Upstream and Closed Loop Partners Announce Finalists of The Reusies® 2022

The Reusies: “The Oscars of the Reuse Movement” celebrates heroes championing a world without waste

NEW YORK June 15, 2022 – Upstream, a non-profit sparking innovative solutions to plastic pollution, today announced the finalists of the Second Annual Reuse Awards, The Reusies® 2022. The Reusies is a groundbreaking awards program honoring changemakers developing a better way than throw-away, advancing systemic change and co-creating a world where we can get what we need and want without all the waste.  In 2021, the inaugural Reusies received nominations and submissions from over 1,200 leading startups, environmental activists and community leaders in the United States that are growing the reuse movement.  This year, with the growing momentum behind reuse, The Reusies is expanding upon that reach and furthering their mission of celebrating the heroes of the reuse movement across the United States and Canada.

The second annual Reusies awards ceremony will be livestreamed on September 29, 2022 and presented in partnership with circular economy-focused investment firm and innovation center, Closed Loop Partners.

“The 2022 Reusies continues the momentum and excitement from last year’s event and will celebrate the pioneers and innovators of the new reuse economy,” said Matt Prindiville, CEO and Chief Solutioneer at Upstream. “Our goal is to highlight the individuals and organizations who recognize the urgency of the moment, and are working on the systemic changes we need to drastically reduce plastic pollution not in five or ten years, but right now.”

Honors to be awarded during the show include Most innovative Reuse Company, Corporate Initiative of the Year, Activist of the Year, and Reuse Community of the Year. Free tickets and VIP passes are available now at www.TheReusies.org. The final winners will be announced during the show.

“We face an urgent and growing global waste challenge,” said Bridget Croke, Managing Director at Closed Loop Partners. “We are proud to partner with Upstream on the annual Reusies to drive forward the reuse trailblazers and incredible ecosystem of innovators paving the way to a waste-free future. This is critical to our work to research, test and scale solutions that keep valuable materials in play and accelerate the transition to a circular economy.”

Upstream and Closed Loop Partners received hundreds of nominations from across the U.S. and Canada and the top finalists – selected by committees composed of The Reusies partners, experts and thought leaders across the industry – are all great examples of organizations and individuals who are advancing reuse from within their local communities to the biggest brands in the world .

The finalists for Most Innovative Reuse Company – expanded to four categories this year considering the exponential growth of the reuse movement since 2021 – are:

• Food & Beverage: Dispatch Goods, Just Salad, r.Cup

• Consumer Packaged Goods: Algramo, GOATOTE, Returnity

• Fashion & Apparel: Fabscrap, Poshmark, Thrilling

• Enabling Technologies: Fill it Forward, Topanga.io, The Rounds

The finalists for the remaining three categories are:

• Corporate Initiative of the Year: Coca-Cola’s Reusable Packaging Pledge, Kroger/Loop, PepsiCo/SodaStream

• Reuse Community of the Year: Human-I-T, ReThink Disposable, The Ecology Center

• Activist of the Year: Alejandra Warren, Jacqueline Omania, Yayoi Koizumi

Similar to last year, award winners will be selected by a combined panel of judges and public voting. Judges include:

1. Cam Pascual, Senior Program Officer, Plastic and Waste, World Wildlife Fund

2. Chris Dickerson, former MLB player/Co-Founder, Players for the Planet

3. Doreen Wong, Entrepreneurship Lead, Sustainable Ocean Alliance

4. Dr. Manasa Mantravadi, Pediatrician, Founder/CEO at AHIMSA®

5. Michelle Tulac, Senior Project Manager – North America at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation 

6. Suz Okie, Director of Design Strategy & Senior Analyst, Circular Economy at GreenBiz Group

7. Poonam Watine, Knowledge Specialist, World Economic Forum

8. William McDonough, Chief Executive, McDonough Innovation and Co-author, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking The Way We Make Things

The event will be broadcast on September 29, 2022 at 4:00 PM PT / 7:00 PM ET and will include profiles on the finalists, award presentations and special guest appearances.

General admission is free and opens today at www.TheReusies.org. All ticket holders are automatically entered to win a Gibson Hummingbird Guitar valued at $3,999 and generously donated by Gibson Gives.

VIP group packages which include a virtual watch party in a branded suite (10 screens), opportunity to host an in-person watch party (1 screen) with inclusion in the live broadcast and other perks are available for purchase ($2,500 for an individual host, $3,000 for a corporate host). Individual VIP tickets are also available at $250 each. Category-exclusive sponsorship, advertising opportunities and brand integrations are also available. For more information, email [email protected]. For press inquiries, contact [email protected]; social: #TheReusies @Upstream_org @LoopFund.

Promotional partners of The Reusies 2022 include:

• AHIMSA®

• Ellen MacArthur Foundation

• GreenBiz Group

• McDonough Innovation

• Oceanic Global

• Ocean Plastic Leadership Network

• Sustainable Ocean Alliance

• Uplink

• World Economic Forum (WEF)/Global Plastic Action Partnership

• World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

About Upstream: 

Upstream is an environmental non-profit sparking innovative solutions to plastic pollution by helping people, businesses and communities shift from single-use to reuse. The organization’s second annual National Reuse Awards (aka The Reusies), will take place virtually on September 29, 2022.  To learn more about all Upstream programs, visit www.upstreamsolutions.org and follow on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube.

About Closed Loop Partners:

Closed Loop Partners is a New York-based investment firm comprised of venture capital, growth equity, private equity and catalytic capital, as well as an innovation center focused on building the circular economy. Investments align capitalism with positive social and environmental impact by reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions via materials innovation, advanced recycling technologies, supply chain optimization and landfill diversion. Learn more at closedlooppartners.com.