Sustainability issues at events and venues are coming back into focus - specifically, the ever-present disposable plastic cup. Many attempts at solutions have been introduced, from bioplastic to reuse systems and now single-use aluminum cups. But there has been no clear scientific consensus as to which options have the greatest environmental impact and which options have the least - until now.

At Upstream, we are often asked what we think of materials used for reusable packaging and foodware – which include aluminum, stainless steel, glass, ceramics and yes, plastics. And while our answer is simple – we support using materials that have the longest life and the least impact on the environment and vulnerable communities – it’s also very complicated.

The Governor of Maine signed a new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) bill into state law. More than a decade in the making, Upstream CEO Matt Prindiville describes the history of the bill’s development and what it means for the future of reuse solutions and for holding big brands accountable for their contributions to packaging waste and pollutes.

During Covid, the food industry had to shift to stay alive, and that meant running all operations in a take-out and delivery economy. It was a tragic time for the food service operators. But I also saw a huge problem growing from all the waste from the billions of take-out single-use items that flooded our homes and communities. And I wanted to turn it into an opportunity.

Upstream is excited to kick off a new series highlighting reuse success stories across the food service industry. First in line is Just Salad’s BringBack Bowl pilot program. We held a Q&A with Sandra Noonan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Just Salad, to learn more about the thought behind the program.

Reuse Wins, a new report from Upstream, shows how a new reuse economy is emerging to replace the use of single-use products in food service. The key findings in the report draw from life-cycle studies that compare the environmental impacts of disposables versus reusables, and project the potential cost savings to business and local government from transitioning to a new reuse economy.

Our recycling system is broken. Now, it’s time for consumers and businesses to adopt recycling’s stronger sister: reusing.

There’s a new reuse economy emerging for food service that has the potential to completely disrupt our current disposable food-service paradigm and replace it with something better.

It’s been one year since George Floyd was brutally murdered at the hands of police. George Floyd has left a legacy of transformation for organizations like UPSTREAM and for every American who has felt motivated to break down the structures that uphold white supremacy and hold our fellow citizens back. Today, we want to acknowledge this moment and honor George Floyd and the countless other lives lost to police brutality and violent acts of racism.