In 2026, we’re launching The Reuse Revolution, a new mini-documentary series spotlighting the emerging solutions and bold innovators tackling the plastics and waste crises through reuse systems.
This series showcases business, public initiatives and community leaders planting the seeds for a reusable future. While some of the initiatives are in their nascent phase, they are reversing the decades-long trend of major consumer goods companies externalizing the costs of their packaging – like toxic chemicals, litter and waste – onto society.
Many are business success stories in their own right, but they also serve as reminders that reuse systems can bring people together—forging stronger bonds between businesses and customers, fostering collaboration between businesses, and safeguarding communities from waste and harmful chemicals. As people interact with these systems, they often report a deeper understanding of how their everyday choices can contribute to better outcomes for the planet.
“The 21st Century Milkman”
We created this series to tackle a core challenge with reuse systems: that most people haven’t interacted with them in their modern form. As you will see from the case studies highlighted in the series, interacting with reuse systems might feel as much like using your local library services as ordering at a McDonald’s.
Many of the solutions profiled in the series spotlight the beverage and foodware sector. That is because the packaging sector remains the largest destination for plastic, much of which is single-use applications bound for landfills, incinerators and the environment. Thankfully, as is demonstrated in the series, much of this sector is well-positioned for innovation through reuse systems that can end this cycle of waste and pollution.
Below is a list of the stories we’re profiling in this new series. Dive in—and join us in imagining how we can move beyond disposable design to a future built on reuse. This list below will be updated with links to the videos once published.
- Okapi – Your Coffee Without the Side of Waste
- Usefull – Reuse Taking Over College Campuses
- Mottainai – Building A Culture of Reuse in Colombia
- Emeryville + Center for Environmental Health – Taking the Plastic out of School Lunches
- Cyclei – Connecting the Reuse Ecosystem
- Aarhus – A City Designed for Reuse
- More to come…
