Redemption is a podcast dedicated to exploring A Guide to Modern Deposit Return Systems: 10 Essential Practices. The series is produced by Reloop North America with its Director, Elizabeth Balkan, serving as our host.
In each episode of Redemption, we dive deep into one of the essential practices and hear how they’re being used together by states and countries to build, run, and maintain an effective deposit return system to address the massive problem of beverage container waste.
Our guests include policymakers, advocates, and system operators, all seeking the best public policy solutions to change the reality that every minute worldwide 2.5 million beverage containers are being burned, buried or littered.
We hear from pioneers forging the exciting path to effective post-consumer material recovery and reuse. The Guide to Modern Deposit Return Systems will serve as our roadmap, our reference, and our inspiration on this journey.
Redemption Podcast episodes
- In the 14th episode of Redemption, we delve into one final facet of A Guide to Modern Deposit Return Systems: 10 Essential Practices – Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Explore how EPR and DRS can complement each other to enhance packaging recovery and recycling rates. Featuring insights from industry experts Mike Noel of TOMRA and Lynn […]
- Episode 13 of Redemption, delves into the intersection of modern deposit return systems (DRS) and existing curbside recycling programs, focusing on their impact on material recovery facilities (MRFs). We discuss how well-designed DRSs can complement MRF operations, mitigate revenue loss, and improve material recovery. Through insights from industry experts Lynn Hoffman in Minnesota and Robert […]
- In the twelfth episode of Redemption, we dive into the link between deposit return systems (DRS) and reuse initiatives. With single-use packaging dominating modern consumption, the resurgence of reusable packaging offers promising solutions to combat plastic waste. Our exploration highlights the pivotal role of DRS in facilitating the transition to refillable containers, amplifying the impact […]
- For the final essential practice from A Guide to Modern DRS, Elizabeth and Clarissa Morawski (Reloop CEO & Co-Founder) dig into the management of material flow and financial data. This practice centers on the clearing process in which beverage containers registered upon entering the market are matched with the units returned. This is critical for […]
- In our 10th episode, we investigate Material Processing and Service Fees — essential Practice #9. Material processing should be optimized to reduce costs and environmental impact. Establishing fees for collectors and logistics providers can also ensure that their recycling services benefit from economies of scale. Clarissa Morawski (Reloop CEO, and Co-founder) and Ryan Castalia (Executive […]
- Optimized Logistics — Practice # 8 —ensure uniform and fair procedures for those handling beverage containers, emphasizing the compaction of containers to reduce road traffic and travel time. They also encourage operators to reduce carbon emissions by using fuel-efficient or alternative fuel vehicles. Alexis Eisenberg (Reloop's Director for France and Francophonie) and Robert Kelman (Reloop’s Director […]
- Practice #7 — Infrastructure for Large-Volume Returns — is about making collection points efficient, user-friendly, clean, and tailored for bulk returns. Quebec and New York offer important lessons about infrastructure design — especially when it comes to managing bulk returns and accommodating diverse user needs.Joining Elizabeth in this discussion are returning guests Normand Bisson (President […]
- Returning bottles should be easy and equitable for consumers, as well as efficient and beneficial for retailers. This is where Practice #6, Collection, comes into play. Standardizing the collection process is essential to encourage participation in Deposit Return Systems. Our featured guests, Normand Bisson (President and CEO of the Quebec Beverage Container Recycling Association) and […]
- For consumers to redeem their recyclable bottles and get back their deposits, those bottles have to be recognizable during the collection process. Practice 5: Design, Marking, and Registration for Containers focuses on standards to optimize recovery and enhance recyclability. Hear from 4 expert guests — Lynn Hoffman (Eureka Recycling and National Coordinator for AMBER), Henriette […]
- Oversight and Enforcement (Practice #4) by state agencies incentivize producers to meet performance targets. They’re also key to striking a balance between private sector efficiency and innovation on one hand and optimized social and environmental outcomes on the other. Ryan Castalia (Executive Director of Sure We Can), offers eye-opening insights into the work of canners, […]
