Best Indiposable Podcasts (2025)

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Crafting Just Reuse Policy 56:22

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14d ago56:22

56:22

How do just transition principles apply to policymaking? Brian Loma of GreenLatinos Colorado and Upstream’s Sydney Harris get real about the policymaking process in a just transition to a reuse economy. They discuss everything from community stakeholder involvement; to capacity, budget, and messaging challenges; to modeling the values of reuse, and…

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Incentivizing Reuse Within Recycling Reform 46:06

3M ago46:06

46:06

Earlier this year, Washington became the seventh state in the US to pass an Extended Producer Responsibility Bill for packaging. The bill, SB 5284—The Recycling Reform Act—was supported by Upstream and civic and elected partners around Washington state, and includes something rarely featured in EPR bills: best practices for reuse. In this episode, …

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Local Reuse Initiatives 1:18:08

5M ago1:18:08

1:18:08

A conversation with Doug Calem and Dan Barash from the Central Ohio Reuse Coalition, Emily Alfred from Reusable Toronto, and Maddie Kaufman from Zero Waste Miami about the on-the-ground work they are doing in their different communities. From fundraising and business collaboration, to work with reuse at venues and businesses, to bridging the gap be…

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The Pathway to Reuse in Retail 58:27

6M ago58:27

58:27

Upstream’s Sydney Harris is joined by the US Plastics Pact’s Olivia Merritt Fitzgerald and Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s Olga Kachook to discuss the growing drive for reuse among consumer brands. They share the details of two recent reports that map a path for bringing reuse to the retail setting and which product lines are best poised for the …

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Reuse in Food Codes 54:24

7M ago54:24

54:24

A perennial hot topic in the world of reuse advocacy is reuse and refill in food codes. At a recent meeting of the Reuse Solutions Network (RSN), we tapped some folks with direct experience in the field to share insights about key updates to the federal food code, plus strategies to both update your own state's code—including collaboration, coaliti…

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Catalyzing school reuse with dishwashing grants 37:06

7M ago37:06

37:06

Switching schools to reusable foodware reduces waste and helps teach the next generation that there’s a better way than throw-away — but our team’s research shows dishwasher funding as the #1 one hurdle to transitioning schools. In this episode, we learn how it can be done, with parents, principals, key partners, and in this case, a little policy-m…

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Normalizing Reuse With Behavior Change Science 56:14

8M ago56:14

56:14

We have the information we need to make positive change—including implementing reuse systems. So how do we get people to act? Host Brooking Gatewood takes a deep dive into the psychology of normalizing reuse and influencing behavior change with experts Jennifer Carrigan and Katie Patrick. From emphasizing the importance of making reuse the default …

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A Grand Reuse Project 42:15

8M ago42:15

42:15

Last Fall, Upstream kicked off one of the most exciting reuse projects in the country right now, transforming concessions in the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to create the largest reuse system in the US and the first at a national park. Tune in to learn more from Upstream’s Jennifer Carrigan and Madhavi Trikha about this in-process model for open-…

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The Quest for a Universal Reuse Symbol 31:10

8M ago31:10

31:10

2025 will go down in history as the year the universal Reuse symbol was born. PR3’s Amy Larkin and design expert Cybelle Jones talk about the power of symbols and the current design initiative calling on creatives to develop a symbol that will help catalyze a cultural shift and normalize reuse around the world. Applications are due May 31 for this …

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The Reuse Job Market 43:29

9M ago43:29

43:29

In this conversation, we dig into how reuse contributes to workforce development and economic opportunity - now and for future generations. Host Brooking Gatewood sits down with Matthew Luisier of r.World, a fast-growing reuse service provider, and Natasha Wayne with Reaching All Minds Academy, a charter school that has taken on the challenge of sw…

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Reuse Goalposts for Stadiums & Arenas 45:14

9M ago45:14

45:14

In the last few years, we’ve seen a big step-up from sports & entertainment venue leaders around the US to build reuse programs for arena and stadium concessions. Christy Briggs, Sustainability Manager for Lumen Field & the Seattle Seahawks and Mary McCarthy, VP of Sustainability for Levy Restaurants – hospitality provider to 350+ major venues – di…

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Reuse beyond policy: impactful community projects 41:24

10M ago41:24

41:24

Host Brooking Gatewood sits down with Isabel Mack, creator of Party Kit Network, and Toni Mason with Bull City Boomerang Bags to talk about the power of community-focused, non-policy reuse initiatives. Especially for those living in areas where it is difficult to enact policy, there’s still plenty you can do to engage in local change-making. Listen…

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The Vision & Playbook for Reuse in EPR 56:52

10M ago56:52

56:52

As packaging extended producer responsibility (EPR) gets off the ground across the US, the time is right to shine a spotlight on reuse. Upstream’s newest position paper breaks down exactly what to expect of a best-in-class producer responsibility organization (PRO) when it comes to supporting and planning for a transition to reusable packaging syst…

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Reading, Writing, 'Rithmatic, Reuse 1:01:48

11M ago1:01:48

1:01:48

Switching K-12 schools to reusables in their cafeterias is a focus for many in the reuse movement: it’s a win-win-win for improving children’s health, educating and empowering the community around sustainability issues, and providing an impressive ROI for school administrators. That said, no change is easy, and barriers such as up-front funding, di…

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The Conscious Cafeteria Project 47:22

1y ago47:22

47:22

As Dr. Manasa Mantravadi, pediatrician and founder of the reusable foodware company Ahimsa®, points out—schools need data to make decisions. The Conscious Cafeteria Report, produced by Upstream and Ahimsa, is the latest evidence-based study projecting the environmental and financial impact of switching to reuse in K-12 schools, while robustly makin…

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The Plastic Free Pharmacy 49:18

1y ago49:18

49:18

Innovation in healthcare is no easy feat, as we learn in this conversation with Russell Gong, Co-founder and President of Cabinet Health. The fast-growing B-Corp on a mission to eliminate single-use plastic in medicine is starting by confronting the challenge of billions of disposable plastic pill bottles used annually in this country, with first-i…

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Unstoppable community organizing 30:55

1y ago30:55

30:55

Plastic Free MKE (Milwaukee) leaders Leah Holloway of Milwaukee Riverkeeper and Meenal Atre of the Urban Ecology Center share the story of this city-level coalition’s success in reducing plastic pollution in a state that doesn’t allow for policies banning “auxiliary containers” (e.g. plastic packaging). From loophole-focused policy wins to a Lake F…

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Bans on bans 1:14:13

1y ago1:14:13

1:14:13

The Conservative States & Provinces group—a subgroup of the Reuse Solutions Network— brings together advocates from areas where it is harder to pass policy so they can share and troubleshoot ways to advance reuse despite the obstacles. And one major barrier folks living in conservative states often face is preemption, aka “bans on bans.” If a town …

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Connecting dots for circularity 21:10

1y ago21:10

21:10

Host Brooking Gatewood sits down with Jessica Gonzalez, founder of Happen Ventures, to talk about their creative reuse business logistics services that solve waste problems, support communities, and creates a new climate-conscious business niche in the circular economy. From redistributing truckloads of unused PPE headed for the trash to connecting…

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Changing lives with reuse 22:18

1+ y ago22:18

22:18

Hear the inspiring story of Maryland Department of Aging’s Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Reuse Program, one of the winners of the 2024 Reusies Community of the Year Award. Program director Ian Edwards sits down with host Brooking Gatewood to share their recipe for success in reusing wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds and more in Maryland—and how…

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Reuse to-go goes back to school 44:19

1+ y ago44:19

44:19

Post Landfill Action Network (PLAN) has been cooking up some serious systemic change strategies for college campus reuse programs. As a follow up to last Fall’s episode 140, we check in with Atlas Program staff Lisa Smart plus students Abby White and Katin Kendrana to talk about the latest developments in this long-term strategic initiative to tran…

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Making repair mainstream (again) 32:07

1+ y ago32:07

32:07

When Leslie Bateman left New York City, she was shocked to discover how hard it was to find shoe repair in her new town. A new business, Coblrshop, was born when she met business operations maven Emily Watts, and together they set out to modernize how cobblers and customers connect. Join us for a candid chat about the challenges and joys of buildin…

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The keys to a reuse revolution 42:50

1+ y ago42:50

42:50

Christiana Dujardin, who works within the Materials & Circular Economy Platform at Systemiq, served as lead analyst on a 2023 Ellen MacArthur Foundation report all about returnable reusable packaging and its economic and environmental impact compared to single-use, called Unlocking A Reuse Revolution - Scaling Returnable Packaging. She sits down wi…

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Reuse, Climate & Environmental Justice 1:21:58

1+ y ago1:21:58

1:21:58

How are reuse, climate change, and environmental justice related? In intricate and myriad ways, it turns out—which guests Holly Kaufman of the Plastics & Climate Project, circular economy expert Rich Grousset, and Jo Banner of the Descendants Project explore in depth in this recording of the summer Reuse Solutions Network (RSN) meeting. Resources: …

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Persistence + Data = Change 33:59

1+ y ago33:59

33:59

Learn about the growth and evolution of a small community group that is a force for change in Upstate New York—taking on issues from artificial turf to BYO campaigns, to Skip the Stuff legislation. It is this latter action that spurred Yayoi Koizumi, founder of Zero Waste Ithaca and co-founder of BYO-US Reduces, to contact Upstream for help in maki…

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A Vision for Implementing Reuse 35:09

1+ y ago35:09

35:09

Upstream CEO Crystal Dreisbach sits down with host Brooking Gatewood to talk about her first year on the job, about Upstream’s strategic vision refresh, and some exciting new tools and model projects in the works to help build infrastructure and normalize reuse in the years to come. Resources: Upstream’s Strategic Vision Putting Reuse into Practice…

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The 2.0 of bottled H2O 42:56

1+ y ago42:56

42:56

Host Brooking Gatewood sits down with Manuela Zoninsein, the CEO & Founder of Kadeya, winner of the Most Innovative Company in the Food and Beverage category for the 2024 Reusies. Learn the secret to Kadeya’s 99% bottle return rate, and how their patented closed-loop beverage system can eliminate single-use bottles forever while saving GHGs, elimin…

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The “secret sauce” to scaling circular systems 32:40

1+ y ago32:40

32:40

Upstream was recently at GreenBiz’s Circularity 24 conference in Chicago, where as part of The Reusies, we organized a special panel discussion on the “secret sauce” to scaling circular systems. Bringing together thought leaders from multiple corners of the reuse and circular economy movement, Upstream’s CEO Crystal Dreisbach engaged panelists in a…

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From cafeteria to community: students launch reuse 27:53

1+ y ago27:53

27:53

When you hear the expression “the kids are alright,” it’s referring to Sophie Horvath and Joshua Swift-Rawal, students at Berkeley High School in California. The friends noticed that a lot of their favorite restaurants were using single-use products, despite new reuse laws in their city, and they decided to do something about it. They started a pro…

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A reuse playbook for stadiums 46:25

1+ y ago46:25

46:25

Stadiums are high-leverage anchor venues for developing reuse ecosystems in metro areas. With around 350 million fans attending sports and other large-venue events each year in the US—and using approximately 3 billion single-use items—the social and business cases for shifting to reuse are becoming increasingly clear. The Green Sports Alliance has …

1
Toward A Global Plastics Treaty 45:29

1+ y ago45:29

45:29

Join us as we navigate the ins and outs of the negotiations for a global plastic pollution treaty with Jamala Djinn, Policy Advisor for Break Free From Plastic, and Rachel Radvany, Environmental Health Campaigner for the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL). These stalwart strategists have been involved in all four of the “INC” (Interg…

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Championing DEI & Emerging Leaders 1:02:50

1+ y ago1:02:50

1:02:50

With a background and passion for youth mentorship and career development, Bryan Lewis leads GreenBiz.org’s Emerging Leaders program, which aims to elevate, cultivate and support the next generation of BIPOC leaders in the climate community. The Emerging Leaders will be featured at Circularity 24 in Chicago, where Bryan will also be emceeing the fo…

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Reuse Rockstars 45:38

1+ y ago45:38

45:38

From Hollywood sets to festival stages, this conversation with Dianna Cohen and Annie Rothschild Farman of Plastic Pollution Coalition is filled with inspiring examples of how all-star and up-and-coming artists, event planners, and activists are working together to change culture and reduce plastic pollution and waste at events. A great listen for …

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Pioneering reuse in Banff 34:06

1+ y ago34:06

34:06

The Town of Banff, located in Canada’s first National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site, receives over 4 million visitors each year and has no landfills or recycling facilities—presenting both unique opportunities and challenges to achieving the Town’s goal of moving toward zero waste. In 2023, they passed a pioneering Single-Use Item Reduction S…

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Tips for reuse advocates 23:35

2y ago23:35

23:35

The coalition Reusable LA has been actively advocating for a number of years on several policies pertaining to waste reduction and plastic pollution, including the switch to reuse for onsite dining. Upstream's Macy Zander interviews Reusable LA's co-leads, Alison Waliszewski of 5 Gyres and Emily Parker of Heal the Bay, to hear their key tips for ad…

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Back to basics: defining “reuse” 59:34

2y ago59:34

59:34

Even as we see increased momentum behind EPR, DRS and other policies involving reuse, the definitions of “reuse” are scattered and often ill-conceived. Now is the time to properly define reusable packaging—and especially differentiate between returnable and refillable packaging—in the policy context. Tune into this re-cast of Indisposable Live® (Up…

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The Latest Science on Plastic Alternatives 30:15

2y ago30:15

30:15

Dr Lisa Erdle of the 5 Gyres Institute sits down with host Brooking Gatewood to talk about 5 Gyre’s recent Better Alternatives 3.0 report, covering their latest research into how well “compostable” and “biodegradable” plastics break down in various environments, potential pitfalls, promising contenders, and the role of smart material science and co…

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Urban planning for reuse 40:52

2y ago40:52

40:52

Learn about some of the most innovative reuse design work happening today with Ellie Moss and Dr. Dagny Tucker, the co-founders of Perpetual. Just two years in, Perpetual is laying foundations for long-term systems change to implement reusable foodware infrastructure in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Hilo, Hawaii; Galveston, Texas; and Savannah, Georgia. The…

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Envisioning a Just Transition toward Reuse, #2 50:35

2y ago50:35

50:35

Listen in for our second discussion in this series on a Just Transition and its implications for the reuse economy—featuring highlights from a recent Alternative Economy report put out by the Center for Biological Diversity plus the INC-3 meetings in Nairobi. Guests Marcel Howard and Jessica Roff from the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternative…

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Envisioning a Just Transition toward Reuse 54:12

2y ago54:12

54:12

A Just Transition to reuse focuses on putting people and planet first — so simple in theory, and not at all easy in practice. But we can all help amplify the stories that spotlight green jobs and best practices for a transition that include those who have been most marginalized by our throw-away economy. Listen in for a rich discussion with Brett N…

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“Living & learning” with Plastic Free Restaurants 24:55

2y ago24:55

24:55

Did you know? Just $28 worth of stainless steel forks can wipe out 5040 of their single-use counterparts in a school cafeteria. That’s how, one dollar at a time over the last 3 years, Plastic Free Restaurants has eliminated 9 million pieces of plastic from dining institutions around the country. Executive Director John Charles Meyer inspires us wit…

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A city-wide case study for reuse 35:25

2y ago35:25

35:25

Host Brooking Gatewood sits down with some of the leaders of Reuse Seattle, which won The Reusies 2023 Community Action of the Year “Building Reuse” award. Zero Waste thought leaders McKenna Morrigan of Seattle Public Utilities and Moji Igun of Blue Daisi consulting walk us through the systemic approach the city has taken to build reuse into everyd…

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Championing reuse in healthcare 29:54

2y ago29:54

29:54

The healthcare worker’s mandate of “first, do no harm” should make reducing single-use waste in medical facilities a no-brainer. But as Dan Vukelich, President of the Association of Medical Device Reprocessors, illuminates—the sector with health at its heart is also a top polluter. Dan has made an impactful 20+ year career of providing hospital man…

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20 Years of Upstream 33:38

2y ago33:38

33:38

Upstream, née the Product Policy Institute, was founded on October 27th, 2003. Twenty years later, as the reuse movement continues to grow, Upstream’s COO & Chief Friendmaker Julie Lamy sits down with our longest standing board member, David Stitzhal—a.k.a Stitz—to reminisce and look ahead. From Upstream’s roots focused on packaging policy, to our …

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“3 Rs” of Fashion: Repair, Renew, Resell 32:33

2y ago32:33

32:33

Host Brooking Gatewood sits down with leaders from The Reusies 2023 Most Innovative Fashion & Apparel Company, The Renewal Workshop by Bleckmann. Nicole Bassett, co-Founder of The Renewal Workshop (TRW) and now Circularity Lead at Bleckmann—which acquired TRW in 2022—and Chief Business Development Officer Jurrie-Jan Tap discuss the history and exci…

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The real solution to plastic pollution 52:38

2y ago52:38

52:38

Upstream Policy Director and this episode’s guest host, Sydney Harris, sits down with Judy Hilton, a reuse and sustainability consultant and researcher, and co-author of the recent groundbreaking report Making Reuse a Reality: A systems approach to tackling single-use plastic pollution. The report came about as a collaborative effort between Break …

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Re:Dish built it, here they come 28:09

2y ago28:09

28:09

Host Brooking Gatewood talks shop with Caroline Vanderlip, Founder and CEO of Re:Dish, one of the hottest new businesses for reuse and game-changing innovation this year. With award-winning design for warewashing machines and software, Re:Dish works with companies, municipalities, schools, venues, and more to help scale reuse, one city at a time. T…

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How US bottle bills are accelerating reuse 57:49

2y ago57:49

57:49

Fifty years of data on deposit return system (DRS) laws (or “bottle bills”) in the U.S. demonstrate that these programs effectively boost collection and recycling rates, create opportunities and jobs in local economies, prevent roadside litter and plastic pollution, and catalyze reuse. What is the importance of reuse in DRS, and how can DRS policie…

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A higher education in reuse 40:01

2y ago40:01

40:01

In this installment of our Back to School Series, we head to college dining halls with Alex Freid, Founder & Director of Atlas Zero Waste Strategy at Post-Landfill Action Network. Alex and Brooking talk with two student leaders from Atlas’ fellowship program—Emily Johnson from the University of Wisconsin Madison, and Kailei Wedge at the University …

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The ABCs of Reuse in K-12 Schools 33:40

2+ y ago33:40

33:40

As part of our back to school series, this episode focuses on how K-12 schools are re-learning reuse, featuring Sasha Palmer and Rebeca Salguero of Brookline Massachusetts Public Schools, and Ben Schleifer of the Center for Environmental Health Food Program. They sit down with host Brooking Gatewood to dig into the Why, the How, and the lessons lea…