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All the latest ideas and news from Upstream’s thought leaders and partners.
Upstream’s Vision
We’re excited to bring you into the conversation about an updated direction for Upstream and what we’re working to accomplish in the world.
Beverage Refill & The New Reuse Economy
The beverage sector is one of the ripest sectors for reuse. Leaving out closed systems like reuse for on-site dining, more beverage reuse/refill systems operate at scale than all other open systems.
3 Takeaways from Circularity 22
Upstream CEO Matt Prindiville just returned from GreenBiz’s Circularity Conference. It was a sold-out 3 day affair with more than a thousand sustainability professionals from virtually every consumer brand, plus representatives from the rest of their value chain. Here are three valuable takeaways from the conference.
EPR: it’s not just for recycling anymore
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.
Infrastructure to Scale the New Reuse Economy
Reuse services require collection from the consumer, reverse logistics, washing and sanitizing, refilling and/or restocking. Because of the challenges and costs associated for individual companies going it alone, it’s important for businesses to be able to operate on platforms that can serve many companies at the same time.
Celebrating the Visionary Sego Jackson on his Retirement
This week, Sego Jackson - one of Upstream’s founding board members - retired from the City of Seattle. As the saying goes, “People don’t remember what you said. They remember how you made them feel.” And I remember the way Sego made me feel when I first met him back in 2004.
Which comes first? Extended Producer Responsibility or Deposit-Return?
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.
A historic treaty to beat plastic pollution
On Wednesday, representatives from 175 nations agreed to draft a global treaty that would start to tackle the exponentially growing amount of plastic pollution that we’re facing – essentially a Paris Agreement for plastics.
Coca Cola pledges to serve 25% of beverages in reusables by 2030
Coca Cola announced their commitment to serve 25% of their beverages in reusable packaging by 2030. Learn what this means for reusables in consumer brands and join us in commending their commitment to growing a circular economy for packaging that prioritizes “reduce and reuse” first – over recycling.