Four heroes of the reuse movement have been announced as winners of the National Reuse Awards (The Reusies). The virtual awards show was presented by Upstream, a non-profit sparking innovative solutions to plastic pollution, in partnership with Closed Loop Partners, a circular economy-focused investment firm and innovation center.
Matt Prindiville, CEO and chief solutioneer, Upstream said “The Reusies winners are trailblazers and game-changing innovators of the growing reuse economy. The leaders we’re honoring today will have scaled reuse systems and passed policies in communities throughout the world in the not too distant future that make it possible to get what we want and need without the waste.”
The winners are:
Activist of the Year: Crystal Dreisbach - Crystal founded Don’t Waste Durham and has since created GreenToGo, Bull City Boomerang Bag, and The ReCirculation Project. She helps lead their policy work on bags and serviceware and, in 2020, co-founded the Reuse Systems Alliance made up of 35+ reuse companies around the world.
Fan Favorite Reuse Company (by 100% of public vote): Plaine Products - Plaine Products is working to make the world less trashy with its reusable aluminum containers for hair and body care products. The bottles are made to be durable so they're not damaged when customers ship them for refilling. They're easily cleaned so they're safe to use multiple times over.
Most Impactful Community Leadership: Reusable LA - Reusable LA is a coalition of organizations working to reduce plastic pollution in Los Angeles to safeguard public health, communities, and the environment. They use legislative advocacy, outreach, and community engagement to promote reuse and refill in Los Angeles and to reduce waste from single-use plastic products and packaging.
Most Innovative Reuse Company: Rheaply - A leader in the circular economy, Rheaply is a technology company that enables organizations to share and manage underutilized inventory in a more cost-efficient and collaborative. With Rheaply’s Asset Exchange Manager (AxM), organizations can gain transparency about and re-utilize available assets, reducing procurement, storage costs, and unnecessary waste.
Bridget Croke, managing director, Closed Loop Partners said “Scaling reuse systems is critical if we are to address the mounting global waste challenge. The Reusies winners demonstrate a better pathway forward, working to protect our precious planet by keeping valuable materials in play and out of landfills and the environment.”
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