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Reloop Brief

di Reloop

No-Profit Notizie economiche

Stagione 2

A brief look at redemption rates & system integrity in Bottle Bills

In this episode of The Reloop Brief, Shraddha Kumar speaks with Susan Collins, President of the Container Recycling Institute, about bottle bill modernization in the United States. The conversation begins with the state of Connecticut, where the beverage container redemption rate rose from 44% in 2023 to 92% in 2025 following a series of program changes, including expanded beverage coverage, a higher deposit value, and more redemption access. Susan explains why these updates matter, what they reveal about the importance of convenience and system design, and how policymakers should understand concerns around under-reporting, cross-border returns, and free-riding without losing sight of the broader gains. The episode also looks at modernization efforts in other U.S. bottle bill states, including Maine, Vermont, and California, and what these developments could mean for the future of beverage container recycling.

A brief look at fixing our throwaway culture

What if repairing a broken product was the easiest option rather than the last resort? In the latest episode of The Reloop Brief, Fiona Dear, UK Co-Director of The Restart Project, discusses the barriers that make repair harder than it needs to be and the growing movement to change that. The conversation covers everything from repair cafés and community initiatives to repair vouchers, right-to-repair legislation, and the need to rebuild repair skills across society. Fiona explains how product design, policy reform and investment in skills can help keep products in use for longer, reducing waste and making repair a more practical option for households and businesses alike. As momentum builds behind right-to-repair policies in Europe and beyond, the episode also explores what governments can do to support repair businesses, strengthen local economies and accelerate the transition to a more circular economy.

A brief look at Sweden's deposit return system - Returpack/Pantamera

How do you keep a deposit return system relevant after more than 40 years? In this episode of The Reloop Brief, we speak with Sara Wester Bergendorff from Sweden's deposit return system, Returpack/Pantamera With return rates approaching 90%, Pantamera has become known for combining effective communications with smart system design. Sara explains how humour, education, social media and even music have helped make returning bottles and cans a normal part of everyday life in Sweden. We also discuss Sweden's recent achievement in becoming one of the first countries to receive RecyClass certification, what this means for traceability and material quality and why deposit return systems are uniquely placed to deliver high-quality recycled material for a circular economy. And yes, there's also time to talk about Pantamera's famous music campaigns, including their latest collaboration with Eurovision legends Lordi.

A brief look at the future of reuse

Can reusable packaging become mainstream reality? In this episode of The Reloop Brief, Barry Snedden speaks with Sam Pearce, Campaigns Director at The Story of Stuff Project, about the organisation's new animation exploring what a large-scale reusable beverage system could look like. Drawing on research conducted with Eunomia, Sam explains how shifting just 25% of California's beverage market to reusable containers could remove billions of single-use bottles, create more than 11,000 jobs, and significantly reduce waste and emissions. The conversation also explores a new global reuse symbol, lessons from successful refillable systems around the world, and how reuse and deposit return systems can work together to support a more circular economy. A hopeful and practical discussion about one of the biggest opportunities to reduce packaging waste.

A brief look at reuse at major events in Toronto

In this episode, Shraddha Kumar continues her conversation with Emily Alfred from the Toronto Environmental Alliance, looking at what major events can teach us about reuse in practice. While full reuse did not make it into FIFA stadiums for the World Cup, there were still important lessons from the ground, from waste sorting efforts at fan sites to reusable systems at Pride Toronto and Live Nation’s rollout of reusable cups across major outdoor venues in Toronto. As Emily explains, better waste sorting is important, but it also shows just how much staff time and effort goes into managing single-use packaging once it has already been created. Part one of the conversation is available on the previous episode.

A brief look at reuse in Canada's outdoor events and the FIFA World Cup.

What can the world's biggest sporting events teach us about making reuse work? ♻️ In this episode, Shraddha Kumar speaks with Emily Alfred, Senior Waste Campaigner at the Toronto Environmental Alliance, about the lessons learned from FIFA-related reuse efforts in Canada. The conversation explores why Toronto and Vancouver faced challenges implementing reuse systems at FIFA venues, while also highlighting the practical wins beyond the stadiums, including successful fan festival initiatives and the momentum they're creating for future mega-events. In the next episode of the Reloop Brief, we'll look beyond FIFA to showcase existing reuse systems across Canada and the real-world successes already happening today.

A brief look at Australia’s push for 20-cent refunds

In this episode of The Reloop Brief, Shraddha Kumar speaks with Rob Kelman, Reloop Pacific Director, about Australia’s 20 Cents Makes Sense campaign and the push to increase container refund values from 10 cents to 20 cents. Rob explains why refund value matters, how Australia’s container deposit schemes compare with higher-performing systems internationally, and why return rates risk stagnating without stronger incentives. The conversation also explores the broader packaging reform context in Australia, including the links between deposit return, extended producer responsibility, recycled material supply, and economic resilience.

A brief look at Re-turn Ireland: From strong start to lasting success

In this episode of the Reloop Brief, Barry Snedden speaks with Ciaran Foley from Re-turn about how Ireland’s deposit system is performing just over two years after launch. They discuss the strong progress the scheme has made, including overall container collection now exceeding 90% when mixed recycling is included, a sharp drop in litter and the growing role communities are playing in making the system a success. The conversation also looks ahead to how Ireland can improve convenience, drive more returns through education and continue building support for separate collection over mixed recycling. From charity donations and community fundraising to digital refund options and questions around unredeemed deposits, they explore both the achievements and the potential for Ireland’s DRS as it continues to evolve.

A brief look at reuse: Lessons from Copenhagen and Aarhus

Single-use coffee cups have become a major contributor to city waste streams. Around 500 billion single-use cups are disposed of globally every year, and cities spend roughly 30–50% of their urban litter budgets managing single-use waste. In this extended episode of the Reloop Brief, Barry Snedden speaks with Jenni Hume, who joined Zero Waste Europe’s study tour examining reusable cup systems in Copenhagen and Aarhus. The trip brought together around 70 participants, including NGOs, European city officials, industry stakeholders and reuse experts. The episode also features the audience Q&A recorded after the first screening of a new short film produced by Reloop and the Marine Conservation Society. The film takes a closer look at how the REUSABLE cup system in Aarhus operates alongside Denmark’s deposit return system. The panel includes Simon Rossau from the REUSABLE system in Aarhus, Stine Ullmann-Poulsen from Dansk Retursystem, and Catherine Gemmell-Simpson from the Marine Conservation Society. To view the three films produced as part of this project, visit reloopplatform.org/films

A brief look at 2025: Advocacy, data, and deposits

In this year-end special, we rewind through an eventful 2025—the year that Reloop turned ten and The Reloop Brief began. Host, Barry Snedden revisits standout moments from the season: activist Merijn “Plastic Soup Surfer” Tinga live from his paddleboard; Jackie Núñez on moving beyond “straws” to system change; Reloop CEO Clarissa Morawski on hard data proving deposits cut beverage litter; Data & Dashboard Manager Jason Wilcox on turning evidence into action with “What We Waste” and the "Global Deposit Dashboard", as well as Reloop Pacific’s Rob Kelman on Australia becoming the first continent fully covered by deposit systems—and what it takes to keep return rates high. From grassroots sparks to policy implementation, the episode threads one story: credible data + citizen pressure + informed policy = circular outcomes.

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