GreenBiz, Published October 14, 2022, Suz Okie
When it comes to reusables, I’m a fanatic, an enthusiast, a fan — insert any number of zealous descriptors and you wouldn’t be far off.
That’s in part because my journey to circular economy analyst began with a reusables obsession — following a graduate school commitment to stop buying single-use packaging (a goal I, admittedly, often fell short on), finding innovative reusable solutions became a personal addiction.
Reusables offered a tangible step towards the waste-free world I hankered for. In the food service industry alone, leveraging reuse could avoid 841 billion disposable packages annually, equating to 7.5 million tons of trash diverted. In fact, when comparing serviceware options, reusables beat out single-use — whether plastic, aluminum, compostable, you name it — on almost every environmental metric, not just waste reduction.
That’s why when I was invited to judge the 2022 Reusies — an award ceremony celebrating the heroes of the reuse movement — I was ecstatic. Presented by Upstream and Closed Loop Partners — supporters and experts on all things reusable — the Reusies celebrate the people, communities and organizations bringing reuse solutions to the world at large.
