Hot Takes from Climate Week NYC 2025
Upstream is eager to share what stood out to us after attending Climate Week NYC 2025 in New York City, NY! Hosted by Climate Group, the event is touted as the world’s largest climate convening outside of the United Nations COP gatherings.
Reuse Needs Elevating in the Climate Dialogue
Reuse was mentioned, but remained on the periphery despite its significance. While reuse insiders understand that reuse systems are a decarbonization solution, this message hasn't yet reached the broader public. We tuned into some of the talks and forums throughout Climate Week to get a pulse on whether and how reuse is being discussed – and how and where we need to strengthen reuse’s storytelling and climate narrative.
Compostables: Solution or Sideshow?
In almost all cases, we found a continued emphasis on bioplastics and compostables as “solutions” to plastic pollution. The speakers seemed unaware of the heavy environmental footprint of those products and discussed little or not at all the infrastructure (or lack thereof) used to process these materials. Indeed, if commercial composting facilities, worm farms, and backyard composting are not available or practicable, those so-called compostable products will go to landfill or incineration. This begs the question – are these entrepreneurs creating products that are actually “returned to nature”, as they advertise? That said, it was heartening to see that at the Plastics, Human Health, and Solutions Symposium hosted by NYU Langone, one reuse service provider Reposit was featured as a case study solution to plastic pollution.
Irony on Display
When single-use items show up at sustainability events like Climate Week, you know how entrenched the problem really is. Many of the convening’s events featured catered food and coffee in single-use packaging like plastic-lined paper cups and compostable bowls. At one event, the panelists were even given bottled water in single-use plastic to drink. Event organizers and venue owners continue to face barriers in funding and infrastructure (or possibly just lack awareness) to consider reuse as an option.
EPR Without Reuse? Just More Disposables
IKEA hosted an EPR panel featuring Jeffrey Fielkow, president of Circular Action Alliance; Serena McIlwain, Maryland’s Secretary for the Environment; Erin Simon of World Wildlife Fund; Rob Opsomer of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation; and two IKEA employees. Reuse was mentioned briefly—a promising sign given how critical reuse provisions are in EPR laws—but specifics and commitments were scarce. The conversation focused instead on harmonizing state laws and coordinating infrastructure investment. Reading between the lines: unless EPR explicitly funds reuse infrastructure, companies will take the path of least resistance—swapping plastic for paper and calling it progress. Exhibit A: IKEA's miniature paper bags for nuts and bolts.
Making Reuse Unmissable at Climate Week NYC 2026
Any organization can host an event during Climate Week—including Upstream. To elevate reuse in the climate solutions dialogue, we should develop a high-visibility event that brings reuse's decarbonization potential to a broader climate audience. This is our chance to move reuse from niche to mainstream, connecting with policymakers, corporate sustainability leaders, investors, and climate advocates who may not yet understand reuse as the climate solution it is.
We need to meet people where they are—showing how reuse connects to their priorities, whether that's emissions reduction, circular economy goals, or climate justice. The goal isn't just to preach to the choir. We need an event that draws attendees from across the climate movement and leaves them thinking differently about what 'climate solutions' actually include. This means high-profile speakers, compelling data, and real-world case studies that make the climate case for reuse undeniable. By next year, we can start to drive the narrative—making sure that when people think 'decarbonization,' reuse is part of that conversation.
