized by the Ocean Conservancy, was a powerful kickoff for the conference. The numbers are eye-opening: plastic accounts for the fastest growing demand of oil, and by 2050 we’re expected to use more oil to create plastic than fuel our cars. Oil aside, coal-based emissions for plastics have increased fourfold since 1995, due to production and manufacturing in coal-based economies. Most of the carbon intensity of plastic is downstream, with a whopping 75% of emissions coming from feedstock production, refining, and resin production—underscoring that the best way to decarbonize plastic is to cut production. Fortunately, reuse is proven to diminish the need for more plastic production, further highlighting its role in slashing emissions. 

Three: Recycle or reuse? Both.

While we didn’t hear much about reuse this year, we hope conference participants understand at this point the vital role of reuse in a circular economy and as a climate change solution. Done right, recycling has its place as well, but Americans have grown confused and mistrustful of local recycling programs as we’ve learned that much of what we recycle ends up in landfills. We sensed equal frustration from some panelists representing recycling companies as they tried to reassure conference participants that recycling does work and that they have the capacity to recycle more if consumers put more materials into the bins. And while at Upstream we are working hard to drive the message home that reuse is the key to a truly circular economy, it is clear we still need effective recycling to deal with the waste that is already here.

Four: Go local. 

There were several speakers, both on the main stage and in breakout sessions, who spoke to the need to recognize and support local circular economies. Jonathan Pereira, Executive Director of The Plant in Chicago, pointed out that these economies are often left out of the conversation but tend to have better outcomes. Communities such as West Woodlawn, also in Chicago, implementing Blacks in Green’s signature Sustainable Square Mile program via neighbor-owned green businesses, locally produced clean energy, community composting and locally grown food are helping to show the viability of local circular economies. 

Additionally, it’s clear that city governments have a role to play in encouraging circularity, as reflected in the number of city officials who joined the conference and in sessions with a dedicated local government speaker. Whether through creating a supportive policy environment or providing incentives and support to reuse service providers and businesses keen to implement reuse, city governments are critical to establishing reuse locally.  

Five: Get ready. Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging is here.

Packaging EPR inherently changes funding mechanisms to make producers responsible for their packaging and offers the chance to change supply chains and drive more sustainable packaging choices. For too long, the burden of managing the packaging put into the market and educating consumers on its disposal has fallen to municipal governments—and by default, tax payers. That long-standing arrangement is finally shifting, with the announcement that Minnesota’s governor signed a landmark packaging EPR bill into law during the conference. Five states now have packaging EPR on the books—all of them featuring reuse—and roughly a dozen more are in the process of drafting legislation. 

Conclusion: We need progress over perfection and radical collaboration to scale reuse

In a country with a mounting waste and climate crisis, we need to be thinking big about how we can dramatically improve. An echo throughout the entire conference was the call to collaborate. This is critical when we think about building reuse systems, which will require shared infrastructure and pooled packaging to reach the best economic and environmental outcomes. We need pre-competitive collaboration on a radical scale, like picking a few product categories and flipping them to reusable, ideally returnable, packaging. After all, it shouldn’t be about the package, it’s the product inside customers are after—and we challenge companies to compete on that basis.