Last night four heroes of the reuse movement were announced as winners of the National Reuse Awards (aka The Reusies) among an audience of policymakers, investors, corporate and NGO leaders, and other influential attendees working towards a world without waste.

The Reusies: Virtual awards show for Reuse Movement in the U.S. celebrates heroes of a world without waste on September 30

Upstream today announced the nominees of the first-ever virtual National Reuse Awards (aka The Reusies), which will take place Thursday, September 30. Presented in partnership with circular economy-focused investment firm and innovation center, Closed Loop Partners, the awards show will be hosted by TV personality and science communicator Danni Washington and will celebrate the heroes of reuse.

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.