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Brenda Richardson
Brenda Lee Richardson is the Coordinator for the Anacostia Parks & Community Collaborative (APACC).
Sean Jackson
Sean works in Clean Water’s DC office where he leads a multitude of advocacy efforts. Sean, along with the rest of the DC team, coordinates field offices with national legislative and regulatory campaign efforts
Sean graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2017 with a Master’s in Public Policy and a specialization in Environmental policy. He has worked for several environmental organizations on the national stage, and comes to Clean Water Action with an expertise in coalition management, communications, and national water infrastructure investment strategies. He has also
Becky Smith
Becky has worked with Clean Water Action since 2001. Recent projects include assembling a multi-sector network in Massachusetts to support innovative and alternative approaches to integrated water and energy resource management to protect both water and human ecosystems. Her work at the local, state, and federal level includes giving presentations on sustainable options for next generations of infrastructure; support for initiatives such as the Clean Water Restoration Act; and pursuing Clean Water Act protections for waters here in Massachusetts. Becky is an advisor to DEP's Safe Drinking
Erik McCleary
Erik began working on environmental organizing with Clean Water Action in 2019 as a canvasser in our Ann Arbor office, soon after becoming a Field Manager and MIchigan Deputy Field Director in 2020.
Prior to his arrival in Michigan Erik studied at Hampton University in Virginia, earning a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science, and worked on several electoral campaigns in Virginia, Oakland, Florida, and MIssouri.
Ballast Coffee
Café owner Paolo Araneta, every bit as bold as the Barako coffee he serves in San Francisco, deployed a new reusable jar system for Ballast’s daily grab-and-go treats and eliminated single-use disposable containers. Jar deposits are refunded upon return of the jar, or can be applied to the next purchase. After two months of implementation, staff reported a return rate of 75% and didn’t need to restock their jar supply.
Business Profile:
Nestled in San Francisco’s West Portal neighborhood, Ballast Coffee is known to be the only café serving Barako coffee in the city of San Francisco. Grown only in the Philippines and small parts of Malaysia and Vietnam, coffee beans are shipped green to the café and are roasted locally.
Packaging practices prior to ReThink Disposable:
- Three sizes of polylactic acid (PLA) plastic containers for grab-and-go snacks (24-ounce for salads, 16-ounce for overnight oats, and 9-ounce for chia pudding and yogurt cups)
- Single-use forks, spoons, and knives
Recommendations Implemented:
- Replaced three varieties of PLA containers with returnable wide-mouth glass canning jars with lids (32-ounce, 16-ounce, and 8-ounce)
- Replaced single-use utensils with stainless steel flatware
- Placed signage next to napkins encouraging customers to “take only what they need”
Before & After
Document
Business Information:
329 W Portal Ave
San Francisco, CA 94127
United States
The Bottom Line
$1,263
Annual cost savings
12,369 pieces
Of single-use packaging eliminated
245 pounds
Of waste prevented
Reusables [are] the only way small businesses like Ballast should move forward. We all need to do our part in contributing to a sustainable future. Small things add up fast. If we all do our part, what a difference we all can make.
Reducing Single-Use Food Packaging
ReThink Disposable works with local governments, businesses and institutions, and consumers of single use food packaging to inspire a cultural shift away from single-use "throwaway" lifestyle.