Reuse Realism with Mike Newman, Founder & CEO of Returnity Innovations

Introducing Mike Newman, founder and CEO of Returnity Innovations, a partner to retailers and brands for reusable packaging, Keith Anderson talks to Mike about his venture and lessons he’s learned. With a blend of entrepreneurship as well as environmental science and policy experience, Mike has a practical view of the immediate impact that reuse can have in commerce.

You'll learn about some of the reasons that the internal logistics leg is one of the most viable places for reusable packaging in commerce today, and some of the challenges and barriers and opportunities and what would have to be true for reuse to be economically and operationally viable in some of the other consumer-facing areas that we continue to see interest and innovation.
Learn more about Mike Newman:Link to Returnity’s websiteLink to Mike’s LinkedIn
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TRANSCRIPT BELOW:

Keith Anderson: Welcome to Decarbonizing Commerce, where we explore what's new, interesting, and actionable at the intersection of climate innovation and commerce. I'm your host, Keith Anderson, and together we'll meet entrepreneurs and innovators reinventing retail, e-commerce, and consumer products through the lenses of low carbon and commercial viability. 

Welcome to the Decarbonizing Commerce podcast. I'm Keith Anderson. And today I've got Mike Newman, founder and CEO of Returnity Innovations, a partner to retailers and brands for reusable packaging, mostly in the internal logistics leg of the supply chain. And I don't think we were recording when Mike told me he's sometimes referred to as the 'reuse realist.'

And having spoken to him for a while, I can appreciate why. Mike's background is, a blend of entrepreneurship as well as, environmental science and policy experience. And that's one reason that I think he's got a realistic view of the impact that reuse can have in commerce, but I think.

Another reason is the, the part of the supply chain that he is most focused on, and where he's guided returnity. And as, as you listen, I think you'll, you'll learn as I did about some of the reasons that, the internal logistics leg is one of the most viable places for reusable packaging, in commerce today, and some of the challenges and barriers and opportunities and what would have to be true for reuse to be, economically and operationally viable in some of the other consumer facing areas that we continue to see interest and innovation.

So, here's Mike Newman, founder and CEO of Returnity Innovations. 

Mike, good to see you. Thanks for joining the Decarbonizing Commerce podcast.

Mike Newman: Great to be here. Thanks for having me.

Keith Anderson: Why don't you tell us a bit about Returnity and where it fits in the reusable packaging landscape?

Mike Newman: Well, Returny really helps brands and retailers to reduce the impact of their packaging, certainly from a sustainability standpoint, less material and less waste, but also, more operationally e