Pass Policy
Policy Resources
Reports, toolkits, and fact sheets to help guide development of reuse policy and make the case for reuse to legislative and community members.
Policy Toolkits
Informational overviews of topics relevant to reuse policy, with a rich library of resources at the bottom of each page for a deeper dive into the topic—plus some other useful tools like training videos.
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Reuse for Onsite Dining Library
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Climate, Plastics & Reuse
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Reuse Wins
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Roadmap To Reuse
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Reuse Policy Playbook
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Deposit-refund systems and refillables
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Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging
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Reuse in Schools
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Disposable Free Berkeley Toolkit
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Training Video Series
Policy Fact Sheets
Overview documents to make a quick case for reuse.
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Design Principles for Materials Used in Reusable Packaging & Foodware Services
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Reuse Saves Money
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Why We Need to #Skip the Stuff
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Disposable Cup and Container Charges
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Reuse Wins
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Policy Ladder to a Circular Economy
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EPR Can Save Money & Create Jobs
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Prioritizing Waste Prevention in EPR Laws
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Principles for Reuse/Refill in EPR and DRS
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Deposit Return Systems Accelerate Reuse
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Defining "reuse" in EPR & DRS
Policy Articles
Learn more about The Reusies 2024.
A recap of the Reuse Solutions Network Q1 meeting on lessons learned from cup fee repeals.
How do you get customers to return to a system of reusable containers when they have been trained for years to throw them away when they are finished? Reuse businesses around the world are trying to answer this question.
Reusable LA co-leaders Alison Waliszewski and Emily Parker share insights into advocating as a community for reuse for onsite dining and other policy wins.
Definitions in policymaking matter, especially when it comes to defining reusable packaging. Here is what Upstream recommends.
A summary and resources from the Feb 15, 2024 livestream on the importance of defining “reuse” in the policy context.
Whether you are a restaurant or school curious to increase your use of reusable foodware, a government department crafting a reuse for onsite dining policy, or a community group eager to organize around less trash, this library is a one-stop resource shop.
With The Reusies in its 4th year, we’ve been reflecting and listening to our communities and networks on ways to improve the program.
Trash pollutes city streets, waterways, parks, and natural ecosystems. It’s clear by now that disposables don’t make any sense. But really – they literally don’t make dollars or cents. Learn why this is and how Upstream is helping transform the food service sector.
Upstream’s take on the recently published Zero Draft of the international treaty to reduce plastic pollution.
This Plastic Free July, we have a huge opportunity to make our voices heard by the EPA and bring home the message that the problem isn’t just single-use plastic but single-use itself.
Praising leaders in eliminating single-use products, The Reusies winners were announced at GreenBiz’s Circularity 23 on June 7, 2023
Upstream and many of our partners and friends in the plastic pollution and reuse space will be present at various talks and events in Paris this week and next—working to make it clear that reuse is essential to reducing plastic pollution.
Upstream’s Policy Director Sydney Harris recently returned from the WWF Plastic Policy Summit—and can report that reuse is on the move.
Reuse requires rethinking how we deliver and consume. Many food businesses think switching to reusables will significantly increase labor costs, although the actual experiences do not support this view.
Closed Loop Partners released a report this week – Beyond the Plastic Bag: Sparking a Seachange for Reuse – that illustrates reuse innovations in action. And it features two finalists for The Reusies® Most Innovative Reuse Company: GOATOTE and Fill it Forward.
Even though Extended Producer Responsibility has in theory been about creating a circular economy for packaging, in practice, the only goals that have been applied in legislation so far are recycling targets. The effect has been increased recycling where EPR systems are in place, but no actual reduction in the generation of packaging waste. We can change this.
When it comes to changing something as entrenched as the throw-away culture, the real changemakers are local community members and their elected officials – people who are passionate about saving the planet and ready to innovate new approaches.
With big brands signaling support for extended producer responsibility (EPR), deposit-return systems (DRS), and – most recently – reuse/refill, opportunities have opened up to pass policies and build infrastructure to transform how we consume products. But with these commitments come competing ideas around vision, strategies and tactics – and about which policies should come first, and which should follow.
In honor of Women’s History Month, Indisposable Podcast host Brooking Gatewood presents a roundup of her favorite interviews with some of the many innovative, visionary, women-identified Solutioneers driving the Reuse Movement forward.
In the last month, some BIG brands who have been major players in the throw-away economy made historic announcements about their goals to move to reuse. We recognize that creating financial incentives for returning the packaging will be critical for ensuring that the reusable packaging doesn’t wind up in the garbage or environment.
With fans returning to sporting arenas and concert-goers celebrating the return of music festivals, 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.
Policy Podcasts
Episode 155: The town of Banff was among the first in Canada to pass a comprehensive single-use item reduction bylaw. Hear from Environmental Coordinator Carla Bitz about the grassroots efforts that spurred the journey to passing this policy, plus successes and challenges along the way.
Episode 154: Reusable LA co-leaders Emily Parker and Alison Waliszewski share some key insights about advocating for Reuse for Onsite Dining and other reuse policy within their community.
Episode 153: The audio version of Upstream’s Feb 15, 2024 livestream all about how to properly define reuse in policy—and why it’s important to distinguish between returnable vs. refillable packaging.
Episode 152: How compostable are bioplastics really? The answer: it depends. Learn more from Dr Lisa Erdle of the 5 Gyres Institute.
Episode 151: Perpetual is working to bring reuse to everyone by collaboratively designing reuse systems in mid-side cities across America.
Episode 150: More on navigating the challenges and opportunities in moving toward a new reuse economy built on principles of equity and justice for all.
Episode 149: A candid discussion on an equitable vision of a new reuse economy and aligning on how we talk about a Just Transition toward non-toxic reuse - a Reuse Solutions Network recast.
Episode 148: Executive Director of Plastic Free Restaurants John Charles Meyer returns to update us on progress made and lessons learned in funding foodservice establishments to switch to reuse.
Episode 147: Reuse Seattle collaborators McKenna Morrigan and Moji Igun share the inspiring story of the coalition’s growing success since we first chatted with them.
Episode 143: Judy Hilton, co-author of the recent groundbreaking report Making Reuse a Reality, dives deep on the paper’s findings and its implications for the Global Plastics Treaty.
Episode 138: For the first episode in our series on reuse in schools, three high school students join us to share their perspectives as young leaders in the movement.
Episode 134: Recorded at Circularity 23 in June, an engaging panel discussion on the successes, challenges, opportunities and collaboration needed to enact the vision of a new reuse world.
Episode 128: Jess Zeuner, Program Specialist at World Wildlife Fund, discusses how WWF is helping companies translate plastic reduction commitments into measurable change.
Episode 122: Jules Bailey, President and CEO of the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative, explains how the co-op serves as a steward of the state’s nationally recognized bottle bill—and how such a service can be a model for the New Reuse Economy.
Episode 115: Research, resources, and lessons learned from the Berkeley Reuse Ordinance, with Martin Bourque at The Ecology Center and Jessica Heiges at UC Berkeley.
Episode 112: Tiza Mafira, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Indonesia Plastic Bag Diet Movement, discusses recent successes and challenges.
Episode 105: If you missed our Indisposable Live panel, Envisioning the New Reuse Economy, catch the audio version of this engaging discussion here.
Episode 104: Ocean Plastics Leadership Network Founder Dave Ford walks us through the big picture ideas and strategies that are needed to bring about reuse solutions on a global scale.
EPISODE 98: The World Economic Forum plays a key role connecting the dots of the Reuse Movement around the world. Poonam Watine delves into WEF’s work in providing resources to scale reuse and innovate solutions across the value chain.
EPISODE 97: The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Marta Longhurst discusses the groundbreaking Plastics Pact Network, which connects national and regional initiatives worldwide to collaborate on solutions towards a circular economy for plastic.
EPISODE 87: Thinking about organizing for reuse in your own city or town? Listen in for lessons from three leaders making change in their communities.
EPISODE 53: Hear from the experts behind Upstream’s new report, Reuse Wins, and why switching from single-use to reuse in food service is a win for all.
EPISODE 48: Field notes on Equitable Policy Organizing, with Dana Laurent of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center.
EPISODE 40: It’s a plastics policy power hour with three experts talking about some exciting things happening at the federal, state, and local level.
Policy Vlogs
The Upstream Vlog is back for 2023! And we’re happy to introduce Sydney Harris as our interim Strategic Policy Advisor, who walks us through the many reuse policy victories to celebrate from 2022 – from the local, state, federal levels to the international stage.
Today, much of institutional, fast food, and fast casual dining - and virtually all takeout and delivery - uses disposable food-serviceware. And all those takeout containers, bags, boxes, condiment packets, plastic utensils, cold and hot cups and lids, and napkins add up. Nearly ONE TRILLION disposable food service products are used each year in the United States.
Did you know? Prior to World War II, virtually all commercial beverages sold in the United States came in refillable bottles. But afterwards, extraction companies which had fueled the war effort furthered their partnerships with consumer goods, fast food and beverage companies, giving rise to our current throwaway model.
Even though Extended Producer Responsibility (or EPR) has, in theory, been about creating a circular economy for packaging - in practice, the only goals that have been applied in legislation are recycling targets. While landfill diversion rates have gone up from 42 to 59% so has the generation of waste.
In this week's vlog, Upstream CEO & Chief Solutioneer, Matt Prindiville, walks us through the infrastructure that will be needed to scale the new reuse economy, and how this infrastructure will revolutionize the way we consume.
According to the recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the window for limiting global warming to relatively safe levels is rapidly closing. Immediate and unprecedented action from every country will be necessary in order to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels.
With big brands now signaling support for extended producer responsibility (EPR), deposit-return systems (DRS), and - most recently - reuse/refill, new opportunities have opened up to get policies passed and the infrastructure built out to transform how we consume food, beverage, personal care and cleaning products.
How often do you go for a walk or a drive in your local community and encounter litter strewn about in the environment? For almost anyone, the answer to this question would be practically every day. It's clear by now that disposables don't make any sense - they literally don't make dollars, or cents!
Welcome to Upstream's vlog! You might have heard of extended producer responsibility (EPR). But what exactly is it? EPR is a policy tool that makes consumer brands responsible for the environmental impacts of their products and packaging.
Welcome to Upstream's vlog! Bottle bills - or, as they're often called, deposit-refund systems - are behavior-rewarding incentive initiatives that are proven, effective approaches for recovering containers for reusing, refilling, or recycling
Policy Livestreams
A candid discussion addressing successes, challenges, opportunities and calls for more cooperation across sectors to make the New Reuse Economy a reality.
Upstream's new Chief Strategy Officer, Priscilla Johnson, hosts a lively discussion with several reuse thought leaders on the ideation, experimentation and strategies needed to create a shift to a circular economy.
What are the guidelines, standards, and infrastructure required for an effective reuse economy? Join Upstream’s Chief Solutioneer/CEO, Matt Prindiville as he moderates an engaging and informative discussion with three special guests – Amy Larkin and Claudette Juska from PR3 and Olga Kachook from GreenBlue - who are putting the puzzle pieces together , “setting the standard for reuse” and helping to enable businesses to thrive in the growing circular economy.
As fans return to sporting arenas and music lovers celebrate the return of concerts and festivals, sustainability issues at events and venues are coming back into focus – specifically, what to do about the ever-present disposable plastic cup.
Check out what viewer Edward Wrenn from Pittsburgh called “the best hour and a half I have ever spent!” as Upstream CEO Matt Prindiville interviews reuse entrepreneurs Keiko Niccolini (r.Cup/r.Ware), Lauren Sweeney (DeliverZero), and Paul Liotsakis (Sparkl). Learn how our guests started their businesses, their plans for the future, how they’re adapting – and even thriving – during the pandemic, and how you can help bring their services to your own community
A significant body of evidence indicates that given the choice, people would choose reusables. Here’s a resource roundup—and another side of the coin.